Many were instrumental this month and deserve our heartfelt thanks.
To: Everyone that served last year. May you continue to prioritize service to the church. Thank you!
To: Everyone that purchased poinsettias. They made the church even more festive. Thank you.
We are looking for a few good people to serve on the council. We are searching for a VP and a Education Chair. If you are interested please contact Joe Gregar.
Becca is looking for a few people to serve in January. We need acolytes for both services and sound operators for the first service, Call or email the office if you can fill in.
Education News
*Class resumes on January 4th.
Bible Study
The PLAN, an online Bible study tutorial is available HERE.
Wednesdays
Confirmation at 6 PM
Adult Bible Study at 7 PM.
Altar Flowers
01/01 Happy New Year from the Richards
01/08 OPEN
01/15 OPEN
01/22 OPEN
01/29 OPEN
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Those who have signed up for flowers have two options:
You can provide your own. They must be at the church before the 8 AM service.
Sandy can get them for you for $20. (Make checks payable to Sandy Barsh.)
Flowers may be taken home after the 10:30 AM service. Please return vases to the church when flowers are done. You may contact Sandy Barsh at 913-548-9588 for questions or to fill and open date.
January Birthdays
01/12 Donna Erwin
01/15 Mindy Bell
01/17 Pat Walker
01/17 Mack Newell
01/21 Andy Brown
01/22 Nora Moore
01/27 Reagan Varns
01/27 Rich Walania
01/28 James Keltner Jr.
01/31 Elizabeth MacClymont
January Anniversaries
01/20 Shawn & Emily Helms
In the Military
Military members and friends of our congregation include:
Colin Alexander
Dylan Ash
Jim Buckman
Garret Cline
Mark Edgar
Maurissa Glick
Megan Honeywell
Jeremy Howard
Zac Howard
Freddy Hurt
Greg Jeffrey
Tyler Jordan
James Keltner
Tom Moore
Danny Myers
Austin Nicholes
Rob O'Bannon
Garrett Rausch
Lindsey Rausch
Allison Walania
D.J. Weaver
Worship: 8 AM, 10:30 AM
& 7 PM
Sunday school at 9:15 AM.
Office Hours:
Monday-Friday
10 AM- 2 PM
Please contact us if we missed your birthday or anniversary so we can update our records.
Christ Our Savior newsletter is published monthly and produced in email and print versions.
Pastor Andy Writes...
One More Year
And He told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” --Luke 13:6-9 ESV
Jesus tells this parable about a vineyard, a vinedresser, and the owner of the vineyard. It is a parable about time. Three years after the fig tree was planted it bears no fruit. The vineyard owner expects fruit. The fig tree has been taking up space in the vineyard but has produced no fruit. The owner of the vineyard tells the vinedresser to cut the fig tree down. The vinedresser intercedes. He requests that the vineyard owner give the tree one more year. The vinedresser tells the owner that he will dig around the tree and apply fertilizer. He says if the tree still bears no fruit after a year, then it can be cut down.
What kind of fig tree are you? The vineyard owner expects the fig tree to bear fruit. The vinedresser does everything he can for the fig tree to bear fruit. One more year if the tree does not bear fruit, then cut it down. How many “one more year[s]” will God give His children. We celebrate that Christ will return as the righteous judge.
“God is a righteous judge, and a God who feels indignation every day. If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow.” --Psalm 7:11-12
Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. --Matthew 3:10
January is the beginning of a New Year. Is 2023 the year our Lord will return as the righteous judge? We do not know the day or the hour. We do know that God wants us to be ready. We are ready when we trust Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Jesus has born our sins on the cross. We are saved by grace to bear fruit in the vineyard. The question then is are we bearing fruit or merely taking up space in the vineyard? God is the God of one more year. Jesus is the vinedresser. We are called by the Spirit and equipped with gifts to fulfill the purpose for which we have been called. We are called to bear fruit that befits repentance.
“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” --Galatians 5:16-26
May 2023 be the year when the vineyard owner finds good fruit.
The Sunday School kids had a birthday party for Jesus!
A Word About the Blessings of Tithing
“I have held many things in my hand and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God's hands that I still possess.” --Martin Luther
As we’re coming into the new year, I often think too much about what’s going on in the world. Sometimes it gets a little scary. I can get depressed and anxious.
To combat this, I started to reminisce about the old days when Brian and I were first married and learning to live together. We were also looking for a church that we could go to and bring our children up in together since we were raised in different denominations. We found a church, or maybe the church found us. The Pastor came to visit us and invited us to a New Membership Class. Over the period of 6 weeks, we were convinced this is where we belonged and became members.
In our classes we discussed tithing but weren’t sure how we could ever afford that. To that point we had dropped a couple dollars in the plate or maybe a $5.00 bill if we had it. Now we would commit to $25.00 per week! $100.00 per month! $5200.00 per year! When we began, and like many other tithers, we were almost immediately blessed. Within weeks Brian was given a 13% raise and that meant our tithe had to go up!
We’ve all heard the verses in Malachi 3 about robbing God. But as I reflect over the past 39 years I wonder about those passages. Is it telling us that what we are robbing God from is the blessings He wants us to have?
We know He doesn’t need our money. He wants our hearts and for us to trust Him. He wants to bless us! Only in this does He want us to test Him! Wow!
Now, I’m not the wealthiest person, but I am abundantly blessed and I look forward to what 2023 will bring and what God has instore for us this year.
May you all be equally blessed in this New Year.
“Bring the whole tithe…test me in this and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so many blessings”
In His Service,
Sue Flanery
January at a Glance!
01 NO 8 AM FIRST SERVICE.
02 Elders' Meeting at 1 PM
04 Confirmation Class Resumes 6 PM
04 Evening Bible Study Resumes 7 PM
07 Take Down Christmas Trees 9:30 AM
10 Council Meeting/Book Club 7 PM
28 Fifth Sunday Breakfast at 9:15 AM
L-R: The children's' message and Tatum signing
"Here I am to Worship".
Fifth Sunday Breakfast
Every fifth Sunday of the month the council invites all three services to come together and share a meal and fellowship as one congregation.
Join us at 9:15 AM on January 28th and bring a dish to share.
A sign up sheet will be posted in the Narthex as we get closer to the date.
Watch your bulletins for more information.
The January Council Meeting/Book Club is on Tuesday, January 10th at 7 PM.
