The Bridge Newsletter • October 26, 2014 Servants in Worship Announcer ..............................................................................Tom Street Greeters............................................................................Koinonia Class Acolyte(s) .....................................................................Rebekah Haymes Red Book Pickup ...................................Sally D. Hunt / Dreema Adkins Deacons Coordinator .....................................................Susan Haymes Ushers & Servers............................Dreema Adkins, Peggy Brannen, Debby Demos, Kathie Fulgham Other Servers..................Bob Gary, Adam Hipp, Gayle Mingledorﬀ, Kent Smithson, Lisa Wilkes Elders at the Table East #1 (Prayer for Bread) .........................................Dan Summerlin East #2 (Table) ................................................................Lorraine Hipp West #1 (Prayer for Cup) ....................................................Rona Gary West #2 (Table) .............................................................Gail Holcombe Elders On Call ...........................................Dan Summerlin / Rona Gary Scripture.....................(I Thessalonians 2:9-13) ...............Ardian Totten Message.....”The Stewardship of the “Working Word”.....Pastor Mark The Week Ahead Sunday, October 26 9:45 am 10:35 am 10:45 am 12:00 pm 12:15 pm Sunday School Classes Elders’ Prayer Circle; Meditation Chapel Morning Worship; Sanctuary Fellowship; Parlor Cottage Meeting #3 and Lunch, Fellowship Hall 7:30 pm NA Monday Group; Fellowship Hall 7:00 pm NA Tuesday Group; Fellowship Hall 6:00 pm Choir practice 7:00 am Men’s Study Group; Bluegrass Grill 7:30 pm NA Friday Group; Fellowship Hall Monday, October 27 Tuesday, October 28 Wednesday, October 29 Thursday, October 30 Friday, October 31 Saturday, November 1 No activities scheduled Sunday, November 2 9:45 am 10:35 am 10:45 am 12:00 pm Sunday School Classes Elders’ Prayer Circle; Meditation Chapel Morning Worship; Sanctuary Fellowship; Parlor 6th annual “Box City Camp Out to Stamp Out Family Homelessness” on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 6pm through Sunday, Nov. 2 at 7am at the Lookouts' AT&T Field. Contact Dan Summerlin for details. Cottage Meeting Update Sunday’s Cottage Meeting on Oct. 19 had approximately 65 in attendance, an excellent crowd. The table groups met in various downstairs rooms, then reconvened in the fellowship hall to overhear the results of the groups and close. The Kemp Class provided a classy chili luncheon… THANKS! Be sure to mark your calendar for next week’s ﬁnal session as we seek to dream into God’s future for FCC. Greg & Diane Givens & Family; Sandra Riddle (friend of Chuck Martin); Jake Summerlin; Scrappy Moore; Jo Bevilaqua; Kyle Cutsinger; Doug Beuoy (Brannens’ son-in-law); Liz Love; JoJo Wise; Luther Whitaker; David Blackburn; Doris Aldrich; Ashley Hawkins (Sally D’s niece); Jim Northcut; Harrison Gill; John Black (Barbara Voss’s Brother); Melvin Smith; Mary Barker; Bob Lewis; Bettye Gerow; Martha Coﬀey (Debby & Judy’s aunt); Joel Westbrook; Sharon Narey; Bill Allen; Tim Suits; Judy Kirby (Larry & Barbara’s sister-in-law); Erick Griggs; Bill Hobbs; Leona BonDurant (Carl’s Grandmother); Don Baldwin; Paul Shoun; Oscar Hurley; Edwin Bramlett (Bill Allen’s friend); Lauren Niemeyer (Barbara Voss’ sister) Church church@ﬁrstchristian-chat.com Pastor Mark mark@ﬁrstchristian-chat.com Jonathan Hyde [email protected] Gail Rich gailrich@epbﬁ.com Chuck Martin chuck@ﬁrstchristian-chat.com Beth Harris beth@ﬁrstchristian-chat.com BRIDGE Deadline Monday, NOON Website www.ﬁrstchristian-chat.com Facebook www.facebook.com/FCC.Chattanooga 26 Cheryl Bingham, Joshua Hamilton 31 Alan Voss, Ray Rowe, Bea Lyons November: 1 Kristi Turner 2 Missy McKenna 3 Barbara Voss 4 Scrappy Moore 5 Carol Sharpe 6 Debby Demos 7 Billy Jo Mahaﬀey, Natalie Shipley 10 Sam Edmondson 11 Diane Givens 13 Carl Beattie, Lorraine Hipp, Hillary Allen Mark’s Musings This week’s note comes as a pastoral concern. Over the past weeks the media has supersaturated us with news about the Ebola epidemic of western Africa. It is, at the very least, a terrible tragedy. It is worth noting that Nigeria has, as of today, been labelled Ebola-free. The spectacular nature of reporting this outbreak has pushed some to fearful hysterics and with it, a kind isolationism that reminds me of the AIDS/HIV of the 1980s. As people of a reasoned and compassionate faith, we need to witness to the kind of love and justice extended by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are all part of one human family. When one suﬀers, regardless of who it is or where they live, we all suﬀer. Jesus, to my knowledge, did not avoid those with leprosy. To the contrary, he touched and healed them. May we exercise that kind of courage and faith that Jesus oﬀered his world: • Let us pray for those aﬄicted with this terrible disease (and their families). • Let us pray for those nations who ﬁght Ebola and other diseases, often the poorest of developing nations. • Let us support all eﬀorts to send medical supplies, personnel, and funds to combat Ebola at the source of outbreaks. • Let us pray for those who minister to Ebola patients (and their families). • Let us speak a reasoned truth about the disease: it is not about God’s judgment nor is it conspiratorial in nature. • Let us live, speak, and act as a people of conﬁdence, not fear. • Let us give freely through Week of Compassion to minister to the needs of Ebola patients and their families. • Finally, we will faithfully witness to our connection with others. We are in this together! May it be so, Pastor Mark Operation Christmas Child NEW date: Nov. 16 We will pack shoe boxes of toys, hygiene items, and school supplies as a way to introduce God’s love to children living in desperate conditions. Please help us to share God’s love with these Children. You can participate by shopping for shoe box items. We need small cars, balls, ivory soap, pencils, sewing kits, material, thread, colored pencils or other boys toys. If you don't like to shop, that's ﬁne. We will gladly shop for you. To pay for a complete box, including shipping is $20 to $25. Or We gladly accept any amount you would like to give, large or small, cash or checks made out to FCC. Contact: Kyle Cutsinger at 892-1079 [email protected] OR Bea Lyons [email protected] JOIN Gail, this Thursday, Oct. 23, at SCWN, Scenic City Women's Network, 12-1pm, Mountain City Club on Chestnut for the monthly luncheon. Cindy Sexton from Channel 3 Eyewitness News, will be speaking on "Intentional Joy." Cost is $20 or $15 nonproﬁt. [email protected]. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES Community Kitchen: 727 E. 11th St 1st & 3rd Fridays of every month. 9:00 to 11:45am Rona Gary: [email protected] Betty Woomer, Lorraine Hipp, Rona Gary, Ardian Totten, Barry Matlock and Don Baldwin (who was downstairs!) volunteered at the Community Kitchen recently. Habitat for Humanity 2nd Saturday of every month. 8:30am. Larry Kirby: kirbychat@epbﬁ.com Room In The Inn Meals Volunteer to serve a meal on the 5th Sunday of any applicable month. Shannon Beattie: 423-883-9083 or [email protected] Family Promise of Chattanooga Help us host families for a week, several times each year. Julia Martin: [email protected]) Chattanooga Area Food Bank 1st Wednesday of each month Gail Rich: gailrich@epbﬁ.com A strong harvest... Seeds of strength are planted in the soils of weakness. Your most uplifting strength tomorrow may grow from your most debilitating weakness today. —V. Gilbert Beers