FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH VILLA GROVE, ILLINOIS

PHONE: 832-5231

FAX: 832-9348

September 3, 2019

This is the last week that WCF will be collecting items to stock the shelves at Pleasant Meadows. Needed are: Kleenex (no lotion), toothpaste (small-medium sizes), snack-sized candy bars, snack-sized chips, Little Debbie snack cakes, puffed popcorn, Rice Krispie treats, individually packaged cookies. A tub for items is in the cloak room. Thank you for your continuing support!

Pleasant Meadows’ RUMMAGE & BAKE SALE is Friday & Saturday, September 6 & 7 at their facility. Our church bus will leave the church at 8:00 a.m. on Friday. If you have any questions, be sure to contact Judi Lock. At noon, there will be the annual Salad Luncheon and special speaker. Everyone is asked to bring a salad to share.

FCC All Church Picnic Sunday, September 8

Henson Park Pavilion Villa Grove-- 12:15 p.m.

Potluck with chicken & beverages provided. Bring your own table service, lawn chairs and games

to play. There will be kickball, cornhole and ladder ball games, as well

INVITE YOUR FRIENDS!!

Our FOOD-PACKING EVENT will be here very soon! Saturday, November 16, from 9:00-noon, is the date & time we’ll meet together to pack up the nutritious meals for mission partners and local churches throughout the world. Each meal serving costs 25 cents. Your quarter covers the entire cost, from materials to shipping. We will be packing the minimum amount of meals, 15,000, with a total cost of $3,750. If you would like to donate to this cause, a lunch box is set up in the auditorium. Or, put your check, made out to First Christian Church, with IDES Food-Packing in the memo line in the offering plate. For complete information, please contact Judy Zylstra. TOTAL TO DATE: $1310.25

September 1, 2019

Auditorium 92 Sunday School Nursery 6 Nursery 2 Blessed Believers 19 TOTAL 98 SMC (Age 3-1st Grade) 3 Ambassadors 8 King’s Kids (Gr. 2-5) 6 The Fellowship 21 Grades 6-8 3 Chosen Ones 8 High School 8 TOTAL 78 OFFERING $3154.00 Spendable $3101.00 Benevolence 20.00 IDES 20.00 Worship (Coffee) 13.00

Mickey Carroll (Glenda Case’s best friend)- going home from rehab on Thursday Juanita Dowler- at Tuscola Health Care Center for rehab, Room 415 Rachel Gallardo (Sarah Cannon’s niece)- will go home this week (hopefully) Family of Laurel Kendrick- Dave Reeser’s aunt Family of Forrest Landreth- friend of Jeff & Helen Watson; passed away on Sunday Praise! Birth of Noah Lawrence to Zach & Leah Ritter (see note below) Becky (Robinson) Russell- cancer has returned, stage 4 Davin Smith (Brad & Maryanna’s grandson)- had surgery on Tuesday John Waldrop- back at Brookstone Bernie Zylstra- home from the hospital

There will be no SON TIMES published on September 10 and 17. If you have information for the bulletin, please call the church office.

Carl Soard will be celebrating his 90th birthday on September 13. In honor of this occasion, there will be a BIRTHDAY OPEN HOUSE at the church on Saturday, September 14, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Come celebrate with Carl and have a piece of cake!

Congratulations to Zach & Leah Ritter on the birth of NOAH LAWRENCE, born on Thursday, August 29 at 5:57 a.m. Noah was 21” long and weighed in at 7 lb., 12 oz. His proud grandparents are Joyce & Greg Ritter, and great-grandma is Edna Waldrop.

**Friday, September 6 Workers will be at Rural Grace Food Pantry from 3:00-6:00 p.m. **Sunday, September 8 Youth Group will meet at 5:00 p.m. at the church Bible Study will resume at 6:00 p.m., church fellowship hall, and will meet every Sunday, using the DVD series, “That the World May Know” featuring Ray Van Der Laan. **Wednesday, September 11 Elders meeting at 6:30 p.m. Board meeting at 7:30 p.m. **Thursday, September 12 Women’s Christian Fellowship will meet at the church at 6:30 p.m. **Sunday, September 15 JAM Teacher’s meeting, following Sunday School, at 11:45 a.m.

It was great being with you earlier this month. We are so grateful for your partnership with St. Louis Christian College. Also, thank you for the additional gift this month. We appreciate your generosity. We will continue to pray for your church and all the mission partners you have.

Thanks, RICK CHAMP

ERIN SHUNK, the Villa Grove High School Junior Class attendant in the Homecoming Court for 2019!! SYDNEY EISENMENGER, Villa Grove High School senior candidate for Homecoming Queen!

WE’RE PROUD OF YOU BOTH!!

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH Website: www.fccvg.com Church E-mail: fccvg@frontier.com Minister: Mike Zylstra Home Phone: 681-1034 Mike’s E-mail: fccvgmin@frontier.com Office Hours: 9:00-1:00 (M, W, Th, F) Secretary: Brenda Elam Office Hours: 9:00-12:00/12:30-4:30 (Mon.-Fri.) Elders: Elmer Decker John Dilliner Bob Dowler Chad Reno Joe Rothermel

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2019 Elder: BOB DOWLER Offering Prayer: PETE EISENMENGER LACINE, STANTON, FORSYTHE, M. HUGHES, LOHMEYER West Door Greeter: JOHN & LINDA DILLINER South Door Greeters: BOB & FRANCES DOWLER Coffee Fix & Clean-up: CARL & LINDA SOARD AM Nursery: TRACY LILLARD SS Nursery: MARYANNA SMITH Offering Scripture: HELEN WATSON (Romans 10:14-15) Shut-in Communion: DOWLER/HARRIS Elder-On-Call for September: CHAD RENO (377-9538) REMEMBER THOSE IN ASSISTED LIVING John & Shirley Waldrop Brookstone Estates, Room 15 1106 E. Northline Rd. Tuscola, IL 61953

MORNING WORSHIP 9:30 A.M. JAM (age 5-5th Grade) 10:15 A.M. SUNDAY SCHOOL 11:00 A.M. YOUTH GROUP (September 8 & 29)) 5:00 P.M. BIBLE STUDY resumes September 8 6:00 p.m. CELEBRATION CHOIR resumes Sept. 18 6:15pm

Growing up Like Jesus 9/3/2019

The Bible doesn’t say much about Jesus’ growing up years. Between His birth and age 30 all we know is that he spent a few years in Egypt until after King Herod died. And then there was that incident in the Temple when he was 12 years old.

Age 12 is a big deal for Jewish boys. It is the time they begin the transition into manhood. They are expected to learn who they are, what they believe and figure out their mission in life. Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover. After the festival they headed home but discovered that Jesus wasn’t with them. After three days of searching they found their son in the Temple sitting among the teachers. These frantic parents did what most parents do, they questioned why Jesus would treat them so badly.

In Luke 2:49, Jesus responded by saying, “Why were you searching for me? Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” Jesus wasn’t being impertinent. Rather, he was making a remarkable statement. Until this proclamation, NO ONE had ever referred to God in such an intimate manner. No one spoke about God the creator with such close, familial verbiage. “MY Father” Jesus said. Not “A” father or “The” father. But, MY father. Even at age 12 Jesus knew that, while he honored and respected his earthly parents, his responsibility was to his heavenly Father first.

Are you a child of God? Is God really your Father? Do you feel like you belong in your Father’s house? Is doing your heavenly Father’s will a top priority for you or are you insistent on questioning God, rebelling against his commands and being rude toward His authority? Only when we are intimately connected to our heavenly Father will we find eternal peace and human dignity. Like Jesus, our identity is not our earthly name it is our Heavenly Father’s name.

Mike