The Connection Taylorville Christian Church Winter 2015

Winter 2015

The Connection Love God. Love others.

1124 N. Webster Taylorville IL 62568 217.824.6621 TaylorvilleChristian.com office@taylorvillechristian.com

Ministry Staff: James C. Jones Lead Minister james.jones@taylorvillechristian.com

Ken Manning Worship/Seniors Minister ken.manning@taylorvillechristian.com

Zach Crowley Youth Minister zach.crowley@taylorvillechristian.com

Support Staff: Steve Basham Ministry Assistant steve.basham@taylorvillechristian.com

Debbie Frye Administrative Assistant deb.frye@taylorvillechristian.com

Sunday Worship Services: 8:00 and 9:20 a.m. (Blended); 10:45 a.m. (Contemporary)

Light

by James Jones Autumn is, by far, my favorite season. I love the constantly changing colors, pulling out the sweaters, and gathering around a fire. Since our family didn’t experience fall during the years that we lived in south Georgia and Florida, the last few weeks have been wonderful to me. The one negative aspect to the season is that the days get so much shorter. I wake to darkness, and the darkness seems to return before the dishes are cleared after supper. And of course, the days will only continue to get shorter as we move toward Christmas. I don’t want all of that darkness; it gets oppressive.

The gospel of John focuses on this contrast between light and darkness. The gospel opens with a deeply theological statement about the nature of Christ in which John writes these words: In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it (John 1:4-5, NIV).

Darkness is foreboding and has even a hint of the sinister, but John tells us that Jesus is life and that light of that life overcomes the darkness. Here at the beginning of the gospel, John is anticipating the resurrection that comes at the end of his story. We are overshadowed by the prospect of death. It’s a darkness that we cannot seem to escape, but John knew that the end of the story brings new life, and that life sheds light on our existence. Because the resurrection of Jesus is permanent, the darkness of death is no threat.

John brings up the same light/darkness contrast in chapter three. John has just written that God loved us so deeply that he sent his son to give us eternal life (John 3:16). But he takes that another step. Jesus brought light into the world, but many of us have rejected it (John 3:19-20).

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

Some people don’t want the light because it points to the things in their lives which need to change. Change is usually uncomfortable and sometimes painful. For some, it is easier to hide that which is most important from the light, hoping that it won’t be noticed.

A different group loves the light (John 3:21). But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. These people have lived in such a way that they can stand up and claim their actions, including their mistakes. These are people who live in the light knowing that their actions are led by God and their sin can be forgiven. We are a people of light because we follow the one who supplies the light.

Mike Profeta Jr. High Youth

In This Issue:

mike.profeta@taylorvillechristian.com

Beth Piatt Early Childhood beth.piatt@taylorvillechristian.com

Susan Boyd Custodian

     

Harvest of Love The How and Why of Inviting People to Holiday Events Managing Holiday Stress Remembering Winter Small Groups: Love Does What Men and Women Want from Church

Sunday, November 15 9:20 and 10:45 services only, as Dave Butts teaches on Acts 4: Praying with Boldness

Upcoming Dates: November 14

Prayer Conference, 8:30-2:30

November 22

Harvest of Love Sunday

November 22

December 6

Christmas Caroling and

Soup Supper, 5:30 p.m.

(Special Offering and Potluck)

December 13

Christmas Cantata, 8:00 and 9:20

Community Thanksgiving Service

December 13

High School Christmas Party, 6 p.m.

5:30 p.m. First Presbyterian Church

December 16

Jr. High Christmas Party, 6 p.m.

Judge Spears speaking

December 20

Happy Birthday Jesus for preK-5

November 26-27

Church Offices Closed

November 29

Angel Tree begins

December 20

Ministry Staff Open House, 5-6:30pm

November 30

Leadership Dinner (6:30 p.m.)

December 24

Christmas Eve Services

and Meeting ( 7:00 p.m.)

during 9:20 and 10:45 programs

6 p.m. (Family Service) 7:30 and 9 p.m.

Current Sermon Series

November 8 November 15 November 22

Serve Praying with Boldness Dave Butts Thanksgiving

Upcoming Sermon Series

November 29 December 6 December 13 December 20 Christmas Eve

Meaning Joy Hope Help Love

Listen to sermons online at taylorvillechristian.com Connect and stay updated on Facebook at Facebook.com/taylorvillechristianchurch

Love God. Love others.

Hey, Parents!

We know you’re already incredibly busy doing all the things you should do to invest in your kids and to help them on their way to adulthood—and hopefully out of your house. But just because you are really busy doing great things doesn’t mean it’s easy to stay focused on what’s important. That’s where we come in. We want to make it easy for you to remember what’s important.

That's why we created our Parent Center page on the TCC website. On this page, you'll find ways to connect what we're teaching at church to your day-to-day life. You’ll also find some great articles on parenting like, “10 Building Blocks for a Solid Family” and “How to Minimize Teen Risk” from highly respected experts around the country! To access this page, head over to Parent Center.

Our goal is to come alongside your family on your faith journey. The result: two influences, the family and church, working together to have a greater impact and ensure the best future possible for your child!

Thank you for allowing us to partner with you!

In Christ, Zach Crowley

Harvest of Love

by Jim Nuelle Each year the congregation sets aside the Sunday before Thanksgiving to celebrate God’s blessings on us.

This year, we will hold that celebration on November 22. Our worship services will be focused on giving thanks together, and at noon, we will share a meal in the Activity Center. Another special part of the day is our annual Harvest of Love offering. This offering, over and above our regular offering for the day, allows us to fund special projects which are not covered in the budget.

This year, the Harvest of Love offering will be used to fund the following three needs: 

At the end of the year, TCC will have only $2,500 left to pay on the bank loan which was used to fund the purchase of the five acres on the north side of our property. We want to allocate $2,500 of this offering to pay that debt off.



Lake Springfield Christian Assembly continues to be a great resource for TCC. Our children and youth attend the summer camp programs, and on the other end of the spectrum, our Young at Heart group attends the Seniors Day Out each year. We also participate in other events throughout the year.

Eagle Lodge is the latest building project at Lake Springfield and is already in use. It is a beautiful gathering place for many groups and also houses the boys dorm. The camp still owes about $100,000 on this facility, and we would like to devote $7,500 to help retire this debt.



One of our physical needs as a church is for increased paved parking space directly accessible to the Main Entrance. We have already put together plans to double the number of concrete parking places in the front of the building. We estimate the cost to be about $110,000. Much of that funding is already in place, but the remainder of the offering will be used to help fund this large project. It will benefit the church as we have people coming and going between services on Sunday, and VisionWay Christian School will benefit when they host athletic events, holiday programs, and large chapel programs.

The elders ask you to pray about how you can participate in this offering on November 22. Our goal is $20,000. God has blessed us in amazing ways. Please consider what you can do to help the church retire this debt, help the camp continue their excellent programming, and help TCC and VCS prepare for the future by providing ample hard surface parking space.

Moments and Memories

Welcome… to Doreen Hilbert, who transferred her membership back to TCC on August 30, and to Bob & Barbara Carol Bell, who transferred their memberships on September 9.

Managing Holiday Stress

C O M I N G

We all love getting together with our families over the holidays. Or do we?

If we could only control the situations, timeframe, and certain relatives. Then there’s the stress of everything leading up to those gatherings. Coordinating school and work obligations, gifts, baking, cleaning, decorating, shopping, wrapping, packing and traveling...and the list goes on as the stress mounts.

How can we deal with it all without getting physically, emotionally, and spiritually drained?

S O O N

Keep it simple. Easier said than done, right? But if you think keeping it simple is impossible, you’re already setting yourself up to be overwhelmed. You don’t have to make radical changes this year to keep your sanity. Just choose to change one thing. Lighten the load. Do one less thing. Then take a deep breath...and avoid filling the white space with more noise and stuff.

Serve someone. You may think you are already doing everything you can do and you certainly don’t want to include yet another needy person, but let’s be honest: our woes and stresses don’t begin to compare with the struggles many have with the most basic of needs.

Keep life in perspective by pressing pause on the chaos of your own life and stepping into someone else’s.

Take care of yourself. Lack of sleep and poor eating habits contribute to your stress. You may think you don’t have time to relax, but you need to make it a priority. Go for a brisk walk outside--by yourself if you need a break from people or with a friend if you need some accountability. If you’re a parent or caregiver, schedule a babysitter and do something relaxing, at least part of the time, instead of overstuffing your away time.

Fill yourself with the right stuff. Make sure you keep the important things first. It will make the extras all that more enjoyable. You may feel your devotional, Bible reading, worship, and prayer time suffers this time of the year, but it doesn’t have to completely go away.

After all, we’re celebrating Jesus’ birth. Don’t you think we should try to put him first?

Remembering As the holidays approach, we can struggle as we deal with the loss of loved ones, whether they passed away recently or several years ago. Loss doesn’t go away with time.

Please be assured that God sees your grief and your tears.

Reach out to him with the pain and joy of memories. Reach out to him with the hope of healing and comfort. And reach out to those around you to walk this path with you.

We thought of you with love today, But that is nothing new.

We thought about you yesterday and days before that too.

We think of you in silence, We often speak your name All we have now are memories and your picture in a frame.

Your memory is our keepsake with whom we will never part.

God has you in His keeping, We have you in our hearts.

If love alone could have saved you, You never would have died.

In life we loved you dearly, In death we love you still.

In our hearts you hold a place, No one else can ever fill It broke our hearts to lose you, But you didn't go alone, For a part of us went with you the day God took you home.

(Author Unknown)

The How and Why of Inviting People to Holiday Events There is always a flurry of activity around TCC this time of year. Your home and life likely feels like a flurry (or a blizzard), too. It can be tempting to bundle into our own lives and lean into the stiff breeze that we face with our todo lists, avoiding eye contact with people around us, and certainly avoiding getting tangled into other people’s lives. The holidays are difficult enough with just the things we have on our own schedules, let alone trying to include anyone else.

Yet we must.

Why? 1. You never know what someone is going through. We assume some people will struggle through the time of the year because of what they’ve been through recently, but there are many problems and issues that hide just under the surface. A flailing marriage. The strain of finances. Doubt, uncertainty, rejection. We don’t need to know the details to recognize that everyone is human and faces a variety of issues and struggles.

2. You never know how God has prepared them for this season. Regardless of how antagonistic someone may seem to deepening their relationship with Jesus, God knows exactly where each person needs to be in order to be most sensitive to change. He may use you and your invitation to a worship service, neighborhood gathering, or a coffee date to challenge someone to take the next step.

3. It’s not about you. Or maybe it is. While you might be uncomfortable reaching out to someone, especially a particular someone, it might be just what he or she needs as well as what you need. You will never grow if you don’t let God take you outside of your comfort zone.

How? Just ask. Knock on a door, make a phone call, send a Facebook message or a text, write a note. It’s not complication. Just ask. Sure, someone may say “no.” It often takes several “asks” before someone responds with a “yes.” Why delay those “asks” so that it takes longer to reach the right one at the right time?

Invite someone to the Prayer Conference.

Invite someone to go caroling.

11/14/15

12/6/15

Invite someone to the Christmas Cantata.

12/13/15

Invite someone to Christmas Eve services.

12/24/15 6, 7:30, 9 p.m.

A Missions Update: Heart for Central Africa Several members of the missions team met with Brenda Buell, who serves in the Congo with Heart for Central Africa.

One of the projects of the ministry is the Sawmill Project.

The project provides jobs for people, helping them feed and education their children. It also provides some funding to help meet the needs of the poorest churches. Perhaps most importantly, the project shows people in the area that the church cares by providing funds for medical clinics, orphans, and widows in the area.

Brenda recently had a battle for the sawmill, when the corrupt government claimed they had loaned and lost a lot of money. Brenda was able to prove the accusations were wrong and become the coordinator and authority of the sawmill, which is an unusual position for a women in the Congo.

For more information about the sawmill project and other ministry going on with Heart of Central Africa, visit heartforcentralafrica.org.

What Men and Women Want from Church The good news is the gap between the number of men and women in church is narrowing. The bad news is that it’s not just because more men are involved in church. More women are leaving church. What can we learn from the trend, and more importantly, what can we change as individuals and as a church to reach out to both men and women?

Consider what men need.

Men need masculinity. Everything doesn’t have to be macho and muscles, but we need to consider the role models we put in place. We need to be intentional about music, decor, communications, and graphics.

Men want excellence. We don’t have to perfect, but men won’t stick around when church is hokey or forced. Whatever we do, we must do it well. Mistakes and weakness are often more quickly forgiven and forgotten, but lack of attention and effort sticks around.

Men need space. A few might be huggers, but most prefer to keep their distance.

Don’t assume an overenthusiastic hug will keep men coming back. Extend a handshake but respect personal space.

Men need to take action. They often want to do something. Get them involved.

Be sure to honor their time. If you ask for help, show up on time, clearly communicate the task, and do what you can to help but let them take ownership, too. We lose men when we announce we need help but don’t consider their schedules or aren’t willing to step aside to let them get involved.

Consider what women need.

Women need emotional support. Only 17% of Women recently reported feeling they are “very supported” at church. Women need to know they can talk. They want to share their lives with others.

If they don’t find people who care at church, they’ll look elsewhere.

Women need less busyness. Their schedules are filled with competing demands--family, work, friends, and much more. They have plenty of options.

Simply extending an invitation won’t reach everyone.

Meeting them where they are, offering to come alongside them in their busy lives, shows them that someone cares.

Women need acknowledgment. Women’s lifestyles and timeframes have changed. We need to step beyond assuming all women want to get married, have children, and fit a stereotype. Just because someone chooses an unfamiliar path doesn’t mean it’s a bad one. We need to stop categorizing women, placing labels such as single, divorced, or “traditional.” We need to get to know women as individuals.

Both men and women need to be able to ask questions and doubt. None of us have a perfectly smooth spiritual journey. We might not be asking the same questions or have the same doubts as someone else, but we can listen and respect their process. We can take a few steps with them. Most adults in the U.S. aren’t unchurched; they’re dechurched. We won’t reach them by simply inviting them to church or telling them about Jesus. Someone has already done that. Most adults who aren’t attending church have decided it’s not for them. We need to be willing to let them explore and process why. We don’t need to have all the answers. The process of working through doubts and assumptions is complicated.

We simply have to be willing and available to join the journey.

Adapted from churchformen.com and barna.org.

Looking Forward to Winter Small Groups For six weeks this winter, you’ll have an opportunity to get to know others at TCC, as well as reach out to others, as you come together to explore Love Does.

When Love Does, life gets interesting. Light and fun, unique and profound, the lessons drawn from author and storyteller Bob Goff's life and attitude will inspire you to radically love, like Jesus.

We’ll use this dvd based study to explore: 1. I’m With You 2. Not Defined by Our Failures 3. God’s Audacious Love 4. The Story 5. That’s What Love Does (The first week will be an introductory week, adding up to a total of six weeks.) Watch for more information coming in early January!

Small Groups Fall 2015