The
C
Love God. Love others.
onnection Fall 2016
Sunday Worship Services: 9:00 a.m. (Blended) 10:30 a.m. (Contemporary)
A Better Story by James C. Jones As many of you know, our family recently attended the North American Christian Convention, which was held in Anaheim, CA. The week with other Christian leaders was an encouragement and challenged me to think through lots of ministry issues. But as with other conventions, I looked over the schedule of speakers beforehand and identified several that I wanted to hear and others that I wasn’t excited about having to endure. As I went through the week, God showed me that I need to be careful in prejudging whether he can use a teacher to speak into my life, because each of the ones that I had identified as a no-go challenged me in some important way. The theme of the convention was “A Better Story,” and the messages focused on the idea that God has a better story in mind for us than we would write on our own. One of the last speakers made the point that sometimes the story God wants to write for us may not always be an easy one. God’s path may have obstacles and rough patches which will challenge our commitment and our faith and may generally be unpleasant for us. But the speaker challenged us to continue to give the pen to God to allow him to write a better story for us. We are called to surrender to what God wants for us rather than what we want for ourselves. For me, that’s one of the real challenges of the Christian life. I know what I like. I know how I want things to roll for me and my family. I know what is best for me and for the most important people in my life. I know what’s best for the church. At least, I think I know. But of course, I don’t. I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow. I don’t know what resources I’m going to need in the next 24 hours to survive, to serve, and to love. I don’t know what is ahead for our culture and exactly how the church will need to adapt to share the message of Jesus in effective ways. I don’t know all of the challenges that our children are going to face as they attempt to live out their faith. I don’t even know how long I’ll be here to help them. Life is filled with uncertainty, and followers of Jesus need to do just that: follow. Many of us are learning to trust that God’s story is the best story. It may sometimes be a challenging road to walk. We may not always understand. The hard truth is that in this life, we may never fully understand what God is up to. But we do know that God is at work, and we know that in the end, God will restore all things and will all make sense, and we’ll see that when we gave over the pen, God always wrote a better story.
In This Issue:
Meet Shelby Smith Our Own Relationship Advice Think Orange Celebrating Summer 2016 Looking Forward to Fall
Celebration of Baptisms VCS Back to School Interview Upcoming Sermon Series Connecting with Others Dangers of Partisan Christianity
Current Sermon Series:
Upcoming Sermon Series:
Refuge: Finding Safety in an Unsafe World September 11-25
The Politics of Jesus Octoer 2-November 6 (Dis)Content November 13-27 O Come Let Us Adore Him December 4-25
Listen to sermons online at taylorvillechristian.com “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
Love God.
Meet Shelby Smith, Contemporary Worship Coordinator
Q: What is your favorite thing about worship? A: My favorite thing about worship is that I not only get to connect with God through music, one of my deepest passions, I also get to help usher God’s people into his presence and closer to him through the gifts that I have been given. It’s a wonderful feeling! Q: Tell us a little bit about your family. A: I am the middle of 3 kids (aka, the favorite). I have a younger sister and older brother. My mom works at DMH delivering little babies and my dad works at ADM. We’re also helping to raise my 8 year old nephew who is my number one guy! Q: What is one of your favorite memories of your childhood? A: One of my favorite childhood memories is when my mom would take my sister and me to the movies for some girl time and when the movie was over, she would turn to us and say, “Want to see another one?” and we would turn around and go back in to watch another movie. Q: What instruments do you play, and do you have a favorite? A: I played the flute for 10 years but haven’t played much since high school. I also play acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, piano, and I dabble in the drums! Q: What’s one place you’d like to visit someday? A: I would really like to travel Europe one day. Q: What are some of your favorites: A: Favorite coffee drink? Cinnamon vanilla latte with an extra shot of espresso. :-) Favorite sport/activity? I love to watch football (Go Bears!) and I really like to play soccer and ultimate Frisbee. Favorite author? Virginia Woolf Favorite music? This is the hardest question for me! I love all music but if I had to pick a genre, it would be Alternative. Favorite food? I always joke and say that my heart is in the shape of a taco, but I equally love pepperoni pizza. Yum. Q: What’s one thing you’ve learned about Taylorville you didn’t know? A: That a lot of people show animals. It’s a foreign concept to me. Q: What’s a hidden talent few people know you have? A: I can wiggle my ears. Q: Any embarrassing moments you’re willing to share? A: I once crashed a bike in Walmart and all of my friends ran away and left me there lying on the floor under the bike. Needless to say, my ego wasn’t the only thing bruised that night. Q: Where and when did you go to college, and what was your favorite thing about your time there? A: I went to college at Lincoln Christian University from 2012 to May of 2016. My favorite thing about my time there was being able to learn in a community of people with the same beliefs as me. I didn’t realize that was something I needed until I went there.
Love others.
Think Orange by Zach Crowley
We love the color orange! No, we are not avid Tennessee Football fans. This has more to do with something you learned in kindergarten. Orange is what you get when you combine red with yellow. When you paint with red, you get only what red can do. Red represents the family. The family is full of unconditional love. God designed the family to nurture the hearts of children. When you paint with yellow, you get what only yellow can do. Yellow represents the church. The church is the light of the world. God designed the church to shine the light of Jesus.
When you combine red and yellow, you paint with orange. With orange, you get new possibilities and vibrant outcomes. With orange, two influences, the family and the church, work together to show the next generation who God is. We want parents to know that when they connect to a wider community, they have a greater impact in the life of a child than they could ever have alone. So, everything we do in our Children’s and Student Ministries centers around the color orange: the idea that two influences can work together to have a greater impact and provide the best future possible for your children. Ready to partner together on this journey of parenting? “Like” us on Facebook by searching for “TCC Children’s Ministry” and “TCC Student Ministries.” There, you’ll find a ton of great #parentcue articles and reminders to help you leverage your family’s everyday moments and turn them into moments where your family grows closer to each other as you grow closer to God.
@TCCstudents
@TCCchildrensministry
Celebrating Summer
Looking Forward to Fall
! d e t i v re in
you’
Annual Fish Fry august 28th at 5 p.m.
We’ll supply the fish. Bring yourself, a friend, and a side dish.
Connecting with Others by Susan Lawrence
What is a small group? A small group is, well…a small group of people. That might seem too vague, and of course, at TCC, we want to focus on some other key ingredients to a good small group. We want small groups to be made up of people who invest in each other’s lives. That can be a bit daunting. I mean, who wants to open up to others? Don’t worry. It doesn’t start with instant vulnerability. It’s simply a willingness to do life alongside others, encourage each other, look out for each other, learn together, and make authentic attempts to regularly connect. We want small groups to be biblically-based. That doesn’t mean you must read through the entire Bible each year together; it simply means you commit to considering God’s perspective together. As individuals and as a small group, you share questions and search for the answers together through prayer, Bible study, and authentic, respectful conversation. (And by the way, you won’t always come to a firm answer. Sometimes seeking God’s truth comes with some uncertainty for a season. The important thing isn’t always finding an answer and camping under it but being willing to let God grow and change you through the process.) We want small groups to be small. You want to know a number, right? How many is too many, and how few are too few? While we don’t want to get legalistic about it, consider Jesus’ example. He travelled with many but regularly taught and discussed with twelve. He had an inner circle of three, and abundantly poured into one. There’s nothing magical about the number twelve, but we know one thing for sure: the more people we get together, the less we personally get to connect with each other, the easier it is to step back from the group and miss out on the investment.
Small Group Leadership Trainings are coming up soon. Attend to test the waters, connect with others, and consider the possibilities. Contact Susan at susan.lawrence@taylorvillechristian.com for more information.
VCS Back to School Interview with Principal Glenna Tolliver Q: What changes are happening at VCS this fall? A: VCS will gain several new employees as the new school year gets underway. First, we are pleased to see the return of a former employee as we add a new teacher and several new classroom aides to our staff. In addition, several other veteran staffers will take on new responsibilities as we shift them from one role to another to best meet the needs of our students. Finally, our older students will be introduced to Chromebooks this year. Q: What are some things that excited you about the school year ahead? A: We are very excited to say that almost all of our elementary classrooms are full. We have gained many new families this year. We are also excited to be introducing Chromebooks to our students in 3rd grade through junior high. The Chromebooks will be used for in-classroom collaboration in younger grades. This year the VCS junior high will extend its school hours by 15 minutes each day in order to provide our students with additional classes, such as Speech, Ag Science, and Keyboarding to name a few. Q: What’s been happening at VCS over the summer? A: After a successful launch of an enrichment program last year, VCS offered enrichment activities throughout the summer. In addition, students needing a little extra help were able to attend our summer school program. Art Camp was also a new offering this summer as students met on Wednesday mornings to explore the many mediums of Art. Q: What advice do you have for parents who are helping their kids wind down summer and prepare for school? A: I suggest that parents begin enforcing the school year routine now. Get back on track with bedtime, getting up, and eating a good breakfast. Parents can do a lot to help build excitement in their student as the new year approaches. Q: What are some specific things we can pray about for VCS? A: We always covet your prayers for our staff, returning students as they transition into a new classroom, and the new VCS students. In addition, our School board always needs wisdom and also covet your prayers. Above all, please pray that hearts and lives are changed as we effectively communicate the gospel to our students.
Let’s Celebrate Baptisms!
Collin Kenneth Elder, Halle Burge, Courtney Musgrove, Scott Goodman, and Kevin Kelly
And New Members! Jason, Rhea, Lane, Lydia, and Lillian Dooley Karri Orrison, Marti Collins
Our Own Relationship Advice
As we begin a new sermon series about connecting with others, we ask “What advice would you give about...” Marriage: Marry your best friend. - Jessica, 15 Marry your best friend - Anna, 18 Honor and respect your spouse. Samantha, 30s Make time for it. - Adam, 30s Siblings: No one else has the history you share. Don’t let anything come between you. - Sandy, 70s Don’t take your siblings for granted. - Adam, 30s Hang out as much as possible when you’re young, because you won’t have as much time when you get older. - Anna, 18
Parenting: Appreciate children as individuals. Faye, 70s Raise your children with love, kindness, firmness, and prayer. - Sandy, 70s Find common ground with your children so you have a relationship with them as they get older.- Anna, 18
Friendships: Surround yourself with positive friends. - Samantha, 30s Always carry gum. It’s a great icebreaker. - Jessica, 15 Cultivate trust. - Faye, 70s Be available for friends when needed. - Lorrie, 70s
Families: Don’t expect perfection. - Faye, Co-workers: 70s Be respectful and kind even when it’s Be as kind and considerate to difficult. - Adam, 30s family as you are to friends and Make them your friends, or else acquaintances. - Sandy, 70s working will be awful - Anna, 18 Remember we all have bad days and Don’t try to compare your family can be unlovable. Show grace and to other families.- Adam, 30s If you feel like bonding, board love.- Samantha, 30s games do the trick! - Jessica, 15 Faith: There’s no such thing as praying too much. - Jessica, 15 God knows the end of the story, so just hang on. - Anna, 18 Don’t let your circumstances overshadow God’s faithfulness. - Adam, 30s Talk to God about your struggles before you talk to people. - Samantha, 30s Worship, pray, and study God’s Word. - Lorrie, 70s We all have faith in something or someone. Be certain your faith is firmly grounded in Christ alone. Sandy, 70s It’s a choice.- Faye, 70s
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. (Matthew 7:24-25)
The Danger of Partisan Christianity Every issue doesn’t fit a ‘liberal’ or ‘conservative’ label. Too often, broad labels discourage thoughtful dialogue in favor of political groupthink. Followers of Christ shouldn’t view issues through the lens of liberal or conservative. We should only see them through the lens of the Gospel. The Church is the Body of Christ and is called to do the work of God on earth—not of a political party. That means we need to look at each individual issue with biblical discernment, no matter what the political implications are. The conflation of political affiliation and religious devotion isn’t new. In fact, it was one of the earliest traps the enemies of Christ tried to ensnare Him with. Part of the reason Jesus infuriated people in power was because He refused to do their bidding. He served a higher calling than any man’s or institution’s. But Jesus knew better than to take a political position in this case. He knew He wasn’t actually being asked about a single issue. He was being asked to take a side. Jesus was wise enough not to take the bait.
Taylorville Christian Church 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 Susan Lawrence Small Groups/Communications susan.lawrence @taylorvillechristian.com Mike Profeta Jr. High Youth mike.profeta @taylorvillechristian.com Beth Piatt Early Childhood beth.piatt @taylorvillechristian.com
We shouldn’t be afraid to get involved in politics or discussions about political issues. But, while forming our judgements and opinions, we can’t be such a slave to a label that we lose sight of something Jesus wanted His Church not to forget: Yes, we are called to build a Kingdom, but this Kingdom is from another place. This Kingdom is not of this world.
Shelby Smith Contemporary Worship Coordinator shelby.smith @taylorvillechrisitan.com
excerpted from The Danger of Partisan Christianity: Why Every Issue Doesn’t Fit a “Liberal” or “Conservative” Label. For the full article, visit relevantmagazine.com
Susan Boyd Custodian