The
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Love God. Love others.
onnection
Winter 2017
Sunday Worship Services: 9:00 a.m. (Blended) 10:30 a.m. (Contemporary)
DisContent by James C. Jones We live in a culture of consumption. We consume all kinds of things. Food may be the most obvious one, but it is far from the only one. We also consume media. We watch TV and movies. We read articles and watch videos from our favorite music groups online. We see pictures from our friends on Facebook and Instagram, and we read the latest lines from politicians, authors, and celebrities on Twitter. We consume goods as well. We buy clothing to use until a zipper breaks and then we throw them away. We use shoes until a sole begins to wear through, and then we are finished with them. We are consumers, and even though we may not think about it, we identify ourselves by what we consume. Do you own a shirt with a favorite brand name on it? Maybe you like Ford trucks or eat Hershey’s chocolate. You might own a T-shirt that proclaims your favorite brands to the world. What we buy and use says something about who we are; at least we think it does. In a culture which values consumption so highly, we are continually bombarded with messages that remind us that our consumption makes us happy and identifies us. We are frequently reminded of some product that will make us happier or identify us with a more desirable group is available for purchase. We just need to spend some money, and it can all be ours. Let’s take that a step further. In a culture which values personal happiness so highly, we might think that we would be happier with different people in our lives. Someone else’s family is better-looking or seems to get along better than ours. Maybe you’re sure they have more money as well. Our culture encourages us to be discontent with who we are and what we have. We are easily convinced that we could be happier with more and better stuff, and our relationships could be better if we had different people in our lives. But little of this is consistent with the teaching of Scripture. Instead Scripture calls us to be thankful for what God has given us. Twenty-nine times in Scripture we are called to give thanks. I don’t know of any passages that remind us that we should buy more stuff. All of this is a call to contentment. Beginning November 13th and leading up to Thanksgiving, I will teach a series of lessons on finding contentment in the most important areas of our lives. I’m calling it Discontent because I’m hoping that it will help us all drop the beginning of that word and find true contentment in the blessings of God.
In This Issue:
Why Do I Coach Football? Get to Know TCC Elder Candidates Harvest of Love New Missions Financial Peace University
New Faces at VCS Growing Small Groups Upcoming Sermon Series December at TCC ...and more.
When you miss a Sunday, want to listen to a sermon that challenged you, or want to share with a friend, you can listen to past sermons at taylorvillechristian.com or through the free Taylorville Chrsitian app.
November 13-27 Sermon Series: Family · Work · Stuff
Upcoming December Sermon Series:
Philippians 2:6-11 God · Servant · Sacrifice · Honor
Connect with Taylorville Christian on Facebook and Instagram and watch for #SundaySetList each Friday at noon, then listen to our Spotify channel to prepare for Sunday worship!
Let’s Celebrate Baptism and New Members: Vanessa Sylvester, Travis and Kristi Corpin
Love God.
Why Do I Coach Football? by Zach Crowley
“Why do I coach football?” That’s easy, I love football! I’ve coached football for many years. This has included all different ages and levels. I’ve coached youth football, jr. high football and even varsity high school football. This past year, I coached first grade football for the Taylorville Youth Football League. In my opinion, football is the best sport in the world. I love the X’s and O’s of football, the warmth of the sun during a long practice, the sound of football pads crashing into each other and the look on a players face when he succeeds at something he thought he couldn’t do. Football, at any level, is a sport that surpasses the game itself. Football teaches discipline, hard-work, respect, honor, teamwork and several other characteristics that we all desire the next generation to embody. However, my love for the sport of football is not the main reason I coach youth football. The main reason is this – to connect with families that are not following Jesus. You see, when you work full-time in the church world like me, it’s easy to get caught inside the “Christian bubble.” You know, that bubble Christians like to live in that allows them to separate from the “world.” The bubble that keeps “different” people away, keeps “different” lifestyles away, and keeps “different” opinions away. I hate the Christian bubble. So did Jesus. Jesus was accused of being a friend of sinners. Churchgoers would talk behind his back about how he shouldn’t be spending time with “people like that.” He built friendships with people in the community. He spent time with people who were “different” than him. He even hungout with people who were making really poor, ungodly choices in life. We are called to live like Jesus, yet most of us would never be accused of being a “friend of sinners.” I hope I’m accused of that. I hope churchgoers talk behind my back about how I shouldn’t be spending time with “people like that.” I hope I’m always surrounded by people who are “different” than me. Some people will never step foot inside your church until you step foot inside their world. So I coach football. I go to where the people are. I connect with families in our community that would never step foot inside a church building. I never jam Jesus down their throat. I never try to guilt them into attending church. I don’t make them feel like they have to act differently around me. I just love them. For who they are. No matter what. I show them that they matter to me and that they matter to God. It’s what Jesus did, and it’s what we are called to do.
Love others.
Get to Know TCC Elder Candidates At TCC’s upcoming annual meeting, we’ll have the opportunity to vote on three elder candidates the current elders can interviewed and recommended. Get to know them better here:
Jeremy Piatt has attended TCC for 15 years and has previously served as an
elder, as well as served on the VisionWay School board. He’s also been involved with the praise band and small groups.. He works with MarkNet Alliance in the auction field. He loves his “crazy family,” including wife Beth and children Liam, Amos, and Millie.
Adam Mathias has attended TCC for 18 years and has previously served
as an elder for three terms. He has and also served on the VisionWay School board and the TCC finance team for 15 years (and currently). He’s been a CPA for 20 years (Lively, Mathias, Hooper and Noblet). Adam’s wife Cathy is a registered nurse, and they have three children (Broch, 20; Anna, 18: Jessi, 16) and one grandson (13 months).
Bill Siders, Sr. has attended TCC for 12 years and has been involved in New Commandment Men’s Ministry, greeting, communion serving, Missions team, and Men’s Fraternity groups. He’s retired from the State of Illinois and now volunteers at TCC, Inner City Missions, and Loving Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center. He enjoys serving in the community and helping others. Bill has been married to Ardella for nearly 34 years, has two sons: Tyler and Bill, Jr., and a grandson.They are expecting their first great-granddaughter soon.
TCC Annual Meeting
Sunday, November 13th after the 9:00 and 10:30 a.m. services
We will vote on elders (new and extended terms), church officers, trustees. and budget.
Financial Peace University (FPU) is a 9-lesson, money-management course by Dave Ramsey. TCC members Craig and Holly Bauman will lead you through the lessons, which include basics of budgeting, dumping debt, planning for the future, and much more. The FPU group at TCC will meet on Sundays at 3-4:30 p.m. beginning January 8, 2017. Childcare will be provided. Cost for the FPU kit is $75. Each individual or couple should have a kit, but if you already have one, you can reuse it. Register at bit.do/financialpeace or in the church office.
For additional questions, contact Craig and Holly at bauman07@gmail.com or 825-4851.
Harvest of Love Taylorville Christian Church is a generous community of faith! When we identify a need, whether it is in our church, our community, or somewhere else in the world, the people of our church give sacrificially to meet that need. One continuing example of that generosity is our annual Harvest of Love offering. Each year, we receive this special offering which is designated for a specific set of needs. Usually one of those needs is debt retirement, but this year, we have funds on hands to meet our bond obligations so we are free to use these funds in other ways. Our offering goal this year is $25,000, and the elders have chosen two specific needs. First, the sound equipment in our worship center is aging. Some may have noticed problems with the sound system recently, and we have been in contact with experts in the field to identify solutions. Some of those solutions include tuning equipment that we already have in place, but some of that equipment simply needs to be replaced. Technology has advanced in the field over the past few years, and it is time for us to modernize our system to give us greater flexibility and higher sound quality. Of course, the overall goal is to make sure that our worship leaders and speakers can be heard, and we all have a great worship experience. The elders have allocated $15,000 for this need. Second, one of the excellent ministries in our own community is the Taylorville Food Pantry. Churches throughout our community refer people in need to the food pantry and ensure that supplies are adequate to meet the need. The pantry is staffed by volunteers, including some from TCC. The food pantry recently broke ground on a new building just off East Main Cross near the driver’s license office. While funds have been given for the basic shell of the building, and the property itself was donated, gifts are still needed for the interior, including a kitchen and restrooms. $10,000 of the Harvest of Love offering will be given to the Food Pantry building fund, plus any excess funds beyond the overall goal of $25,000. Please pray about what your family can give to the 2016 Harvest of Love offering. This is an opportunity to give above and beyond your regular gifts to the church and can have an important impact on TCC as we continue to live out our mission to love God and love others.
New Missions Considered for Support at TCC Tony & Kelsey Collins & Family/Momentum Christian Church/Stadia. Tony grew up in Edinburg and is a graduate of Lincoln Christian University. He and Kelsey spent the past five years in New Zealand doing church planting with South Pacific Christian Fellowship. They have decided to join Momentum Christian Church in Chula Vista and will focus on church planting in the San Diego area.
Johnny & Janelle & Family, serving in Southeast Asia with a focus on developing sustainable ministry and church planting movements. Zimbabwe Christian Church, an undergraduate college that exists to serve the churches of Zimbabwe and southern Africa. By training pastors and teachers, the college encourages church planning and church growth throughout the region. ZCC stands firmly in the restoration movement which seeks to find biblical principles to set the direction and practices of the church. These missions are included in the 2017 budget, which will be voted on during the TCC annual meeting on November 13th after each worship service.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!� (Romans 10:14-15)
New Faces at VisionWay Christian School Several new faces can be seen at VisionWay this year. Five new staff members were added as well as several new students. Each were asked “What do you enjoy most at VCS?” Here are their replies. “We get to play outside.” - Caleb, 1st grade “We get to go outside for P.E.” - Ian, 3rd grade “I met fun friends here.”, Lilly, 3rd grade “The teachers.” - Connor, 4th grade
“The caring staff.”
Mrs. Wooters, 5th grade teacher
“We can find a way to have fun everyday.” Mrs. Davis, IT Support
“I love that everything centers around God.”
Mrs. Barry, 4th grade aide
“I love watching Christ work through the staff and students.”
Mrs. O’Malley, 2nd grade aide
“The kids say the funniest things.”
Mrs. Mireles, 1st grade aide
Growing Small Groups Small groups matter in the church. Regardless of a church’s size, the small group is a place of teaching, fellowship, prayer, and pastoral care. The adage, “A church must grow smaller as it grows larger” is more than a church growth cliché; it is a principle of Great Commission growth. Many small groups, though, turn inwardly. Here are some ways to strengthen the outward focus of your church’s small group ministry. Be clear about the purpose of the group. Every small group exists for some reason. Some focus on evangelism. Others emphasize discipleship. Some are short-term focused studies, while others have an ongoing curriculum. The problem is that many small group leaders and participants don’t think about, aren’t clear about, or even disagree about the group’s purpose. Unfocused small groups—like unfocused churches—often plateau or decline. Train teachers/facilitators to think as guests. No longer can we assume that guests—or group members, for that matter—have even basic biblical knowledge. Guests may not understand our Christian terms or denominational lingo. The best teachers/facilitators recognize these truths and adjust their teaching accordingly by explaining basics and defining terms. Be aware of the 80 percent rule. At least in North American culture, physical space matters. When a group reaches 80% of its space capacity, numerical growth is likely to plateau or decline. Outreach often becomes less a concern when group members perceive the space is already full. Train small groups to care for each other. Get ready for growth by equipping small groups to care for each other. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Small groups do not automatically follow up with and care for their members. The cracks through which members fall are sometimes quite wide. No small group member should be absent without follow-up, ill without care, or needy without assistance. Lead groups to pray for people who have never attended. We most often pray for people who regularly attend—that is, for those we know and see. The most Great Commission-focused small groups, though, pray also for those they are trying to reach. excerpted from Ten Ways to Grow a Small Group, an article by Chuck Lawless on ThomRainer.com
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 Shelby Smith Contemporary Worship Coordinator shelby.smith @taylorvillechrisitan.com Susan Boyd Custodian