Weekly Update
October 22, 2021
The Road to Iceland

For ten days last month I had the opportunity to travel to the country of Iceland. I spent five days traveling the island and sight-seeing. This included seeing an active lava spewing volcano, a black volcanic sand beach sprinkled with glacial ice called Diamond beach and a lot of amazing waterfalls. However, what I enjoy more is meeting the people.
The last five days I had planned to attend a presentation of The Iceland Project which is an effort to initiate and support planting gospel churches in Iceland. But wait, isn’t Iceland a Christian country with a state supported church? Why the effort to plant more churches? A closer look is in order. In 2015, more Icelanders claimed to be atheist than religious believers. In a 2016 poll, about 40% of younger Icelanders consider themselves Christian however, exactly 0% believe God created the Earth. The fastest growing religious movement is Zuism centered on worshipping Sumerian pagan gods. The graph below gives the picture worth a thousand words. A great short video on the subject on YouTube is: Christian By Default https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOZ39oVDuhw

Project Iceland is an effort among the evangelical Christians that make up less than 1% of Iceland to start and grow gospel believing churches to share the Good News to seeking people. A case in point is a young Christian named Kristin who lives in Iceland’s second largest city of 20,000 Akureyri. There are three non-gospel churches in her city. Kristin has been praying and reaching out for support to start a gospel preaching church in her city. There is a strong passion by your Icelandic brothers and sisters in Christ to reach their people for Jesus but the workers are few and support is needed. Worshipping with the Icelanders was some of the most heart felt fellowship I’ve had. Please keep Kristin, the churches in Iceland and those supporting the Iceland Project in prayer. Please look at The Iceland Project for more on this at: http://www.theicelandproject.org/

~ Harvey Hall
PRAYER REQUESTS:
  • Our son Ty is still unemployed and looking for work. God's will for him. Thank you! ~ Conleys
  • Please pray for Andy & Karina Smith as they travel to Uganda. ~ Mike & Candy
  • Please continue to pray for my dad. He seemed to be doing better this last week but still has a hard time getting around. ~ Joyce
  • Please to lift Jennifer up for: freedom from anxiety / panic attacks and her right knee. ~ Joyce
  • Please pray for OCC shoeboxes. We still need a lot of toys to fill 350 boxes. ~ Joyce
  • Praise the Lord for the start of Good News Clubs this last week and that God provided a helper. Jeannie Justice, a retired Sonrise Academy teacher, was so great with the little ones, helping them participate. Some of our kids didn't make it because they forgot or were sick. Please pray for health of all and that they remember! Also continue to lift up lesson plans and for the spirit to grant faith. Also, pray that the middle school kids will remember and come and be changed with God's Word.
  • There are several marriages going through difficult times. Please pray that God will restore them.
  • Pray for our country and the Covid-19 surge. Pray for our families, friends and members of the congregation who are currently struggling with it.
  • Please continue to hold up our brothers and sisters still stranded in Afghanistan.

CELEBRATE THE WINS
Praise the Lord for Myron & Dawn Egbert and Lloyd and Sherry Clark who assembled 300 Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for our church to fill.
To watch this Sunday's live-streaming service click on this link "Jacob Meets God"

Or go to youtube.com and search for "First Christian Church The Dalles"
You will also be able to watch any service at any time.

Get a head start on Sunday morning worship? Click here for the songs that will be featured this Sunday.
Class 101 is our basics class about the church, church membership and how it operates. Class 101 teaches you all about what it looks like to follow Christ and give you the tools you need for each step of the journey.
Class 101 started last Sunday, October 17th but you can still join in during the Sunday School hour at 9:15am and runs for 4 weeks..
Missionary Updates:

David Moore - Firm Foundation in Christ Ministries
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David Moore will be presenting the Missions Moment this month on Sunday, October 24. Be sure to be at the service to meet David and encourage him in his ministry.


Prayer requests:
 For the currently ongoing 5 weeks of training in Ethiopia and a neighboring country by FFICM personnel of around 400 participants from 15 denominations on how to facilitate the follow up of new believers to give them the support they need to grow in their faith.

Wisdom for David and team as they prepare the budget and ministry plans for 2022.

That God will supply a “Director of Prayer Ministries” to join their team.

For David and Denise to be good parents for their children as they readjust to being back in school and especially for moving on to high school for their middle child.

David Moore will be presenting the Missions Moment this month on Sunday, October 24. Be sure to be at the service to meet David and encourage him in his ministry.
Ladies Evening Bible Study
Ladies, Sarah Smith invites you to join her for a four week class on the message to the seven churches of Revelation on Wednesday nights 6:30-8pm beginning October 27 through November 17 in the study (Dan's old office). 
Harvest Bounty
Sunday November 7th
following morning service
Fellowship Hall - church basement
 
Come celebrate the bounty of fall harvest with us!
We need 10 people to bring a pot of hot, delicious soup and 6 people to bring any type of bread or rolls. Bowls, utensils and dessert are all provided. Please let us know if you can bring soup or bread by signing up on your blue attendance cards or call Nancy Love at 541-298-4400.
We are also asking everyone to bring one can of food per person to donate to Salvation Army food drive.
GAMES! PRIZES! FUN!
FOUND
We now have TWO cell phones in the church office that have been found at First Christian Church. Please stop by the office between 9am and noon M-F or call 541-296-6189 to claim.
GOOD NEWS CLUBS 

We have been meeting for two weeks now and we love our kids. We praise God for parents who want their kids in GNC.  
Please pray for: the Holy Spirit to speak truth into the kids' hearts; protection from harm, injury or sickness; lessons and activities that guide the kids towards Jesus; and most importantly that we glorify the Lord in all we say and do.
Pray for our GNCs from 3:00-4:30pm at:
 • Cornerstone on 12th and Mt Hood Streets on Mondays;
 • Gateway on 11th and Dry Hollow on Thursdays;
 • Emmanuel on 10th and Snipes on Friday. 
Pray also for Jesus Youth Challenge (JYC) for middle schoolers at the Evangelical Church on 12th across from the Middle School on Wednesday, 3:15-4:30pm.
LAST DAYS OF JESUS, Inc.

We are working on casting for the 2022 passion play season. We need men to portray disciples, guards and priests. We need women to portray weeping women. If you would like to participate, please contact Joyce Goodman at 541-296-3391. Erich Dorzab is refining the script for the Last Supper scene with the vision for reaching people who lack a biblical background to understand the reason for the passion week.
Please pray for God's provision for funds and volunteers for this coming year. Ask the Lord for His favor with the city entities so that we may use public places for the rehearsals and live, in-person production. Pray also for continued guidance as we seek to bring glory to God in our community. 
Nursery Workers Needed
We are looking for a few volunteers to assist our paid nursery staff. We are seeking people who can play with our infants and toddlers so their parents can enjoy our worship services. Hopefully we can recruit enough volunteers so each person will only need to be in the nursery once every six to eight weeks. Please contact Tia Anderson (541-980-3918) if you have any questions. There is a short background check that will need to be completed prior to working with children. 
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOXES 

We are in the last few weeks of collecting items to fill our shoeboxes.  Located in the Fireside Room at First Christian Church is a box for donating items for our packing parties to be held in November. Also available near the display table in the back of the sanctuary are empty shoeboxes for you to fill. We have follow your box labels that you can activate online available next to the brochures. Remember we need $9.00 for each box.

Please pray for the kids who will receive our boxes to know our love for them but most importantly that their hearts will be softened and they will know how much Jesus loves them.

We have a couple of projects if you would like to help us out in prepping for loading boxes. We have bars of soap taken out of their wrappers and put in containers or baggies and some more Lego kits assembled.

Items we do not need anymore of are school supplies and washcloths.  

What we do need are the following:
 Hygiene: 100 youth soft toothbrushes; 
          98 adult soft toothbrushes;
          90 bars of mild (Ivory or Dove) soap.
 Toys:     80 3" bouncy balls;
          80 Hot Wheels cars;
          101 Barbie dolls;
          90 jump ropes;
          50 Yo-Yos;
          50 Harmonicas (we do not need kazoos);
          Small games (also need your Altoid tins to make games);
 Miscellaneous: Hair goodies;
                Little craft kits;
                Jewelry for younger and older girls;
                Baseball caps for kids;
                Playing cards, dice and marbles;
                Any other things each age group would enjoy.

Jennifer and Joyce are still shopping and would appreciate your prayers for being able to find God's deals and His economy and if you need them to do your shopping, let them know at 541-296-3391. 


OCC DROP-OFF SITE

We will be taking FCC boxes to Calvary during collection week and would appreciate help with the trailer and loading our boxes to take up to Calvary after our final day of putting together and collecting on Sunday the 14th of November.

This year the official drop-off site for the Columbia Gorge for completed shoeboxes will be at Calvary Baptist church. Sarah Pickette is heading this up and is looking for volunteers to help with the collection of boxes. If you are able to sign up to help Sarah an hour or two on the days we collect boxes in the gym at Calvary Baptist church, please contact Sarah.
Collection dates and times Sarah needs help are:
Monday, Nov 15 through Friday, Nov 19: 4-6pm
Saturday, Nov 20 and Sunday, Nov 21: 12-4pm
Monday, Nov 22: 7-9am

Sarah also needs someone who can drive a 26' U-Haul truck from the store U-Haul store on 6th Street to Calvary Sunday, Nov 21 and to Covenant Christian Hood River Monday, Nov 22, 8-9 am.

Please contact Sarah at 541-296-1308 if you are able to help out and take a turn. It will be a warmer and dryer job this year as Calvary has a covered driveway for drop-offs and we can sit inside where it is warm as they can see through the windows as people drive up.
BUDGET
October monthly goal $32,788.08
Received to date $22,768.51
Help Us Help Our Community
With the wet and cold weather right around the corner, St Vincent dePaul is in need of tents, sleeping bags, and tarps for those who are not able to be in the pallet homes, yet still need a warm and dry place to sleep.

Donations can be dropped off at 315 W 3rd St any Monday - Thursday between 10am and 4pm.
WHAT WE BELIEVE...The Dalles First Christian Church is an independent governed congregation with elder oversight. Our roots are found in the Restoration Movement. We follow the Lord’s plea for unity. We support all believers who accept Jesus as Lord of their lives. We don’t consider ourselves the only Christians, but “Christians only”. We look to the Bible as the inerrant Word of God. We follow the New Testament in matters of faith and practice. We observe communion on a weekly basis and follow the Biblical pattern of conversion. Church members have exhibited their faith in Christ by belief, repentance, public confession of faith, baptism (immersion), and a continual faithful obedience to Biblical standards of living. We stand firm on the essential doctrines of the faith, but observe freedom in the non-essential areas of Christian life and belief.
First Christian Church, The Dalles
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