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The Informer

 Life at Abilene First
 
 Abilene First Church of the Nazarene                                 May 2017 
From Pastor Dave
    
Greetings, my FCN Family,
 
It is always my pleasure to write to you and encourage you in the things of God.  We are just 2 months into the 2017-2018 church year and I have to say from what I am already seeing, this is a year that holds great opportunity for God to continue to do astonishing and mighty things through you and our church.  We are literally living in a great spirit of revival.  We are living in and seeing great days here at FCN so my prayer is: "Lord continue to move in on us".  This past church year was labeled as "the year the church left the building" and so why not label this year as "to be continued".  Our mission is always beyond our beautiful facility.
 
We live in a world full of "lost" people.  They're everywhere.  They are not hard to find.  We can find them in our neighborhoods, our favorite restaurants, the corner store, and the shopping mall.  You may even know some of them...some may be family members and friends.  You may want to see them saved, but don't know where to start.
 
The commission of the church and each individual believer is not to wait until the world shows up.  The commission of the church is to go to the world.  That means wherever they are that do not know Christ, wherever you may go that Christ is not named, it may be your school or your office or your neighborhood, God still expects HIS people to take HIS message to a lost world so that they might hear the wonderful words of life.
 
In spite of the conditions around us, in spite of the difficulties and dangers, in spite of every excuse we offer, The Great Commission still stands and has never been taken off of God's agenda for His people. With this in mind, give a personal invitation to your network of friends or family members to join you at one of our services or one of our exciting life groups.  This is the most effective way that we can win souls to Christ.  The "unchurched" is to be seen as "sheep without a shepherd" in need of redemption and a church family.
 
The idea of "making a disciple" is a beautiful term and we should be in line with that calling and commission that has always been on the heart of God.  Even when Jesus initially called the disciples, He said, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men".  Nothing has changed.
 
We are trying to change the lives of as many people as possible.  Do it where you are, with those whom you meet, with those you work with, with those you go to school with, etc.  Be a witness for Jesus in your lives and when necessary talk about Him too!  You may be the only "Jesus" that your world sees.
 
In closing, I would like to remind you that your witness is a tool God uses to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ.  One prayer at a time, one invitation at a time, will bring abundance to His Kingdom.  To God be the glory.
 
Be Blessed,
PD  

Nazarene Missions International
NMI Logo
MONTHLY EMPHASIS FOR MAY:
 
Missionary Health Care
We will be sending an offering for Missionary Health Care at the end of May. We will use funds from Mission Money March for this offering. We also want to ask you to fill your empty pill bottles with quarters and bring them in on Sunday, May 21, for this offering.  Let's raise a good offering to help provide health insurance coverage for our missionaries. 
 
 
SPECIAL MISSION SERVICE
We will be traveling to Hamlin on Wednesday, May 10, to join with the Hamlin church for a Mission service.  The speakers for the service will be Nazarene Missionaries, Daniel and Margarita Pesado.  The Pesados are global missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene serving in Spain.  We will be taking the church van for anyone who would like to go but cannot drive or does not want to drive at night. We want to take a good group.  You can let me or Pastor Dave know if you want to ride the van.   Dinner will be at 6:00 p.m.  Please bring a dessert.  The Missionary service will begin at 
7:00 p.m.

 
Gayla Hastings
NMI President

Children's Department

Hello everyone! 
 
Hard to believe it's almost May!  School is almost out and summer fun will begin!  Thank you for all the candy donations for our egg hunt.  The kids had a blast using their flash lights to find eggs. 
 
Here's what happening this month in the children's department:
 
On Sunday, May  21, the children and teens will hold Sunday morning service.  The children's part of the service will include two black light skits and our end of year Caravan badge ceremony.  For black light puppets, we are working on Press Play's "New York to LA" and "Feel It" again by Toby Mac.  An All-Church pot luck dinner will follow as well. 
 
I am still working on a Wednesday night summer schedule. I'm planning on object lessons followed by either a game or craft.  I would also like to do a few field trips as well.  We will not have a big bash until the end of summer. 
 
Sunday nights, we will continue with our mission lessons.  I would like to use Sunday and Wednesday nights to collect our 2017 Kids Reaching Kids mission offering.  The boys and girls will  compete against each other to see who can raise the most money.  So please send offering with your kids over the summer. 
 
Carrie Turnbow  

WYBT1 Youth

Well we are down to May and the end of school is quickly approaching. I am happy to say that we have one senior graduating form High School this year. That would be Derryck Peters.  I have included his information below, but I would like to request you join us on Sunday, May 21, as we not only celebrate the children and all the work that Carrie and her amazing group of volunteers have been working on in Children's Caravan, but we will also be celebrating Derryck.  We will have an All-Church pot luck lunch following the morning worship service. 
 
Derryck Anthoni Peters is the  grandson of Susan and Thomas Peters and son of Christine Bentley and Brian Peters.  Derryck's sophomore year, he was inducted into the National Honor Society and received the Academic Letter his senior school year.  During high school, he played football his freshman year, basketball freshman and sophomore year, and soccer junior and senior year.  Summer leading into his senior year, he also joined CrossFit and is still a part of it.  While attending high school, he worked at Dairy Queen his sophomore and junior year and United his junior and senior year.  He is graduating from Abilene High with honors and will continue his education at Baylor University in Waco, Texas majoring in biology with the goal of becoming a surgical oncologist.
 
The youth will be having a garage sale the last weekend in May.  We are taking donations and we can pick up items if needed.  Please contact us if arrangements need to be made.  This is our last big push to cover expenses before Kevin and I leave with 4 of the youth from the church.  On Saturday, June 17, we will depart for Indianapolis, Indiana.  I am asking for prayer for the youth as they work in the inner city area of Indianapolis, and for Kevin and I for driving with the responsibility of these four teens.
 
Your Sister in Christ,
Sherry  

FCN Book Club

The next FCN Book Club meeting is on Monday, May 1, at 6:30 p.m. at Mad Coffee & More, located at 8049 Hwy 83/84 (the corner of FM 707 & Hwy 83/84).  We will discuss our current book, "Crooked Man" by Tony Dunbar, and choose our next book at that meeting.  Contact Carol Hehn for more information.
 

Men's Basketball
basketball

 
 
Are you ready for some basketball?  The men of the church will meet on Saturday, May 6, at  6:00 p.m. in the FCN gym for some fun and fellowship.  Bring a friend!  Participants must be at least 14 years of age.  Please contact Robert Hehn for more information.  

   
Men's Basketball

 
 
Disc Golf Outing-Saturday, May 6, at Cal Young Park , located at South 11th and T&P Lane. - We will begin at 9:00 a.m., weather permitting.  Everyone is invited!  Children age 14 and younger must be accompanied by a parent.  Contact Jimmy Thomas for more information.
 
   

Online Sunday Morning Services

 

Our Sunday morning Worship Services can now be found online!  Go to:

 

 http://www.fcnabilene.org/sermons and click on

 

"First Church of the Nazarene on USTREAM"

 

May Calendar

Check out events on the FCN Calendar.  See the events and times listed (they are even color coded)!
 
May Birthdays & Anniversaries

 

Birthdays 

  3  Sandy Bullock

  7  Carol Ann Chappell

  8  Gayla Hastings
      Ben Turnbow

11  Winnie Miller

15  Eilene Gipson

16  Bernie Hehn

17  Carrie Turnbow

18  Jesse Brooks
      Goldie Foster

20  Kathy Kessell

24  Joyce Thruman

30  Farrin Cunningham
Anniversaries
 
22  Ben & Winnie Miller
      Robert & Julia Hehn




From the Staff and Ministry Leaders of
Abilene First Church of the Nazarene
www.fcnabilene.org
325.677.9429