Volume XIX
Number 5
May, 2000
I will give them singleness of heart and action...
for their own good and the good of their children after them.
Jeremiah 32:39
The Faith Church Council, along with the Missions Committee, is moving along in the process of looking at becoming the "parent" for a new church plant that will be somewhere in the general Frankfort area.
A few months ago there was a general meeting opened to the congregation to present the idea and to receive input from the members. Some information provided and discussed at that meeting included:
 | A general target area bordered by: I-57 on the east, I-80 on the north, Rt. 45 on the west, Monee-Manhattan on the south. |
| Core values: In Commitment and Grateful Obedience to Jesus Christ, finding ways to express our joy and gratitude through a genuine Christian community (church) that equips, encourages and serves one another to seek out and enfold the lost. |
| Generally we talked about forming a new church that would be focused on attracting seekers and new believers through a team of people made up of Faith Church members along with other interested families and individuals. This team would start meeting together to assess and develop their gifts and strengths and begin to form small groups which would include seekers and new believers. Corporate worship would be geared toward new believers with emphasis on contemporary music and programs. |
If you missed that meeting, there will be another meeting directly following the morning service on May 21. Bring your questions, comments and concerns.
Over this past Lenten season Pastor John has led us on a spiritual journey which ended Easter Sunday, with a beginning. From Gethsemane to Golgotha on to Galilee to receive the Great Commission, our "journey has just begun".
As I thought about that journey, it reminded me of how many of our own personal journeys have paralleled that of Jesus’ disciples. For years we have had the privilege to be nurtured and equipped and now are challenged to "go".
| Please pray for God’s leading as we continue to move forward in the planting process. |
| Please pray for me as I transition into this ministry. |
| Please talk and pray about and consider your own personal involvement in a new church plant. |
These are exciting times, not only for this venture but for Faith Church as well. But along with the excitement can come apprehension. Jesus understood/understands that, and many of his words include the phrase "fear not". His Great Commission ends with the promise that "I am always with you."
Faith Church has a rich history of reaching out and incorporating the lost and the wayward, and that commitment continues in so many different ways throughout so many different people. Could God be calling you to commit to reach out by becoming a part of a new church planted in the Frankfort area?
Nick Ahrens
On Your Knees" (a prayer theme) and we shared the different types of prayers and learned more about how to pray (i.e. the ACTS prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. We were busy planting seeds.
Our Christian Service Projects this year included working at the "Pass It On" Thrift Center, collecting canned goods for the food pantry, working at the World Home Bible League after taking a tour of the facility and some girls wrote letters to some of our missionary families.
We sold M & M's and once again served a delicious spaghetti dinner (at least that's what people said to me) and we want to thank the congregation for their support. We also could not exist without the prayer support we receive throughout the year - we really covet this.
On our last meeting night we practiced for GEMS Sunday and we had WACKY WEDNESDAY. The girls came in PJ's and unusual combinations of clothes, and you should have seen the hairdos. I even sprayed a little purple in my own hair. We had a lot of laughs that night.
We had 72 girls this year and expect a larger group next year. If you ever have a neighbor or friend that has a daughter in 2nd - 8th grade, please don't hesitate to let her know of our group and they can contact me directly. I would be happy to speak to any interested parents about our club and we do have brochures available also.
I just love the girls - they are truly GEMS. It's great to share things with them, listen to their thoughts and concerns and see the talents that God has blessed them with. We once again had a wonderful group of counselors and I want to list their names and personally thank each of them for their commitment to this ministry. We are sorry to see some of them leaving.
Donna A., Deanne S. (2nd), Nancy G., Debbie VV. (3rd), Doris T., Deborah H. (4th), Donna D., Laura VS. (5th), Becky T. (6th), Mary Beth F., Denise A. (7th), Jan V. (8th) and our craft counselors: Jamie S., Judy B. and Tami K.
We had a few special helpers this year that I want to mention and they are Sandy D. (who led us in our opening exercises for singing) and Dawn VG. (who helped with our 6th grade craft). We couldn't have done it without these ladies this year.
If you want to be part of this exciting ministry give me a call. We have a few openings for Craft and Lesson counselors. Please pray about this and join us. You won't regret it!
In Christ,
CHURCH SCHOOL CHALLENGE
September through December I had the privilege of leading our Church School students (K-6) in singing. The children were challenged to see if they could raise money for new beds for the children of Hogar De Ninos in Comayagua, Honduras. The orphanage needed 165 beds. Our Church School averaged about $???? in their weekly collection. By the end of December they had collected over $????, which enabled the orphanage to buy approximately 20 new beds with mattresses.During the first week of February a group from our Church traveled to Comayagua, Honduras to work on a "Serve Project" at the orphanage. Here are a few pictures showing the new beds and extra mattresses which our children at Faith Church helped purchase.
The children truly "THANK YOU" for your contributions towards their beds.
Sincerely, Cheryl D.
REAL MOTHERS
Real Mothers don't eat quiche; they don't have time to make it.
Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
Real Mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
Real Mothers know that dried play dough doesn't come out of carpet.
Real Mothers don't want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
Real Mothers sometimes ask "why me?" and get their answer when a little voice says, "because I love you best."
Real Mothers know that a child's growth is not measured by height or years or grade. It is marked by the progression of Mama to Mommy to Mom...
The All New . . .
HIKE for
LIFE
FEST
Featuring:
#1 Hit Group, the Awesome
JARS OF CLAY!
At the New World Music Theater
Saturday, May 13, 2000.
Calling Christians of all ages to be a part of history!!
If you are unable to hike but want to contribute, you can sponsor a hiker from our church!
For more info, call PASS at 614-9777.
Support Life!
4 YEARS OF AGE -- My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE -- My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE -- Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE -- Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE -- Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE -- That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE -- Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE -- Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE -- Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE -- Wish I could talk it over with Mom.
 The library continues to be of service to our congregation. There is some
adult participation and our children never fail to be enthusiastic about
borrowing books from the church library. Stop by some Sunday morning after the
service. You’ll see why they make it all worthwhile. Our collection keeps
growing, mostly by donations—books some of our members have decided they would
like to share with others. We are grateful for their interest and support. Since
we last reported in the Focus, the following items have been added. Check
the wood case in the library, where most of these are on display.
|
BOOKS
| 225.7 | Edersheim, A., The Life and Times of Jesus, the Messiah |
| 232.92 | Mac Arthur, J., God With Us |
| 241.33 | Gonzales, C., The Sermon on the Mount |
| 248.4 | Balswick, J., Life Ties |
| 261.835 | Balswick, J., The Family |
| 305.31 | Balswick, J., Men at the Crossroads |
| 306. | Balswick, J., Mothers and Daughters |
| 306.874 | Balswick, J., Mothers and Daughters Making Peace |
| 306.874 | Piper, B., Then They Leave Home |
| Easy | Hunt, A.E., Tale of Three Trees |
| J-FIC | Stahl, H., No Friends for Hanna |
| VIDEOS | |
| 266.8 | Come In—Luz Para o Comino |
| 783.6 | Seasons of Faith |
| 783.6 | Sunday Sing-Along |
| FIC | Paper Brigade |
| E | Dobson, Danae, Woof Goes to School |
| FIC | Focus on Family, McGee & Me—Not So Great Escape |
Please let me know if you have order requests.
Joanne DJ.
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Faith Focus Staff Debbie VM. |