january 2017 the apple our mission press · january 2017 the apple press youth group resumes...
TRANSCRIPT
January 2017
THE APPLE
PRESS
Youth Group resumes Wednesday, January 11, in the Activities Center at 6:00 PM. Contact Pastor Alan at 970-242-7380, or 928-580-9856 cell, or [email protected]. Our Annual Meeting will be Sunday, January 15. We’ll have a fellowship meal in the Activities Center at 12:30 PM, following second service and then meet in the Worship Center for our annual meeting. Want to vote on important elections/changes of this church body? Place your membership before January 15th. Attention Ladies: We will be starting a new bible study by Priscilla Shirer called The Armor of God. This 7-week study will begin Tuesday, January 17, from 6:30-8:15 PM in the A.R.K. located in the Activities Center. Workbooks usually cost between $10-20. Please call Kathy in the office (242-7380) to reserve a book by Monday, January 9. Please contact Jodi Draper (261-0163) with any questions. This looks like an incredible study - we hope to see you there! The Friday morning Ladies Prayer Group meets from 6:45 to 7:45 in the Activities Center foyer. Questions—call Karen Vejraska at 970-242-8904 or email [email protected]. Discipleship groups are in full swing here at ACC. Currently, there are six groups meeting at various times during the week. If you’d like to join in, please contact Pastor Dan. GO ONLINE—Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Appleton Christian Church. Check it out here: https://smile.amazon.com See inside for more upcoming events.
Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to
those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in
the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the
desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ” (John 1:22-23)
A few weeks ago, we had a sermon that focused on John the
Baptist. Have you ever wondered why God had John start his ministry
before Jesus began his? As John said in the above scripture, he came to
“make straight the way for the Lord.”
Why weren’t the people ready for Jesus? Well, it had been over
four hundred years since God had sent his prophet Malachi. Bob Hull,
in his book Jesus Christ, disciple maker, wrote it this way;
“The spiritual heart of Israel was parched, dry, and empty, much like
the desolation of the wilderness. Thus when the Jewish people heard of
this rugged young prophet trumpeting forth the words of the revered
Isaiah, they trudged thirty miles out into the barren countryside to know
more of his message.” (30)
John created a sense of expectancy, people were looking
forward to the Messiah to come. When John identified Jesus as the
Messiah, two of his own disciples left him and went to Jesus because
they had a hunger that came from the preaching of John. Do you share
that hunger for Jesus? Has your life in church created a longing for
Jesus and knowing Him more?
Hull wrote, “Throughout the past two millennia, many people
have taken the same action as these two disciples of John, following
Jesus to see who He is. Some of them were willing to follow all the
way; others were not willing to pay the price… The fundamentals of
discipleship can best be grasped at the feet of the Master himself.” (ibid)
This year we will be working on growing as disciples of Jesus
Christ. There is a cost involved, and unfortunately many choose not to
pay the price of being His disciple. The truth is, the reward is beyond
description, for the reward is knowing Him, and being used by Him to
help others come to salvation. His peace is also involved for those who
seek Him and find Him.
Throughout 2017, we will be preaching on, teaching on, and
offering opportunities to help you become disciples of our Savior Jesus
Christ. Pray for your hunger for Him to grow.
I love you all,
Pastor Dan
Hull, Bill, Jesus Christ Disciplemaker, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, MI, 2004.
Please have bulletin items to the office by 11:00 AM on Wednesdays . You can either call (242-7380) or email ([email protected]).
At A Glance
Our Mission To grow fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19-20
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IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUTH!
1/11/2017 - Wednesday Night Youth Group
Resumes, 6:00 PM
If you have any questions please call
(928-580-9856) or email
Pastor Alan.
If you would like to join us in the Casas Afghan Project for the silent auction at the Appleton's Got Talent, there is still time and plenty of room for your square(s). All squares must be turned in to Marcia Williams or Pam Bourdette by Sunday, January 29, so we can sew them all together. See photo for what we have now. If you make the squares, we will add the border required for assembly. You may use your own pattern for your square. The only guidelines are:
Must be 6" square
Use any fall color
Worsted weight 4-ply yarn
Knit or crochet your square
Finishing is very important. Be sure you leave plenty of a tail to sew in so nothing comes unraveled.
Questions, contact Marcia @ 970-639-2359 or Pam @ 970-639-9421.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 6:00 PM DRESS REHEARSAL AT 9:00 AM
FUNdraiser for the upcoming Casas por Cristo trip in
March 2017.
If you have a talent to share or items for the silent
auction, please contact Aleta Beaslin, 970-245-5009.
Mission Trip
Juárez, México
March 19-24
$6,700 cost to build 3-room, 338 sq. ft. home.
Minimum of 14-20 people.
Travel medical insurance or check with your personal
coverage.
Lodging at a local church, bedding not included. Bring
your own toiletries.
$70 payable to ACC to help cover costs of lodging,
food, and gas. There may financial help available if you
want to go but can’t afford it.
Need a current passport with at least 6 months validity.
Start early in the process. Click here to see how to
apply https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/
passports/apply.html or pick up a form at the Main Post
Office, 241 N. 4th St., GJ, CO.
Contact Scott Thompson 970-644-1242 or James
Templeton 970-250-9588 with questions regarding the
trip.
I have a challenge for us during this new year. A challenge to get to know Jesus better. For more than 2,000 years Jesus has been at the center of pretty much everything. No one has had a bigger influence on your daily life than Jesus, whether you know it or not. Did you know…
Until Jesus, most human beings were slaves, condemned to perpetual hard labor and captive to the whims of their owners. Jesus suspended that system of slavery…
Until Jesus, women had no rights whatsoever in society. Jesus gave women dignity and status…
Until Jesus, many pagan religions tried to “appease the Gods” with human sacrifice – often children were the most popular sacrifices. Jesus elevated children as treasures to be nurtured…
Until Jesus, each culture and society determined the passage of time differently – many created “calendars” based on when the current monarch assumed office. Because of Jesus, all human history is organized around his birth and death – it either happened before him or after him…
Until Jesus, becoming a “learned person” was a goal reserved only for the rich and elite. Jesus called everybody, no matter their social status, to love God “With our whole mind,” and institutions of higher learning and libraries sprang up as a result…
Until Jesus, the most common form of government was totalitarian and despotic. Jesus stripped rulers of the self-proclaimed deity, paving the way for common law and limited government…
Until Jesus, the sick, infirm, and disabled were considered disposable. Because Jesus emphasized the dignity of the person and elevated the plight of the poor, mercy for those who are hurting became the societal norm, leading to the building of hospitals and social service organizations…
Until Jesus, forgiveness was a disgusting sign of weakness. Jesus told us to forgive “seventy times seven,” and made the love of our enemies the marker for true love…
Yale historian Jaroslav Pelikan says, “regardless of what anyone may personally think or believe about him, Jesus of Nazareth has been the dominant figure in the history of Western Culture for almost twenty centuries. If it were possible, with some sort of super magnet, to pull up out of history every scrap of metal bearing at least a trace of his name, how much would be left?”
You would think someone whose name is so well known, who has had so much impact on the world in which we live, would also be the most understood person in the world. But he is not. Most of us think we have a pretty good handle on who Jesus is and what he did. But we don’t. As one person put it, “He is the most-known, least known person in history.” I guess sometimes the people we are around the most are the people we know the least. We can take for granted that we know who they really are, because they have always been there. But often we don’t really know them as well as we think we do.
That is the point of the challenge. It’s time that we all look again at what we already know about Jesus, so we can grow in our relationship with him. Make it a priority this year to spend time with Jesus by studying his word, attending church, being in a small group, and serving. Let’s figure out together who this Jesus really is and who we are because of him. God bless and Happy New Year!
Pastor Alan [email protected]
An Encouraging Word from Scott Thompson I was recently talking about the role of the Church with a young fellow. It caused me to do a little research trying to find a definition of the Mission of the Church. P.C. Nelson in his book basic “Bible Doctrines” divides the role of the Church into three basic areas. The Apostle Paul tells us that the overall purpose of God’s redemption of mankind is that we should be the praise of his glory. The way we glorify God is a three directional approach. The first way the Church glorifies God is evangelism, the outward direction. The word evangelism literally means, “proclaiming the good news.” The Church is able to provide a better platform and focus for evangelizing a lost world. Jesus tells us in the Great Commission, Matthew 28:18, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Left to our own initiative this can be an overwhelming task, but as we join together as a Church we can draw strength from each other. The second way the Church glorifies God is edification, an inward direction. Edification means “strengthening and building up.” I heard it defined as charging up your spiritual battery once. The application for us is to build each other up, encourage one another and strengthen each other. Without this renewing and “charging up” we become weak and lose sight of our purpose. Colossians 3:16,17 states, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and the spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” The third way the Church glorifies God is through worship an upward direction. Romans 12:1 tells us to present our bodies a living sacrifice to God, a living holy sacrifice for that is the kind of sacrifice God will find acceptable, then this statement, ”This is truly the way to worship him.” As we meet and present ourselves to God in worship we honor God. Maybe that is why Hebrews 10:25 states, “Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” All three of these directions require us to be “God focused”. The young man I was speaking to was having a hard time staying focused on God. Attending Church resolves that issue, outward, inward, and upward. Maybe the lesser known mission of the Church is a scripture found in Hebrews 10:24, “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works.” I encourage you to grasp the mission of the Church inward, outward, upward and the lesser known...and do your part.
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We have a very BUSY upcoming schedule of events. Please see below and mark your calendars. Hope to see you at as many events as possible.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Fellowship Meal followed by Annual Meeting: Sunday, January 15, 12:30 PM. Want to vote in important elections/changes made in this body of Christ...place your membership!
Valentines Date Night: Friday evening, February
10, 2017, hosted by the Youth. Child Care provided. Contact Pastor Alan, 928-580-9856.
Appleton’s Got Talent Show (& Silent Auction):
Saturday, February 25, 2017, 6 PM, FUNdraiser for Casas por Cristo mission trip. Contact Aleta Beaslin, 245-5009. Contact Pam Bourdette and Marcia Williams to help make an afghan to be auctioned (see page 2).
World Mission Conference: Friday - Sunday,
March 10-12, 2017. WMC guest speaker followed by fellowship meal. Contact Donna Ward, 623-3665.
Casas por Cristo Mission Trip: March 19-24,
2017, Juarez, Mexico. You need a passport. Contact Donna Ward, 623-3665 (see page 2).
Mission of the Month
The Pregnancy Center
Diane Baldwin, Director of Operations
930 Main Street, Grand Junction, CO 81501
970-241-7474
704 Elm Avenue, Grand Junction, CO 81501
(satellite office)
Phone: 970-242-HOPE (4673)
Email: [email protected]
www.pregnancy-center.org
Birthday: September 18
Anniversary: June 6
Ministry: The purpose of The Pregnancy Center
of Grand Junction is to provide education, love
and support to women in our community as they
make important pregnancy decisions. We offer
counsel on the emotional, spiritual and physical
aspects of pregnancy and information concerning
available options. An unplanned or crisis
pregnancy does not necessitate making
uninformed or impulsive decisions.
Prayer Requests: Compassion, wisdom and
protection for counselors and receptionists. Lift
up all unborn babies, their moms and dads. Pray
for conviction in the hearts of all Americans that
ALL life is precious. Strength, integrity, and fear
of God in our leaders. More volunteers for
reception and counseling. Our clients to feel
loved and choose life and love for their babies.
“O Lord, you have searched me and you know
me. You know when I sit and when I rise, you
perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my
going out and my lying down; you are familiar
with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in –
behind and before; you have laid your hand upon
me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too
lofty for me to attain. Where can I go from your
Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I
go up to the heavens, you are there; If I make my
bed in the depths you are there. If I rise on the
wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the
sea, even there your hand will guide me, your
right hand will hold me fast…” (Psalm 139)
We are having a “baby shower” for the Center.
See the display in the Worship Center foyer.
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5 Ways to Help Make your Church Visitors
feel Welcome Every church wants (or should want) visitors! Always be wanting to grow. So, to help in this area, here are some tips for the members to remember: 1. Smile at people. A smile can change a person's day and make them feel connected. When you don't smile, people can assume you are too arrogant or mean, even though you may be just thinking about something else. So do your best to smile at people you meet, walk past, or look at. 2. Look them in the eyes. Looking people in the eyes is kindness. It says to them, "You count." And it reminds them that we are all part of the same human race. When you avoid looking people in the eyes, you seem cold and unattached, and that doesn't help to spread the love of Christ but hides it! 3. Offer a hand. When someone is struggling with something heavy, offer them a hand. When someone looks lost, ask them if you can help. When you offer to help people, you share kindness with them and lighten their load. 4. Say hello. In today's busy world it's easy to become isolated from the others, oblivious to the pain and concern of the people around us. But kindness gets involved; it steps into the lives of others, even if only to say hi. It WILL make a difference. Say hi to anyone that looks you in the eyes. Even if they don't look at you, interrupt their isolation and say hello. Remember, people remember kindness! 5. Go above and beyond the normality. Here are 'rituals' visitors usually do at church: Go into the building, find a seat near the back (they wouldn't dare sit up front!), sing, listen to the preacher, get up and go. Do they ever re-visit? Rarely. It depends on a number of factors. Make your church visitor’s experience something different! The church should be Alive! Members, don't go find "your clique”. Instead, meet someone new! Get out of your shell yourself. If there's time, show them around the church. Introduce them to your pastor or to someone around their age. I'm not saying that it's wrong to go say hi to your friends, just don't be exclusive to others around you that you may not
know. Make them feel like they are welcome...because they are...aren't they? Be friendly, courteous, kind, happy, (don't act like a dead Christian!) Being a Christian is fun so don't make it look boring by your countenance and austere demeanor. Be sure to get their address and go visit them sometime during the week if they're interested. You should want your visitors to return and be glad they were there. Make sure your church is Alive in Christ! Be Joyful in the Service of Your Lord and King. We need each other to do this! We're all important and can be used by God if we let Him. http://sunshineforchrist.blogspot.com/2013/09/5-ways-to-help-make-your-church.html
New Year’s Resolutions
2017 is quickly approaching and the time for making New Year’s
Resolutions. Make 2017 growing closer to Christ through SERVICE!
Below are ways you can serve here at ACC. Check where you would like to
serve, complete form with your name and phone number, and we’ll get you
on the rotation lists! CHILDREN’S MINISTRY: Preschool: teachers and assistants Sign up to bring snacks/meal for Youth Sign up to help with Youth GREETERS: First Worship Service Second Worship Service SOUND BOOTH: Run computer Run sound board COMMUNION SERVERS: First Worship Service Second Worship Service SHUT IN COMMUNION ADULT CLASSES LEADER DISCIPLESHIP GROUP HOST/LEADER OUTSIDE MAINTENANCE Parking lot plowing Sidewalk shoveling & salting Lawn mowing Leaf raking Trimming hedge along Frontage Road Weed property and pond area MISSIONS TEAM
SING WITH WORSHIP TEAM BEGIN AN INTESSORY PRAYER GROUP VOLUNTEER IN OFFICE WHILE SECRETARY ON VACATION
NAME:
PHONE:
Mark 10:45
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give
his life as a ransom for many.
January 2017
Open Spot
Open Spot
Open Spot
Open Spot (Contact the office to volunteer for this rotation.)
February 2017
Joe Zeni
Dave McIlnay
Jack Costello
Open Spot (Contact the office to volunteer for this rotation.)
Second Service Greeters First Service Greeters
ways to send Prayer Requests,
Please include on your communication/prayer card on
Sunday; OR email [email protected]; OR call Pam Bourdette @639-9421, OR
Paul Vejraska @242-8904, OR Marcia Williams @639-2359 OR
Eryn Lefler @778-1186.
For shut-in communion, please call 242-7380 during office
hours or contact person listed below:
January 1/1 Kevin Vig
1/8 Doug Steiner
1/15 Merle Miller
1/22 Sherman Moore
1/29 Dan Baker
Clip and post in your home as a reminder when you serve.
Contact Us:
Pastor Dan Baker [email protected]
Pastor Alan Dyson [email protected]
Elders: [email protected]
Dan Baker 970-822-2717 [email protected]
Tim Hollett 970-376-5521 [email protected]
Merle Miller 242-5057 [email protected] Doug Steiner 250-9900
[email protected] Scott Thompson 644-1242, Chair
Diaconate: Aleta Beaslin 245-5009 [email protected]
Malinda Lyons 245-5632 [email protected]
Ellie Morris 210-0677 [email protected]
Steve Morris 210-5405 [email protected] Jennifer Murrell, Board Rep.
434-6613 [email protected] Mark Murrell 434-6613 [email protected]
Dave Sloan, Presiding Deacon 778-9033
[email protected] Craig Spoering 623-2311 [email protected]
Charlotte Zangerle 245-6907 [email protected]
First Service Communion Servers
January 2017
1 Randy & Beth Pifer
8 Jenny Nichols
15 Steve & Ellie Morris
22 Scott & Connie Thompson
29 Randy & Crystal Brew
February
5 Doug & Jan Steiner
12 Randy & Beth Pifer
19 Jenny Nichols
26 Steve & Ellie Morris
January 2017
1 Merle Miller
8 Dave Sloan
15 Scott Thompson
22 Doug Steiner
29 Josh Vig
February
5 Dan Baker
12 Merle Miller
19 Dave Sloan
26 Scott Thompson
First Service Communion
& Offering Meditation
January 2017
1 Merle Miller
8 Jenny Nichols
15 Scott Thompson
22 Doug Steiner
29 Josh Vig
February
5 Dan Baker
12 Merle Miller
19 John Wilson
26 Scott Thompson
January 2017
1 Joel & Marcia Williams
8 Steve & Peggy Moseley
15 Mark & Jennifer Murrell
22 Charlotte Zangerle
29 Joel & Marcia Williams
February
5 Kelly Messamer
12 Steve & Peggy Moseley
19 Jane Sloan
26 Mark & Jennifer Murrell
1—Chois DeVinney Sandy DeVinney 8—Judy Devine
Scott & Jodi Draper 15—Ted & Melody Dunn
Alan & Kari Dyson 22—Barb Easlick
David Foster 29—Wanda Foster Toni Fredrickson
January Prayer Families Second Service Communion
& Offering Meditation
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The Bible affirms the power and importance of prayer and we, as a church, are committed to pray for each other. Let us know your request and we will lift you
up in prayer.
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Appleton Christian Church
The Apple Press
2510 I-70 Frontage Rd
Grand Junction, CO 81505
January 2017January 2017January 2017 Our MissionOur MissionOur Mission
To grow fully devoted To grow fully devoted To grow fully devoted
followers of Jesus Christ.followers of Jesus Christ.followers of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:19Matthew 28:19Matthew 28:19---202020
8:00 AM & 10:30 AM Worship 9:30 AM A.C.E. ( A pple ton C hr is t i an Ed uca ti on)
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