- Sunday Traditional Worship 9:00 a.m.
- One and All Worship 10:15 a.m.
- Sunday School for Adults 10:00 a.m.
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September
:
September 8
Worship in the Park
at 10:15 a.m at Fairview Park, with lunch at 11:00 a.m. (abbreviated worship at FCC at 9:00 a.m.). Please bring your lawn chair and a dish to pass. Chicken will be provided.
September 15 Youth/Children’s Sunday School, and Worship and Wonder Begin
September 22
Youth Group Begins
at 5:00 p.m.
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Office Hours
are listed at the bottom of each
Messenger
issue. The office will be closed on Monday, September 2, in observance of Labor Day.
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Thank you to our Interim Minister, Patti Case,
who is wrapping up her time with us over the next week. We are grateful for your service, Patti. You have made a lasting impact on the life and ministry of FCC. Best wishes on the next leg of your journey!
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THIRD
THURSDAY
FOOD & FELLOWSHIP
September 19 5:00 p.m. PARKVIEW INN
(South Morris across from Miller Park)
Note number coming on Sunday attendance pad
in far right column, OR
Phone FCC office BEFORE 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, September 17
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Disciples Women's Ministries
The September Meeting
of Disciples Women's Ministries will be on Thursday, September 5, at 1:00 p.m. in the Conference Room. Leslie Frizzell will continue with her excellent study presentation of "Walking in Jesus' Footsteps.”
Christmas Luncheon
Space is limited to 42 for our Christmas Luncheon on December 5. If you have not signed up as yet, please do so soon at the Info Desk. We hope to see you at our September meeting and at the Christmas luncheon.
Pam Yerkes
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Music Ministries
Chancel Choir Potluck
to begin the new year will take place Wednesday, September 4, at Underwood Park South, at 5:30 p.m. Anyone interested in music or joining the choir is invited. Contact Holly Irvin with any questions.
Handbell and Chancel Choir
rehearsals begin at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively, on Wednesday, September 11. All are welcome.
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Thank You!
Please find thank you notes on the Centrum bulletin board from Ministry & More (food donations), Mickey Drexler (notes), and Disciples of Christ Community Church, Champaign (regional prayer ministry).
Rev. Cyndy and Charles McBride
have recently moved. Their new addresses are:
- Church - First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 1314 SW Park Ave., Portland, OR 97201
- Home - 6764 NW 163rd Ave., Portland, OR 97229
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September 22 – Back to School Food & Games
– K-12, 5:00 – 6:30 p.m. (wear tennis shoes and clothes appropriate for sports/activities)
October 12 – Bed Blitz
– 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 360 Wylie Drive #305 Normal. Sign up by September 29. We will build bed frames for local children in low-income families. Meet at Youth Build.
October 27 – Our Annual Bonfire!!
For K-12 , 5:00 p.m. Sign up by October 20.
November 2-3 – CCIW Illinois Cluster Youth Fall Retreat
For grades 6-12, $10. Deadline is Oct. 16 (give $/form to Holly). Schedule and registration forms are on the youth board and Facebook Youth Group Page.
Children’s Worship and Wonder Volunteers Needed
We have a great group of volunteers, both youth and adult, who serve as greeters for our Worship and Wonder ministry with the children during our 9:00 a.m. worship. This is a vital ministry that YOU can be a part of as well. If you volunteer as a greeter, you will only be asked to greet twice a year (once in the spring and once in the fall). Be a part of this important ministry. Contact Holly Irvin.
Blessing of the Backpacks
was held August 18. Many students received blessing tags, and also tags to give to friends.
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Brown Bag Bible Bunch
meets on Wednesdays 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. in the Conference Room. The topic is the scripture for the upcoming Sunday. Pack a lunch and join us!
Small Groups
We have five small groups that are meeting currently, and we would love for YOU to be a part of another one!! Small Groups are a great place for Bible study, discipleship, camaraderie, prayer, and community. Questions? See Holly Irvin, Becky White, Bill Robitske, or Stephanie Kiesewetter. Please sign up by September 15 so small groups can begin the week of September 23. Find the signup form
here
for printing, or complete it and email it to Holly Irvin at hirvin@blmfcc.org
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Gifts for Another Table
In September we will collect items for the Boys & Girls Club. Let’s help them with the following items: latex gloves (large and small), 55-gallon and kitchen trash bags, Band-Aids, toilet paper, Ziploc sandwich, quart, and gallon-sized bags, and paper towels. Thank you!
The Abundant Life Church Meals
are back on! FCC will be serving on September 15. For information, contact Julie Robinson at
jerobinson21409@yahoo.com
.
Teacher Wish Lists
Reach Out has been collecting supplies for Sheridan and Bent Schools’ teachers. Please find a display at the Info Desk with specific needs on pick-and-take tabs.
Mission Trip
to Appalachia is currently going on. Please be in prayer for all participating.
Visitor Welcome Gifts
The Reach Out ministry has put together visitor gift packages. If you see a visitor, after greeting them, make sure they pick up a gift at the Info Desk.
Bed Blitz
with the West Bloomington Revitalization Project is coming in October. Read about it in Beyond the Bricks and watch for more details soon.
Other
Soon it will be time for Christmas outreach. Projects are yet to be determined.
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Blood Drive
We will have another blood drive on October 22. --
Wholistic Health Council
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Vision and Mission Statements Update
by Congregational President, Joe Bandy
A congregational meeting was conducted on Sunday, August 11, to vote on approval of our new Vision and Mission Statements. Prior to the vote, we reviewed our progress beginning in April with a core team which met weekly throughout May. During those meetings, the discernment information we gathered for the past two years was reviewed. We developed the Vision Statement, then the Mission Statement. The way the statements are worded is very important for clarity of our intentions.
Previously, the Vision and Mission statements were presented to the congregation on Sunday, July 14. The core team members made themselves available after worship that Sunday to take comments and concerns. Over the next two weeks, we had several comments that slightly changed our original statements and improved them. The entire core team was satisfied with the final statements as they reflected not only our thinking, but also the thoughts of the congregation.
Our Vision:
To be a growing church who welcomes all, grows spiritually, and serves others.
Our Mission:
To invite and welcome all to the Lord’s Table, to strengthen our spirituality with God and one another through prayer, worship, study, and fellowship, and to serve our community with compassion.
Going forward, you will see our Vision and Mission Statements displayed more prominently. Please take some time to think about what they mean to you and our church family. Our ministry will be built around these statements.
Change will inevitably occur in the future; these statements will need to be reviewed occasionally to test whether they align with the times. It will be healthy for our church and congregation to modify and/or rewrite the Vision and Mission Statements when necessary.
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FCC Board Annual Retreat Report
Two-year discernment births Vision & Mission Statements, Plus 2019 Ministry Priorities
In response to the approval of the Vision and Mission Statements by the congregation on August 11, the FCC Board in its Annual Retreat identified five priorities for the coming year.
The Board will prioritize
Property Use
– Help our property become a resource to the community and an entry point for the life of faith
Small Groups
— Build on what we’ve learned and do more of these
Welcome All
–
Begin discernment on building an inclusive faith community
Analyze Staffing Needs
— Build budgets to address mission, including how we faithfully staff the ministry for it
Meet the Neighbors
— Beginning with existing relationships, take a deeper dive into who God has given us to love in this area – and how our lives might intersect
Ministry Stewards will focus their energy (and budgets) on these priorities as they explore next steps in the church’s mission. Meanwhile, staff will work together with leaders to pursue the priorities, in continued conversation with the Board.
The priorities are inter-related. For example, as discernment begins on Welcoming All as a priority, small groups may be called into the conversation in prayer and study. As leaders focus on finding new ways for the building to be an extension of the church’s mission, learning more about the neighbors may play a role.
“We are poised to take some first next steps into the future God is calling us to pursue,” said Joe Bandy, board chair. “This two-year discernment process prepared us to engage in the ministry that our prayer and study has revealed to us.”
Senior Pastor Jim Warren thanked the board, and by extension the whole church for their generosity and care, especially during the last two months.
Jim was clear he does not want his family situation to be an excuse for FCC to put its future on hold. He encouraged the congregation to take its next vital steps even as the Warrens live into their “new normal.”
He will be transitioning back to work, and preaching again Sept. 8, with Worship in the Park. Meanwhile, interim pastor Patti Case continues to help in the transition process.
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Ours has been a remarkable four-week journey.
Thank you for trusting me with your care, with some of the leadership responsibilities of this faith community; for receiving me, a stranger, with a warm welcome. Thank you.
My assignment from the search committee was: “Help us keep moving” on the discernment process that has led to your vision and mission statements. I want to recap the highlights of this short interim:
First, I jumped right in to learn everything I could about you. What was your sense of God’s call on this faith community? I met with staff, board, pastor, previous interim, pastoral relations team, worship team, elders, a handful of the leaders of the community…
It was a little like speed dating, I suspect (although I haven’t ever done that…).
For worship, we reviewed the Gospel of Luke – the part of the book where Jesus has “set his face to Jerusalem” – focused on the mission to which he is called, no matter what. It seemed like a “help us keep moving” portion of the gospels.
We looked at Luke 10:1-11
—for a deep dive into what it means to be part of Jesus’ mission in the world. Jesus demands humility, as well as intentionality for his followers as they move about with good news. I mostly preached to myself that Sunday… Maybe my best gift was for me to be an outsider, curious about what you mean by your newly minted vision statement:
“We are a growing church who welcomes all,
grows spiritually, and serves others”
We Welcome All - We looked at Luke 10:25-37
, the story of the “good Samaritan,” where Jesus makes the most despised character in the story the unexpected hero.
When Jesus says all, he sees God’s image in those we might cast aside. His definition challenges us not just to welcome today’s outcasts, but to keep discerning who in our world is treated as an outcast and keep making our circle wider. What did you hear?
We Grow Spiritually
- We looked at Luke 11:1-13, and the disciples longing: “Lord teach us to pray” as I asked what you mean when you say, “Grows Spiritually.” What can we learn from the longing that is present in your own quest for deeper connection to each other and the One who connects us all?
This week, as I close out my four-week assignment, I wanted to pick a text that could help finish off the series, but also transition you back to your “new normal” as Jim returns. That will be an important transition for all of you.
We go back to the regular lectionary so Jim can just keep going from there (if he wants.) In any case, I suspect this text can help you frame what you mean when you say you, “serve others.”
We Serve Others
- Luke 14-1-14. Jesus is back to his humility theme and he is telling his host to rewrite the guest list. I am not sure all I will find here. I’m just getting started. So, be sure to tune in on the live feed if you can’t be there in person.
Next Dusty Steps
I’m so encouraged by the five priorities of the board. (You’ll find that story elsewhere in the newsletter.) You are naming the next steps in this life-long pursuit of God’s call on your community. Just look at the ways those priorities speak to your Vision and Mission Statements!
I suspect the road before you will be fraught with “lambs among wolves,” danger. But I am so inspired by your drive to go where God leads you, no matter what.
I’m so encouraged by your desire to love God with everything you’ve got… and your neighbor as yourselves: especially the neighbors that the world has forgotten are made in God’s image.
I’m so blessed in knowing that you intend to pursue spiritual growth necessary to undergird your whole journey into the places where Jesus’ message can bring hope, and where you will find a servant role in lifting up the people God gives you to love.
May the presence of the Holy Spirit abide with you now and forevermore!
Peace, my new friends,
Patti
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Want to help the Warrens by providing a meal?
If you would like to help provide meals for the Warren family, please follow the steps below. Thank you!
- Go to the website: www.takethemameal.com
- Type in "Warren Family" for the family name
- The Password: Godisgood
- Sign up for the time(s) when you would like to supply a meal, and just follow the simple steps for delivery
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News! The Messenger
is a
Monthly
Newsletter!
On a trial basis, and as a cost-saving endeavor, The Messenger has been mailed on the first Wednesday of each month for the last few months. We will continue to mail the Messenger ONCE monthly, but will mail it on the LAST Wednesday of the month, with a focus on the next month’s activities. Please be sure to submit your items by email to info@blmfcc.org by the Friday before that Wednesday. The next Messenger will be sent on Wednesday, September 25, with a deadline of September 20. If you haven’t, please sign up to receive The Messenger via email by emailing
info@blmfcc.org
.
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Serving Schedule
Serving Schedules
are included in each
Messenger
and in the Friday Email (sent via email to all who have subscribed) two days before worship services. These are to help you as a final reminder of your duties. Ministry areas send initial serving calendars or schedules for each area of duty, and we hope you have already marked your calendar.
When you find it necessary to find a substitute, please try to trade with someone else and don’t forget to tell the church office at 309-829-9327 or office@blmfcc.org as soon as you can.
Knowing who is actually serving is important to the staff and leadership for various reasons. Thank you for your help!
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Sunday, September 1
Acolyte:
George Davis
Building Lock-up:
Chip Jamerson
Child Care:
Trish Logan, Kathie Chapman
Deacons:
·
9:00 Scott & Valerie Fisher
·
10:15 James & Libby Nussbaum
Jr. Deacons:
Reed Naughton, Jaci Cox
Drivers:
Lois & Frank Lipscomb
Elders:
Ryan Newton, Madonna Courtright
Visiting Elders:
Scott Fisher, Valerie Fisher
Coffee Fellowship:
Bill Robitske
Fill Candles:
Ryan Newton
Greeters:
Renae Hammitt, Sam Gustafson,
Josie Gustafson, Pete Whitmer
Info Desk:
Nancy Guither
Scripture:
Susan Cleaver
Sound Tech:
James Nussbaum
Time for Children:
Patty Thompson
Video Tech:
James Nussbaum
Pulpit:
Patti Case, Interim Minister, Luke 14:1-14
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Sunday, September 15
Acolytes:
Kosiers
Building Lock-up:
Mike Robinson
Child Care:
Trish Logan, Abby Logan
Deacons:
·
9:00 Michelle Kiesewetter, Stephanie Reed
·
10:15 Peg Larson, Reena Rhoda
Jr. Deacons:
Bethany Warren, Sadie Newton
Drivers:
Rich Crusius, Ralph Lehmann
Elders:
Bill Robitske, Leslie Frizzell
Visiting Elders:
John Dailey, Jill West
Coffee Fellowship:
John & Kathy Dailey
Fill Candles:
Ryan Newton
Greeters:
Alan & Kathie Chapman
Info Desk:
Susan Hinrichsen
Scripture:
Bob Trefzger
Sound Techs:
Austin Metz,
Brian Metz
Time for Children:
Scott Fisher
Video Tech:
Chip Jamerson
Pulpit:
Jim Warren, Psalm 22:1-5, 22-24, 29-31,
“What This Summer Taught Me”
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Sunday, September 8
Worship in the Park
10:15 a.m. at Fairview Park
with lunch at the park
at 11:00 a.m.
Please bring your lawn
chair and a dish to pass.
Chicken will be provided.
(abbreviated worship service
at FCC at 9:00 a.m.)
Acolyte:
--
Building Lock-up:
Joe Bandy
Child Care:
Trish Logan, Karen Crusius
Deacons:
·
9:00 Chip & Patti Jamerson
·
10:15 Kathy Dailey, Peg Larson, Doug Reed
Jr. Deacons:
Clark Kosier, Teagan Gramley
Drivers:
Ryan Newton, Gary Thompson
Elders:
Deanne Bryant, John Dailey
Visiting Elders:
Deanne Bryant, Ryan Newton
Coffee Fellowship:
Worship in the Park
Fill Candles:
Ryan Newton
Greeters:
Nate & Heather Damery, Martha Hunter
Info Desk:
Vicki Hall
Scripture:
Art Taylor
Sound Tech:
Brian Metz
Time for Children:
Matt Chapman
Video Tech:
Nate Damery
Pulpit:
Jim Warren, Luke 15:20-24, “Welcome Home”
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Sunday, September 22
Acolyte:
Khloe Nussbaum
Building Lock-up:
John Dailey
Child Care:
Trish Logan, Kim Cox
Deacons:
·
9:00 Scott & Valerie Fisher
·
10:15 Peg Larson, Reena Rhoda
Jr. Deacons:
Bryce Reed, Brennon Reed
Drivers:
Ryan Newton, Ralph Lehmann
Elders:
Jill West, Gregg Kiesewetter
Visiting Elders:
Leslie Frizzell, Bill Robitske
Coffee Fellowship:
Julie Robinson
Fill Candles:
Ryan Newton
Greeters:
Ron & Nancy Gramley, Wannie Beard
Info Desk:
Martha Hunter
Scripture:
Holly Rocke
Sound Tech:
Dave Phillis
Time for Children:
Tamara Shields
Video Tech:
Austin Metz
Pulpit:
Jim Warren, Luke14:25-33, “Mission Is Costly”
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Sunday, September 29
Acolyte:
Ellie Chapman
Building Lock-up:
Doug Reed
Child Care:
Trish Logan, Heather Damery
Deacons:
· 9:00 Chip & Patti Jamerson
·
10:15 Peg Larson, Julie Robinson
Jr. Deacons:
Sabrina Campos, Carson Damery
Drivers:
Gary Thompson, Frank Lipscomb
Elders:
Mike Robinson, Marla McElroy
Visiting Elders:
Gregg Kiesewetter, Madonna Courtright
Coffee Fellowship:
Rita Fisher
Fill Candles:
Ryan Newton
Greeters:
Mark & Michelle Gramley, Rita Fisher
Info Desk:
Nancy Pool
Scripture:
Camille Taylor
Sound Tech:
James Nussbaum
Time for Children:
Heather Damery
Video Tech:
James Nussbaum
Pulpit:
Jim Warren, Luke 15:1-10, “Where Is the Lost One?”
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Livestreaming! What is That?
Since the beginning of August we have been “livestreaming,” or broadcasting, our 9:00 a.m. Sunday service on Facebook. The broadcast happens almost live and has been very successful as far as viewership goes. We are still in a testing mode and experience glitches occasionally, but are mostly moving forward on the quality of the broadcasts. One positive move is that now you can watch from our website homepage, as well as on Facebook. On our website, scroll down to the bottom of the homepage and see that the current or most recent broadcast is toward the top of the selections there. You can also watch older broadcasts. If you use Facebook, just go to our Facebook Page and see the broadcast start a few minutes before 9:00. We have gained over 15 new Facebook followers and our page activity has increased substantially (including a 352% increase in video viewership) since we began this service.
Thank you to Kevin Kiesewetter and Dave Phillis for their hard work in making it possible for folks who are traveling or who can’t get to church to worship along with those at FCC on Sunday mornings.
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Contact Us
Senior Pastor:
James Warren
Interim Minister:
Patti Case
- 309 829-9327
- interim@blmfcc.org
Minister Emeritus:
John Trefzger
Dir. Music, Dir. Music & Youth
Ministries:
Holly Irvin
Organ/Piano:
Lou Ann Fillingham
One and All Music Coordinator:
Bill West
Communications Coordinator:
Jenifer Petri
Office Receptionist:
Maggie Burton
Financial Secretary:
Deborah Stumm
Child Care Coordinator:
Trish Logan
Worship and Wonder Storyteller:
Susan Sanders
- (217) 931-2430
- suznwally@hotmail.com
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Witness of the Faithful
Attendance:
- 8/11/19: 132, 26
- 8/18/19: 123, 25
- 8/25/19: 117, 32
Offering:
$14,236.79
Prayer Concerns
Carle Hospital in Champaign:
Leonard Maupin
OSF St. Joseph:
Joyce Garrett
Awaiting Tests/Surgery
:
Richard Malone
Aftercare:
- Jane Brummet
- William Etchison
- Kaleigh Menken
- Eddie Robinson
- Mary Smart
Treatment:
- Forrest Kaufman
- Paula Robb
Hospice:
- Harold Goyen
- Marilyn Kopp
Assisted Living:
- Mickey Armstrong (Luther Oaks)
- Niola Daily (Westminster)
- Helen Fry (Blair House)
- Mary Lou Mercier (Home)
- Glenn & Betty Metz (Villas of Holly Brook)
- Neil & Dorothy Sallee (Westminster)
- Alma Samuels (Taylors’ home)
- Suzanne Summers (Evergreen Village)
Nursing Homes:
- Alden Valley Ridge, Bloomingdale – Hazel Kuhn
- Heritage, Blm. – Merle Murray
- Heritage, El Paso – Sonna West
- Heritage, Normal – Harold Goyen
- Liberty, Clinton – Corena Meyer
- Martin Health – Myrna Cable, Niola Daily, Carol Kline, Marlyn Mahannah, Neil Sallee, Barbara Thatcher
- McLean County -- Marilyn Kopp
Military:
- Adam Jacobs (Army)
- Harley Scott (Phillis niece/Navy, VA)
Sympathy to:
- Susan (Wally) Sanders and family on the August 11 death of her cousin, Ryan Burke, of Ohio
- the Eft and Cox families on the August 23 death of their father/grandfather, William Tackett, of Morton
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Office Phone
309 829-9327
Fax
309 829-2865
Address
401 W. Jefferson St. Bloomington, IL 61701
Hours
Of
fice hours
have changed. The office is open
Mondays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
, and
Tuesday through Friday 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
The office closes for lunch from noon to 1:00 p.m. every day. The best times to contact the church office are while Maggie is here, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
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