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F i r s t C h r i s t i a n C h u r ch ( D i s c i p l e s o f C h r is t )
The Christian Visitor
November 2014
D J Lewis Passes Away
Mr. Derry Jackson (D.J.)
Lewis age 88 of Griffin
Passed Away, Monday, October 20, 2014 at Brightmoor
Hospice
DJ was born in Cordele,
Georgia on May 13, 1926. He
is preceded in death by his
parents Lynton Cevera Lewis
and Helen Delores Thompson
Lewis. Mr. Lewis was a veteran of the United States
Rev. Tom Van Laningham,
Navy having served in World
Pastor
War II. He was a member of
the First Christian Church
Eileene Keene, Music Director
and former owner/ operator
of Specialty Products.
Charlotte Silvestri, Board
Chair
Survivors include his wife of
Rev. Annette Ford, Editor
62 years, Sue Lewis; daughter, Susan Lewis Husted and
her husband, William D.;
grandson, Matthew Colin
Husted; sister-in-law Joan
Waits and her husband, Richard; several nieces and nephews among them a special
niece, Aprille Gladis.
A crypt side service for Mr.
D.J. Lewis was held Wednesday, October 22, 2014 at
2:00pm at the Oak Hill Mausoleum. Reverend Tom Van
Landingham officiated.
We all knew him as DJ. He was a joker and a
southern gentleman. He had a ready smile
and a loveable sense of humor. He was a deacon and a member of the board of First Christian Church. The congregation will miss his
smile and his optimistic nature.
DJ Lewis
1926-2014
T HE C HR I ST I AN V I SI T O R
November 2014
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Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2
3
4
9
10
16
17
6
7
8
11Veterans Day 12
13
14
15
Lonnie
Spangler
Jason Conner
Birthday
Regional
Assembly
Assembly
Doris McKay
21
22 8 am to 3
18
5
19
20
Regional
pm
Christmas Bazaar
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Decorate Church
for Christmas
9 am
30
First Sunday in
Advent
Larry Conner
T HE C HR I ST I AN V I SI T O R
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October is my favorite month. This one has been a challenge. We are in good financial shape. We have had a very positive experience with Tom Edmondson’s
classes on the Jewish background of the Christian church. At the same time we
have had some more loss of loved ones. Since we have not been “on time” with
our newsletters over the summer, I am counting the loss of Marvin Jenkins,
Mary Alverson, and DJ Lewis along with family members like Charlotte’s grandson Isaiah or Annette and Sandi’s long-term family friends, Tracy’s coworker,
and Jane’s daughter in law. Whether the death was an older person or a tragic
loss of a young life, its vibrations continue within us both individually and
within the group.
One of the differences between a young congregation and an established one is
what I am learning to call “the gift of loss.” Younger congregations hardly experience death. Many young adults have never sat beside the bed of a dying loved
one, have never been to a funeral, and don’t have any frame of reference. Young
congregations are busy building, growing, promoting, doing. It’s all about activity. Older congregations have a history of with death, many hours of sitting by
bedsides, and rituals in the days and weeks following a loss. Instead of death being an outside intruder, it is part of the life of a mature person and a mature
congregation.
The gift of loss does not automatically come with growing older, however the opportunities for facing loss come more often. And so does the mature ear that
“hears” the gospel and begins to understand that the “life” and hope it brings
also paradoxically walks hand in hand with death. We hardly perceive it at first
but there it is—in order for the new to come, the old must pass away. In our living and in our dying we belong to God. On and on. This does not make the loss
any easier; far from it. Loss can take us down a dark path of rage, depression, total helplessness, angry, and the awful feeling of being adrift in the world, without purpose. Totally alone.
After we have lived there long enough, we may be ready to accept the Presence
that is there. The Silence that is there. Jesus says, “Happy are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of God.” Arriving at that point, I realize that I do not
have to do anything or believe anything. In the emptiness, God is here. In the
emptiness, the great mystery is that God is able to find me.
See you Sunday as we continue this mystery.
Tom
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T HE C HR I ST I AN V I SI T O R
Ways to Support Christmount
smile.amazon.com
Use smile.amazon.com kust like you would for amazon.com. All of your setting will transfer. Designate Christmount as your charity. Christmount receives .5% of your purchases.
Labels for Education
Cut labels for Education UPC from participating products. Christmount sends in the
UPCs and receives computers and camp supplies in retun. Look for a list of participating
products at www.labelsforeducation.com.
Ink/Toner cartridges
Bring your used ink/toner
cartridges to church and give them to Sandi or Annette.
Christmount receives a check for recycling them.
Coke codes
Save the codes from bottle caps and box flaps of Coke products. Camp Lakey Gap, the
camp for austistic children uses them to get camp supplies.
T HE C HR I ST I AN V I SI T O R
PAGE 5
Outreach Christmas Activities
This year we will be supporting the Christmas Dinner for the Homeless that
will be provided by Rushton’s Hope on Saturday, December 20, 2014 from
11:00am to 1:00pm
The dinner will be held in the gym at Second Baptist Church and they are expecting to feed 550 people.
First Christian Church will be providing the Dessert for the dinner.
The dessert selection is Cakes. We will need to provide 40 cakes for
this dinner. Please see Tracy Larison if you’d like to bake a cake for
the homeless. These will need to be at the church the afternoon of December 19th or by 9:00am Saturday, December 20th.
We will also be collecting $5 toys to be given to children at the event as well
as scarves, hats and gloves to be given to the adults. You can find $5 toys at
Dollar Tree, Big Lots and any other Dollar Store. These need to be at the
Church by Sunday, December 14th.
Volunteers are also needed to serve that day. Please see Tracy Larison if you’d
like to help serve. We would like to have at least 10 volunteers that day and
more are welcomed.
Tracy will have signup sheets available each Sunday, until December 14th, for
cakes and volunteers.
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T HE C HR I ST I AN V I SI T O R
Area Meeting Held
With Rev. Denise Bell the new Regional Minister
On Thursday, October 30th, Annette Ford and Sandi Bruner attended an area
meeting with the new Regional Minister, Rev. Denise Bell, at First Christian
Church of Warner Robins along with members of Damascus, Williamson, St.
Andrews, Macon First, Liberty Christian, Central of Columbus and of course
Warner Robins Christian Church. Warner Robins provided a meal for all of
those who attended the meeting.
Rev. Denise Bell presented information about herself and answered question
from the congregation. The consensus of the congregation is that the Board
chose an excellent candidate for our new Regional Minister. Her only regret
was that more people did not attend the get acquainted event.
Christmas Bazaar November 22
9am to 3 pm
It is that time of year again. The Christmas Bazaar will be held on November 22, 2014 from 9am to 3 pm. Breakfast of sausage biscuit and
drink for $1.00 lunch BBQ sandwich chips and drink for $3.00. BBQ by
the pound (please preorder with Charlotte / $8.00 per pound).
Cakes, pies, bread, cookies, wood crafts by renowned wood crafter Jason
Prigmore, pocket books by our favorite pocket book lady Sara Morris, Jewelry, wreaths, and much, much more will be for sale. Come and do all of
your Christmas shopping and dessert buying for Thanksgiving. Door
Prizes, trash and treasures, music, candy, fun!
T HE C HR I ST I AN V I SI T O R
A poem of remembrance
Grant peace, O Lord, across our strife-torn world,
Where war divides and greed and dogma drive.
Help us to learn the lessons from the past,
That all are human and all pay the price.
All life is dear and should be treated so;
Joined, not divided, is the way to go.
Protect, dear Lord, all who, on our behalf,
Now take the steps that place them in harm's way.
May they find courage for each task they face
By knowing they are in our thoughts always.
Then, duty done and missions at an end,
Return them safe to family and to friends.
Grant rest, O Lord, to those no longer with us;
Who died protecting us and this their land.
Bring healing, Lord, to those who, through their service,
Bear conflict’s scars on body or in mind.
With those who mourn support and comfort share.
Give strength to those who for hurt loved-ones care.
And some there be who no memorial have;
Who perished are as though they’d never been.
For our tomorrows their today they gave,
And simply asked that in our hearts they'd live.
We heed their call and pledge ourselves again,
At dusk and dawn - we will remember them!
Veterans Day
NOVEMBER 12, 2014
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F IR ST CH R I ST I A N CH U R CH
( D I S C I PL ES O F CH RI ST )
291 South Pine Hill Road
Griffin, Georgia 20224
Phone: 770-227-2737
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.firstchristiangriffin.org
"A movement for wholeness in a
fragmented world."
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