2015 Dec Blaine Visitor - Blaine Christian Church

December 2015
Blaine Christian Church
VISITOR
Important Upcoming Events:
With just celebrating
Thanksgiving and
seeing the beautiful
snow on the ground,
we’re reminded that
Christmas is just
around the corner. I
love the season of
Advent - it’s a season
of anticipation and
preparation. If you
haven’t already, I encourage you to pick up
your Advent Devotional booklet in fellowship
hall at church. Each day focuses on a different
Christmas Carol or song. Use it to help prepare
your heart for Christmas and to help you
anticipate the wonder of the gift of Christ.
Our theme this year is “Believe.” Our
Cantata on December 20th will focus on this
theme. Our banner, so graciously made by
Mary Lou Noble, reflects this theme as well.
This Advent season, we have a choice. As we
hear the story of Christmas, do we believe it?
And if we believe it, will we receive it and live
like it makes a difference? John 1:12 reminds
us, “Yet to all who received Him, to those who
believed in His name, He gave the right to
become children of God.” What a tremendous
gift - the best gift ever! What a reason to
celebrate Christmas!
Believe
In Christ,
Lynda Faber, Worship Chair
Sundays - Worship at 8:30 & 11 am
Sunday School at 9:45 am
Choir Practice, 6 pm
Mondays - Lois Ministries, 1:30 pm
Boy Scout Troop 10, 7 pm
Men’s Bible Study, 7 pm at Blaine
Tuesdays - Men’s Bible Study, 7 pm
at Little Eden Camp
Dec 1 - Dine Out for BACN
Dec 2 - Board Packet Deadline
Dec 2 - Fellowship Hall RSVD
Dec 3 - Elders, 4 pm
Dec 4 - Stone Soup, 6:30 pm
Dec 5 - Women’s Tea, 2 pm
Dec 6 - Cupboard of Love Collection Day
Dec 6 - Christian Ed Meeting, 7:15 pm
Dec 7 - Potluckers, 5:30 pm
Dec 9 - Annual Congregational Board
Meeting, 7 pm
Dec 11 - Shepherd Ministry, 9:30 am
Dec 12 - Secret Friends Reveal, 11 am
Dec 13 - Youth Breakfast, 9:40 am
Dec 13 & 20 - Christmas Offering
Dec 14 - Men’s Prayer & Breakfast, 8:30 am
Dec 15 - Benzie Academy Dinner
Dec 20 - BACN Collection Sunday
Dec 20 - Potluck Brunch, 9-9:30 am
Cantata Service, 10 am
Christmas Program, 6 pm
Dec 21 - Christmas Caroling, 4:45 pm
Dec 24 - Christmas Eve Service, 10 pm
Dec 25 - Merry Christmas!
Dec 28 - Year end Contributions deadline
FROM WHERE I SIT
DECEMBER
A man approached a
construction site and noticed
three workers shoving dirt out
of a long ditch. He asked the first man what he
was doing. The guy looked at him and sneered,
with a “surely-you-can-figure-it-out” kind of
look, and said, “Digging a ditch”. He then
walked up to the next man and asked the same
question. The reply was only slightly more-kind,
“I’m makin’ a living. Just makin’ a living. Gotta
feed the wife and kids, you know.” But when he
asked the third man what he was doing, the guy
answered with a great deal of excitement and
pride, “Sir, I am creating part of a masterful set
of irrigation channels that are going to turn this
dry ol’ valley into a garden rich with produce to
feed the world’s hungry!”
It’s amazing, isn’t it, how much satisfaction
we find when we look past the seemingly meaningless chores and minor failures of today and
see the bigger picture of tomorrow! That’s
especially true when that picture is one that
serves the needs of others. When you are making
jewels for the Lord’s Crown, as opposed to just
polishing rocks, well…
Our Long Range Planning Team has been
working diligently since early in the year, listening and discerning, attempting to catch a vision
and then distilling it down into manageable
tasks. Lots of prayer has gone into this process.
And my hope is that much excitement will
follow.
The Prophet Habakkuk says that God’s vision
waits for an appointed time. And that even
though it may appear to tarry, wait for it,
because it will surely come. I am looking
forward to see what the Lord will do in our
midst in the days and years ahead!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Bob
ANNUAL CONGREGAIONAL
BOARD MEETING
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
7:00 pm in Fellowship Hall
Mark your calendars and plan to attend. We
need a quorum in order to complete the business
of the church.
Board Packet information and reports are due in
the church office by December 2nd. Please
have your reports print ready.
Complete Board Packets will be available to
pick up in fellowship hall on Sunday, December
6th.
MONTHLY FINANCE UPDATE
2015 General Fund Budget:
Monthly General Fund Need:
Weekly Need:
Received
January
14,774.14
February 12,447.94
March
17,494.00
April
14,740.25
May
18,173.00
June
16,416.00
July
16,557.00
August
16,211.75
September 15,597.67
October
14,310.50
November 16,177.70
Total + / -
$205,686.50
17,140.54
3,955.50
Over / Short
- 2,366.40
- 4,692.60
+ 353.46
- 2,400.29
+ 1,032.46
- 724.54
- 583.54
- 928.79
- 1,542.87
- 2,830.04
- 962.84
-15,645.99
SERVING IN DECEMBER
DECEMBER
8:30 a.m. Praise & Worship Service
Birthdays
Worship Leader - Sarah Esper
Greeter - Wendell Temple
Usher - Rita Temple
11:00 a.m. Traditional Service
Elders - John Blight, Russ Tiller
Worship Reader - Tom Brown
Diaconate Servers - Mary Lou and Skip Noble,
Steve Barth, Julie Zych
Greeter - John Byers
Usher - Linda Byers
Diaconate Preparer - Shirley Felt
CANTATA SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20th
ONE SERVICE AT 10:00 AM
POTLUCK BREAKFAST 9:00-9:30 AM
SERMON SCHEDULE
DECEMBER 2015
Dec 6:
1st Reading: Malachi 3:1-4
2nd Reading: Luke 3:1-6
Title: “I Will Send My Messenger”
Dec 13:
1st Reading: Zephaniah 3:14-20
2nd Reading: Philippians 4:4-7
Title: “Rejoice Always”
Dec 20:
Cantata Sunday
One Service at 10:00 am
Dec 27:
1st Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
2nd Reading: Luke 2:41-52
Title: “After the Festival Was Over”
1 Sharon Blight,
Phillip Putney
2 Michael Miller
6 Janet Copher, Kathryn Mathieu
7 Walt Kline
8 Charlotte Putney
12 Everett Zych
11 Brady Larimer
14 Jim Bekkering
16 John Byers
26 Erica Jager
28 Keith Jewell
29 Claira Putney, Shannon Gillison
30 Rebecca Tanner
Anniversaries
2 Brian and Dodie Putney
Dave and Sue Micinski
4 Don and Natalie Rau
6 Alfredo and Amber Cruz
15 Greg and Kathryn Mathieu
22 Don and Rita Leitz
January Newsletter Deadline
December 24, 2015
Information can be e-mailed or
dropped off at the church office.
DECEMBER
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS
12/6
12/13
12/20
12/27
9:30 am
Charlotte Putney
12:00 Noon
Jager Family
TROOP 10
Thank you to the Congregational Fellowship Committee for
their help at our Veterans Day
Dinner. We greatly appreciate all
the work that went into this
special evening.
Potluck Breakfast 9:00-9:30 am
DATES ARE AVAILABLE TO HOST!
Check the list and sign up when you can. If there
is no host signed up, feel free to serve coffee,
juice or tea. Thank you from the Fellowship
Committee.
PIE DAY THANK YOU
We would like to thank everyone that helped make our pie day
successful! We made 856 pies
and it was made possible with all
our volunteers; from rollers to
packers, delivery people, lunch and snack
committee, dough makers and runners, clean up
and set up and people to sell. What fun we had
and look forward to next year.
Sonja Reitan & Julie Zych
CHRISTMAS TREES
for SALE
We are selling Christmas Trees
at Northwoods Lodging on
US-31 in Beulah. Sales have
already begun and will go
through Christmas Eve.
2015 YEAR END
All year end bills, reimbursements, and
contributions to be posted for the 2015 year
must be received in the church office by
December 28, 2015.
Anything received after January 1, 2016
will be posted for the 2016 year.
SHARING WITH OTHERS THIS SEASON
SECRET FRIENDS REVEAL
Saturday, December 12, 2015
11:00 am
Our reveal party will be at Dee
Lathwell’s home. We will bring
one last gift for our friend to reveal who her
Secret Friend has been all year long. After the
gift exchange there will be a light brunch.
Please call Dee Lathwell 882-5777 if you are
unable to attend. If you can’t be there, please see
that there will be a gift for your friend and a card
to reveal your name.
As you celebrate this season, think too about
how you can share with someone else with a
gift to Benzie Area Christian Neighbors,
Habitat for Humanity, Love INC, or our
Mission Discretionary fund. All these funds
help those who are in need of help with basic
living needs and with special circumstance in
their lives. Checks can be made out and sent to
the organization or to the church and marked in
the memo for the fund you desire. These gifts
may be given in honor or memory of someone
as your Christmas gift for them.
WOMEN’S CHRISTMAS
TEA
Saturday, December 5th
2pm Fellowship Hall
This tea is for all the women of the church and
will offer Christmas goodies, tea, fellowship and
a Christmas devotion by Mary Lee. We will have
special music by some Benzie Central choral
students too. This is a wonderful gift to give to
yourself and a friend as you look forward to
Christmas. This special event is planned by
Women’s Ministries.
CHRISTMAS PROGRAM
Sunday, December 20th, 6:00 pm
This is always a special evening for our church as
the children, teens and their families of the church
present the message of the Christmas story in fun
and creative ways. Participants will come at 5pm
for snacks and to prepare for the 6pm presentation. All children and youth are encouraged to be
Sunday school the next two weeks to practice.
Following the program will be a time of
fellowship and Christmas goodies. Mark your
calendars and plan to come and enjoy this evening
with our children and youth and their families!
CHRISTMAS CAROLING
Monday, December 21st,
4:45 pm
Each Christmas season those
that enjoy singing are invited to come and join
others in Christmas Caroling to our more shut in
folks in the church family. This is a wonderful
way to bring a musical greeting to some who
would love to be in worship with us, but because
of health reasons are unable to come each week.
Please meet at the church at 4:45. Plan to add
your voice to this group and help brighten the day
of a church family member. There will be chili
and hot chocolate following at the church.
POTLUCK BREAKFAST
Sunday, December 20, 2015
9:00 - 9:30 am
The Congregational Fellowship
Committee wishes everyone a very Blessed
Christmas and all the best for the New Year.
We invite you to join us for a Potluck Breakfast
before the Christmas Cantata Service on
December 20th. We will eat between 9 - 9:30
am. Clean-up begins at 9:30 am. Bring a dish
to share and your own table service.
CANTATA SUNDAY
ONE SERVICE
Sunday, December 20, 2015 at 10:00 am
The choir will be presenting the cantata:
“BELIEVE: The Truth of Christmas” during a
combined worship service at 10:00am. Once
again this will be a wonderful opportunity for
the church family to all worship together and
prepare their hearts for the birth of Jesus. The
praise team will also help lead worship. Make
this special Sunday part of your families’
Christmas celebration this year.
CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICE
December 24, 2015 at 10:0 pm
On this holy night we will gather to
celebrate the birth of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus Christ, through music,
scripture, communion and candlelight
at 10:00 pm. It will be a special evening as we
hear again the story of how God sent His son
Jesus into the world as His great gift of love and
the way to salvation for all those that believe in
Him. This great gift of love calls for a response
from us, to share this love with those we see
each day. Plan to come and welcome Jesus
once again into our world.
GROUP FELLOWSHIP IN DECEMBER
Lois Ministries - Mondays, 1:30 pm, Small Sanctuary
Lois Ministries is a ministry for mothers and grandmothers. They meet in the small sanctuary and pray
for family, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Call Shirley Felt if you would like to join the
prayer group. 231-864-4420.
“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His
name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all
generations Psalms 100:4, 5
Men's Prayer & Breakfast - Monday, December 14, 8:30 am
Meet at the Lighthouse Café in Elberta for prayer, breakfast and fellowship. Order and pay for your
own breakfast. For more information, please call Skip Noble 352-7035.
Lunch with Friends
This group will not meet in December.
Stone Soup - Friday, December 4, 6:30 pm
Bring a dish to share; we will provide table service and drinks. Come for a great potluck dinner, short
devotion and fellowship. Frank and Bonnie Putney at 4624 Joyfield Road are your hosts. Everyone is
welcome to attend. Please call Bonnie at 352-4940 if you have any questions.
Potluckers - Monday, December 7, 5:30 pm
This group will be meeting at the Waterson’s home on Homestead Rd. Bring a dish to share and
come for some good fellowship and then the choral concert at Benzie Central High School.
Teapot Ministry
Teapot Ministry is a visit with our Blaine Friends who may be homebound. The visit includes a tea
party which we provide. To be a part of this ministry, please contact Bonnie Putney, 352-4940.
The Benzie County Community Chorus
Presents Our Christmas Concerts
CHRISTMAS DINNER at
BENZIE ACADEMY
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
December 11th & 12th, 7:00 pm
Frankfort United Methodist Church
Christmas Dinner at the Benzie Academy will
be Tuesday, December 15th. We are looking
for volunteers to prepare and/or donate food
items to go along with turkeys for this special
luncheon for approximately 65 students. Please
contact Steve VanDePerre or Nina Margetson
for details.
December 13th, 3:00 pm
St. Andrew Presbyterian Church
A free will offering will be taken.
YOUTH NEWS
Our Middle School/High School youth enjoyed a
breakfast together on Sunday, November 22nd
and a time of fellowship and study after breakfast.
This is a monthly event prior to Sunday school in
the youth area. The December date is Sunday,
December 13th. They will also work on the
Christmas program presentation.
NEW WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY
COMING IN JANUARY
“RESTLESS” by Jennie Allen
This eight session Bible study will look at the life
of Joseph and explore how gifts, suffering,
places, people, and passions can help you see
how valuable you are to God. The study will
begin on Tuesday, January 5th with a morning and
evening session offered. The study book is
approximately $10. Please sign up at the church
(or call the church) by December 15th to be part
of this study. Invite a friend to come and do the
study with you.
11,889 Gospel Opportunities
Collected for our Great God!
There have been a lot of roadblocks
along the way this year to get here-health issues,
financial challenges, time constraints, etc. Satan
doesn’t like a ministry that spreads the name of
Jesus and has thrown everything possible our
way.
Thank you for your commitment this year and
now let’s stay tuned to see and hear what God
does with these shoe boxes. Their journey is just
beginning and the rest of the story has yet to be
heard.
I am honored to serve with each and every one
of you. May God’s blessings and peace be with
you,
Laura, Samaritan’s Purse Area Coordinator
Operation Christmas Child, NW Michigan Area
SHEPHERD MINISTRY
December 11, 2015 at 9:30 am
The purpose of the Shepherd Ministry is to have
a shared responsibility for the ministry at Blaine
Christian Church by visiting the homebound
and sharing Communion with them if desired.
It may also include those who can make it to
church, but might need a little more connection
with the church.
If you are a part of this ministry, or are interested in being part of it, please join us for a
meeting in the upstairs classroom on December
11th at 9:30 am.
GREAT DAY
Thirty-eight women attended the “Hearing the
Whispers of Jesus” retreat on November 14th.
They enjoyed great study and discussion,
singing, food and fellowship. A special thanks
goes to Jill Geers who facilitated the morning
and to the Christian Education committee for
hosting this event.
SUNDAY SCHOOL
Our church offers Sunday School
classes for ages 2years-adult that
meet each week at 9:45am. There is also childcare for those under age 2 years if needed.
Sunday School is a wonderful way to grow in
your understanding of the Bible and to spend
time with others in the church family. The
children and teen classes will be using some of
the Sunday School time each week to prepare
for the Christmas program, so please try to have
your children and teens present each Sunday.
MEN’S BIBLE STUDY
Two Men’s Bible studies are currently meeting
through the church. One on Monday evenings,
7pm at the church. The other on Tuesday
evenings, 7pm at Little Eden Camp in
Onekama. For more information, talk with
Gary Waterson.
BENZIE AREA
CHRISTIAN NEIGHBORS
benziebacn.org
DINE OUT for BACN
December 1st
Eat at partner restaurants and they donate 10%
of your bill to BACN. This month’s partners are
Dinghy’s in Frankfort or The Thistle at Crystal
Mountain Resort.
BACN COLLECTION SUNDAY
December 20th
Please bring canned goods and dry goods –
consider giving potatoes, jellos, veggies, pie
ingredients—Christmas Dinner ingredients!
2804 Benzie Hwy, Benzonia, MI
882-9544
Received in Congregations
December 13 and 20
The invitation at Christmas is to believe again.
The word from the church is to Believe in a
deeper Hope that moves beyond “wrappings” of
Christmas around us. We proclaim a Hope that
brings Good News, Joy and Compassion for all
of God’s People.
One deeper hope made real in our MI region is
to sustain Crystal Conference Center where
children and youth find hope and Christ’s love
in a community of faith that embraces
everyone.
Benzie Academy “Cupboard of Love”
Collection Sunday, December 6th
Benzie Academy, Benzie County’s Alternative
high School has 67 students this year; half boys
and half girls. December 6 we will collect items
for the students – look for the blue tubs to put
your offerings in.
Winter is coming and hot chocolate, coffee, tea
would be appreciated. Also needed are hats,
scarves, gloves (work and warm), coats, sweatshirts/ hoodies and blankets. Benzie Bus passes/
punch cards for school and work make a good
donation. Sarah Esper, Benzie Academy teacher,
will be glad to answer any questions.
Operation Christmas Child
Thank you for all your donationstoys, toothbrushes, hats, school
supplies and postage. Our goal was
to pack 75 or more boxes at the
packing party. With everyone’s help we packed
107 boxes! We also collected 104 boxes packed
by individuals for a grand total from Blaine
Church of 211 boxes!
LoveINC Safe Harbor
(Shelter for the Homeless)
Love INC works with BACN in
Benzie and North Manistee County.
Safe Harbor is one of the ministries
that is offered only by LoveINC. It takes many,
many people to welcome, host, feed supper and
breakfast, and spend a night at the center. The
shelter needs more help at the Port City Warming
Shelter December 5-11 and at the Manistee ISD
Dec 19-Jan 1. Help would be greatly appreciated.
Please call Robin Paulus at LoveINC 231-7236613 or Bonnie Putney at 231-352-4940.
PREVIEW TO
LONG RANGE PLANNING GOALS DOCUMENT
BLAINE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
NOVEMBER, 2015
Your Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) believes it will be helpful to read this Preview before
diving into the Long Range Goal Statements themselves. We hope the Preview provides for you a
context, and for some Statements, an explanation, in advance of questions that may enter your mind
when reading those Statements. A complete document, including an introduction and the Long Range
Planning Statements themselves will be available in the very near future.
The LRPC has been meeting periodically since February, 2015. We have been striving to discern
God’s will for the future of Blaine Christian Church. Our pondering, prayers, and deliberations have
resulted in a list of long range goal statements that will be presented shortly to the congregation.
As your committee articulated long range goals we concluded that it was important to keep them
clear and uncluttered, with the focus on goals, and not the means by which they should/could be
achieved. You will notice when reading the goal statements that they are very general in nature.
That is by design, so the Boards and Committees responsible for implementation will have maximum
freedom and flexibility to shape them in specific ways, calling upon their own experience, expertise,
wisdom, and insight.
However, as we developed goal statements, the deliberative process inevitably led to ideas we shared
with each other regarding the attainment of those goals. So, the committee decided to attach those
ideas in the form of “matters to consider” by the groups that will be responsible for developing action
plans for achievement of these goals. In the final document, which you will soon have, they are not
included as mandates, or even recommendations: they are simply matters that we would like others to
consider.
When you read the goal statements, you will notice that some of the topics included for future
planning are already being done today. Their inclusion is not an oversight. Your committee simply
desires that some of the most significant activities of the life of our church today are addressed for the
future as well. There are also many activities carried out by the church today that are not included in
the long range planning document. They are not considered unimportant by the committee by any
means.
We also believe that it is important for everyone involved in any way regarding the formation of
specific action plans and strategies that develop from our long range planning document to carry with
them the responsibility of stewardship throughout this important long range planning process. Indeed,
it is essential for each of us to consider prayerfully how the resources we have been provided by God
can be used to help us become the church that Jesus Christ desires us to be.
Committee members are grateful for the leading and direction provided to us individually and
collectively by the Holy Spirit in this endeavor. As the long range goals and related matters for
consideration were developed, we didn’t vote. They were formed and articulated by considerable
conversation and deliberation. Not all committee members are in favor of every statement in the
document that will soon be available. There is clear consensus on each one, however.
It should also be noted that survey results, conversations with committees, notes given to us, and
comments from individuals, all indicated that the Blaine Church community is generally pleased and
grateful for the quality of life and ministry experienced by our congregation. We did not feel called as
a committee to recommend dramatic changes to how we live out our church life in Benzie and
northern Manistee Counties.
We on your Long Range Planning Committee thank you for the honor of serving in this capacity,
and we trust that you will find the context provided by this document to be helpful when you read the
long range recommendations themselves.
Our Mission
Our purpose at the Blaine Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) is to live and share the love
of God as revealed in Jesus Christ through the
guidance of the Holy Spirit. Together, we seek
to learn, teach, hear, minister, support, grow and
worship as a community of faith. As Christ’s
disciples, we accept the call to reach out with
God’s love to those outside the church. Thus, as
part of the Church Universal, we intend to serve
both the physical and spiritual needs of our
immediate community and the world. To this
end we commit ourselves to witness and serve in
the fellowship and traditions of the Christian
Church (Disciples of Christ).
Blaine Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
7018 Putney Road
Arcadia, MI 49613
Rev. Robert D. Larimer, Pastor
(231) 352-9148
www.blainechristianchurch.org
email: [email protected]
SUNDAY MORNING SCHEDULE
8:30 a.m. Praise & Worship Service
11:00 a.m. Traditional Service
9:45 a.m. Sunday School
Coffee & Fellowship following services.