First Word

 First Word
Volume 15, Issue 2
Inside this issue:
New C hurc h Si gn
We were finally able to purchase and install our NEW church sign! A BIG thank you to everyone who helped make this possible! One Growth Group started saving their loose change and praying for our new church sign back in 2008! 1
Pa stor J osh
2 -3
First New s &
Inf ormati on
3- 4
C. O.O. L. Da y T allm ad ge
Stewa rdshi p R epo rt
Ou r D eep est Symp athy
A ddress ch an ges
Di recto ry Cha ng es
New La di es B ible Stud y
On lin e Gi vi ng
First Stud ents
5
R umma ge Sa le
IYC & NE O U rba n
Mi ssio n Exp erienc e
B ow l-A -T hon
6
T han k You
First Ch ildren
7
A n ote from Li sa Sm i th
Safety Team Vo lu nteers
Needed
New Gro wth Gro up &
K ids Ch urch C o-Co ac h
8
Pro moti on s
A n ote from Ch ri s Alli son
Ma rk y ou r C alen dar
U p comi n g E ven ts
Ca lend ars/Ev en ts
In the fall of 2008 Lou and Julie Kuhn started a growth group in their home. They decided to name their group The W.W.W.’s. Working – Matthew 5:16 – Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father which is in heaven. Watching – Matthew 24:42 – Watch ye therefore for you know not what hour your Lord doth come. Waiting – Psalms 37:7 – Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him. First Peo pl e
EC M
April/May/June 2016
9-1 1
During their study they were challenged to be active in the Lord’s work so they decided on two projects, one smaller and one larger. As their smaller project, they chose to help move the Tallmadge Good Neighbors into larger quarters. For their larger project, they began to save their change for a new church sign. After nine weeks they had collected $900 dollars! They gave the money to Brenda Smith, the Office Manager, and an account was set up for them. Their group and many others continued to donate to this account throughout the years. The W.W.W.’s prayed that one day the Lord would grant them their wish for the new sign. On January 28, 2016 the new sign was installed! They really like it and are thankful to all of you who sacrificed to make it happen! God makes all things beautiful in His time. Ecclesiastes 3:11 Lead Pastor
Pastor Josh Deeter
Dear First Church, I challenged you to make 2016 the “Year to K now God.” You were encouraged to worship each week, read your Bible and commit to prayer. We have had great worship services, a number of people have committed to read through the Bible for the first time, and we started a new prayer group that meets on Wednesday mornings inspired by our 21 days of prayer and fasting. Deepening our relationship with God is one of the most worthwhile endeavors we can engage in. Sharing our relationship with others also carries significance. Recently, I was asked to give a twenty-­‐
minute “Ted-­‐talk” on evangelism. I want to share with you what I shared with them as I reflected on my own conversion. I was invited to church. I didn’t grown up going to church. A t least, it wasn’t a priority. Our family attended occasionally on Easter and Christmas. W e w ent to church in brief spurts when my parents must have been extra motivated but, our attendance never lasted long. My church attendance habits changed as I entered middle school. At thirteen my cousin invited me to attend a youth ministry. This ministry met on Wednesday night and was prepared for people like me. The group consisted of young people, some who knew a lot about Jesus and others who knew very little. Looking back, the invitation to attend church w as an act of God. I couldn’t refuse the invitation because my cousin lived a few towns over and the church w as less than a quarter mile from my house. I made friends at the church. A boy named Steven Moyer was there that night. Steven and I had played peewee football together and his dad was one of the coaches. Over time we became best friends. I am confident that I w ould not be standing before you today if God had not arranged for Steven to be there or if he would have been uninterested in being my friend. I discovered mentors or perhaps they discovered me. Ricky the youth pastor and Steven’s mom Teresa both took time to encourage me to follow the Lord. I’m glad there were people w ho took time to inspire me and teach me in the infancy of my faith. Eventually, I made a decision. It took me a year to publically decide that I wanted to follow Christ. After my first visit to the W ednesday night group, I rarely missed a student ministry activity. I attended most Sunday mornings, evenings and Wednesday nights. Living so close to the church meant I could walk to church so I had no excuse to miss. I heard anywhere from 120-­‐130 sermons and/or devotions about Jesus over the course of a year without ever making a real decision to follow Jesus. Do the math: 3 services x 52 weeks = 156 total opportunities to hear about Jesus (I’m guessing 120-­‐130 because I’m sure I missed a few). Upon reflection, I can’t recall one lesson or one sermon from that first year. But, I remember the night I made a decision. I was in Cincinnati sitting toward the back of the convention center beside Steven, my cousin and Ricky. A Hispanic man from L.A. presented the gospel and at the end of his message asked if we would like to receive Christ. As he continued, he invited us to pray long with him. After the prayer, he invited those who made a decision to get up and head toward the prayer room. I stood up with Steven that night while Ricky followed us. I share this story because I believe it is common. For most, evangelism isn’t a moment, it’s a process. The process usually begins with an invite. The most effective invitation is from one person to another person. Don’t be scared to invite. It’s likely you were invited once, too. Someone invited you to think about your life, Jesus, or to attend church. If we stick it out, at some point we make friends. Sometimes, the friend is the one who invited us. Other times, we meet them unexpectedly like I did with Steven. The image on the next page is from the Barna Group and shows how important we believe friends are in church. 2
Notice that the most favorable image of the church is a group of friends enjoying themselves around a Bible. This is w hy we encourage everyone to be in a Growth Group. Then there are mentors. Mentors come along side someone during the process of coming to faith. Who came along side you? Mentors are often easy to name because they make a lasting impact as they provide wisdom and encouragement. Eventually, along the path a decision is made. Of course, a decision to follow Jesus can be made anywhere. You can personally ask someone if they would like to make a decision to follow Christ. I try to preach in a way that gives people an opportunity to decide if they want to follow Jesus. This is why I encourage you to invite people to church. The greatest evangelist in American Culture in the 20th century is a man by the name of Billy Graham. He had a four-­‐pronged approach to evangelism. Here it is, (1) emphasize the Word, (2) keep it simple, (3) speak with urgency and (4) encourage them to make a decision. I hope together w e w ill lead others to make the most important decision in their life – to follow Jesus. First News &
Information
In the summer of 2007, Mayor Janet Creighton asked Cindy Mandrell to join her on the “Mayor’s Prayer Walks” in the many different neighborhoods throughout the city of Canton. As Cindy walked the streets w ith the Mayor, she and other believers prayed and picked up trash. God seemed to be giving her eyes to see the potential in restoring what used be and w hat could be if people joined together to demonstrate God’s love. Looking back Cindy remembers the vision kept expanding: wpeople coming to one block to make a difference… wpainting, construction work, planting flowers, etc. to transform the area… wa neighborhood gathering where residents could enjoy music and a meal with those who have come to serve in the neighborhood… wa message of God’s love being shared coupled with a heart of service… wpeople being able to connect with the local church in their neighborhood or be invited by someone they connected with relationally as they worked on their house together… weverything being donated as a free act of love… wrenewing the whole block to promote unity and care for one another… Through this vision, the C.O.O.L. Day Project was born. C.O.O.L. is a non-­‐profit interdenominational ministry that provides a platform for local churches and businesses to work together to bring life-­‐changing service to our local communities. The first Saturday in June continues to be an annual outreach where hundreds come together to serve in practical way to bless the residents in a given community. This ministry reaches beyond fixing porches and planting flowers; it is our attempt to express the heart of Jesus. All ages and all gifts and abilities are welcome in a C.O.O.L. Day Project! The only requirement is a w illing heart to love, serve, and shine His light! This June C.O.O.L. is partnering with Tallmadge churches to bring life-­‐changing service to our Community. Tom Webb is the coordinator for First Church. A sign up sheet will be out after Easter if you w ould like to volunteer to help. If you have any questions you can contact Tom at [email protected] 3
First News &
Information
Con’t
M ay you f eel God’s co mfo rting
presenc e during th is time o f s orrow .
“T he LOR D is close to th e bro kenh earted; he
resc ues th ose w ho sp irits are c rus hed.” Ps alm 34: 18
Gron
Clifford (Jack) Gron (Mike Gron’s father)
passed away January 3, 2016.
Wilson
Terrill Wilson (Jolene Morris brother) passed
away January 12, 2016.
Cole
Isabelle Cole (Kim Fallon’s grandmother) passed
away March 27, 2016.
2016 Stewardship Report
Calendar Year To Date
February Year To Date General Fund Giving $52,410 General Fund Expenses $51,271 General Fund Difference $ 1,138 Jim & Mary Thompson
444 Danbury LN Apt. B
Copley, OH 44321
Bill & Donna Carr
Iris Detweiler
418 Buttevant Dr
417 Spring Grove Dr.
Munroe Falls, OH 44262 Tallmadge, OH 44278
Hasenohr’s
Joe-cell (440) 725-5160
Vicky-cell (330) 819-6012
(No home phone)
Resch’s
Ralph cell (330) 329-0089
BJ cell (330) 338-9419
(No home phone)
A new Ladies b ible study started on Monday March 28th ! In seven sessions, the study Seamless covers the people, places, and promises of the Bible tying them together into the greater story of Scripture using key information, maps, word studies, and more. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental layout and meaning of God’s Word. They meet on Monday’s at 7 p.m. at the church in room 105. If you have not attended yet, please join us! W e would love to see you there! Check out our Website!
www.firstchurchtallmadge.com
4
First
Student Young Life
Pastor
Pastor Doug Walter
The Student Ministry rummage sale is the biggest fundraiser during the year for our students. It allows them to work and raise money for IYC, NEO Winter Retreat, Summer Camps, and other student activities throughout the year. W e w ould never be able to do this if it wasn’t for your generous donations each year! The sign up sheet to schedule a pick-­‐up is on the table in the Narthex. We will be picking up items on Sunday April 10th 12:30-­‐6 p.m. You can also drop your items off in the Fellowship Center during this time. If you would like to help us with pickups, sorting, or unloading on that day please contact Susan Walter at 330-­‐802-­‐0607 or Becky Stedman at 330-­‐
212-­‐0622. We also need your help during the week anytime between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. with sorting and organizing. The Students work schedule is: Sunday April 10th – 12:30-­‐6 p.m. Friday April 15th – 5-­‐8 p.m. Monday April 11th – 4-­‐7:30 p.m. Saturday April 16th – 8 a.m.-­‐ till clean up is done th
Tuesday April 12 – 4-­‐7:30 p.m. Wednesday April 13th – 4-­‐7:30 p.m. We appreciate your generous donations of items throughout the year and your time during this week! If you have any questions you can Contact Pastor Doug or Becky Stedman Our Students will be leaving on June 24th for IYC2016 & NEO Urban Mission Experience in San Antonio & Houston, TX. They head to Houston first to participate in a four and a half day urban mission through CSM (Center for Student Missions). They will be partnering with many local ministries and organizations, such as homeless shelters, after-­‐school programs, Vacation Bible Schools, and much more! They will re-­‐examine their life priorities in light of what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a hurting world. They then will continue to San Antonio to attend a four-­‐day IYC (International Youth Convention) for a time of worship, conferences, and growth. NEO Urban Missions & IYC2016 are all about serving & life change! Thousands of teenagers have pledged to remain sexually pure. They have gone to the prayer room to begin or to renew their relationship with God. Many have felt a possible call to full-­‐time ministry or mission work. The theme is ONE: One God, One Truth, One Body, and One Mission based on Ephesians 4:4-­‐6. Please be in prayer for our students that this will be a life changing experience for them. God is at work! Life change is coming! If you would like to see what they are doing on the Urban Mission experience you can follow them on Instagram and Twitter #2016NEOUrbanMission. The students will be participating in a bowl-­‐a-­‐thon on Sunday April 24th to earn money for their Student accounts for activities like IYC2016 & NEO Urban Mission Experience, summer camps, NEO Winter Retreat & Overnighter, etc. They will be bowling three games on Sunday April 24 th. If you would like to sponsor them, you can pledge per game, per pin, or a flat donation. 5
First People T o o ur dear Chu rch Fam ily
T han k yo u all for the wa rm w elc ome
extend ed to mo m & da d when they
mov ed here. W e also a pp reci ate a ll th e
First Ch urch ,
I ju st wa nt to say how b les sed I feel a nd tha nk all
of y ou w ho ha ve pra yed fo r m e, brou ght foo d, sen t
ca rds, been en cou ragers, do n e my la un dry , an d just
been there f or me. W e hav e the greatest chu rch
fami ly ! Lov e y ou a ll!
p ray ers an d ca rds we rec eiv ed fo r
B rend a Sm ith
illn ess an d in s ymp athy at Mom’ s
T o ou r C hurc h Fami ly,
dea th a nd D ad ’s s ubsequ ent decl in e.
W e a re so th an kful that Go d pro vi ded a
n ursi ng ho me w ith p eop le w ho alread y
lo ve a nd c are f or Dad so w el l. W e are
able to vi sit hi m regu larly a nd even
eat meals wi th him.
Pl ea se feel free to c on tin ue send in g
ca rds an d letters . W e take them a nd
read them to dad , then p ut them up i n
hi s ro om . T han k yo u for y ou r p ray ers,
w e ha ve f el t them . W e c on tin u e to tru st
tha t Go d is leadi n g a nd gu id in g us
thro ugh a ll o f th is, an d Da d still
desi res to be used by H im in som e wa y.
W e lo ve yo u all!
Mel & B ec ky Sch afer
T han k yo u for the man y pra yers we felt these p ast
mon ths . A lso , fo r every card , c alls, etc . T ha nks als o
fo r the beaut ifu l p lan ter. It’ s d oi ng qu ite w ell.
W ith a pp recia tio n an d muc h g ratitu de,
J ean W hetsel an d fami ly
Dea r P eop le o f Go d in T a llm adg e,
W e p ra is e Go d w ho p rov id es all tha t w e n eed an d in
thi s c ase he ha s i n spi red y o u to co nti nu e to s tan d wi th
u s i n min istry throu gh yo ur p ra y ers an d fin an c ial
gi vin g. T ha nk yo u so mu ch!
R ev Sherman & K ay C ritser
Dea r C hurc h,
Yo u m ad e m y d ay v ery beaut ifu l. T ha nk y ou fo r
the pla nt an d all y ou r p ray ers ! God B less,
A rlene Tred way
T han k yo u chu rch fami ly fo r all the co nc ern , help s, meals, p ray ers, a nd en co urag emen t these
p ast several mon ths. W e had a stri ng o f ev en ts that co uld h ave been muc h more d iffi cu lt i f i t
ha dn ’t been for yo u an d God ’s fai thfu lness to hi s p rom i ses. I n ow c an sa y there i s a s weetn es s an d
joy even i n the dark times.
In Ch rist’s lo ve – Ma rc i A chmo ody & Family
Dea r P asto r D eeter,
W e ju st wa nted to ta ke a m om en t to exp ress ou r grat itud e fo r Fi rst C hurc h’s p artic ip atio n i n
San cti ty o f H um a n Li fe Sun d ay thi s y ear. B y su pp o rtin g o ur m issi on yo u are tru ly m a kin g a
di fferenc e i n the A kro n area! A lso, a bi g th an k y ou f or distri buti ng a nd co llecti ng the B aby
B ottl es. Yo ur chu rch rai sed $730 .67! T he heart o f yo ur co ng rega tio n fo r o ur m in istry i s ev iden t
an d w e ap p rec iat e y ou . T o gether fo r H is K in gdo m , Akro n Pregn an c y Serv ic es
K ay e Ga uger, Execu tiv e D irecto r & Ma rsha R ay m on d, SOH LS C oo rdin ato r
6
First Children Young Life
Pastor
Pastor Doug Walter
Dear Friends, I have been working in Children’s Ministry as an active member of the Children’s Serve Team for almost thirteen years. During those years, I have enjoyed holding and rocking crying babies in the nursery, singing lullabies to sleeping infants, and playing peekaboo. I have read stories to wiggly two year olds and watched as toddlers tried their best to color pictures of Jesus. I have read books E mil y Dee ter
Lis a Smi th
about God to preschoolers, held hands with kindergarteners, and been Grow th Gro up &
Grow th Gro up &
challenged by fifth graders on Bible topics. Kid s Chu rc h
Kid s Chu rc h
I have gone home burdened by the stories they have shared Co -Co ac h
Co -Co ac h
about their situations or that of a loved one and prayed for sick mommies and daddies. I have hugged a crying child when a grandparent has passed away, and even added four-­‐legged friends to my prayer list as I listened about their dog or cat dying or running away. My heart has been heavy for our elementary school age kids torn apart by the worries of home and school life while trying to find their place in this world. I have also gotten to rejoice in the children receiving the Lord as their Savior for the first time, and it has been a privilege and honor to worship and pray beside some of the smallest and amazing members of this congregation! I count it all for joy! As most of you know, April 2016 w ill usher in a big change for our family. This new adventure, while full of excitement, is also tinged with sadness. I have watched most of these children, and my own kids be loved on by a church family that values these precious gifts. I feel so blessed to be counted among the people your kids’ trust and talk to. I have immensely enjoyed every opportunity to teach and be taught by the kids of First Church and w alking away from such a place is bittersweet. Thank you for sharing your children w ith me and for trusting me. Thank you for loving our family and showering my kids with affection and words of life and love. You have shown them what trust and fellowship looks like and that we all make mistakes, but forgiveness is real and available. You all are amazing, and no matter how far our family is in distance, this will always be our church home! Ms. Lisa We need people to work the Children’s
Check-­‐in desk on the fifth Sundays of the month. We will
provide all the training you need
and there will be a background check. It is fun and a great way to meet people. If you are interested see Liz Curry! Liz C urry
Safet y Tea m
Co ac h
Danielle Fishel has graciously accepted to be a Co-­‐Coach for Growth Group & Kids Church with Emily Deeter. She started attending First Church when she was in the fifth grade. She is married to Jason Fishel and has two children, Breana nine years old, and Derek three years old. She has helped out in the Children’s Ministry off and on for several years and has been teaching Kids Church for about a year. She is very excited about this opportunity and has a heart and passion for Children’s Ministry. D ani elle
Fis hel Grow th Gro up &
Kid s Chu rc h
Co -Co ac h
7
Our youngest members of the congregation are growing and thriving week by week. Stop by our ECM rooms and take a peek in the windows to see how much they are growing and learning. We have had three Toddler Students who were promoted to the Beginner’s class this past month. They are: E arly Chi ldhoo d
T eam C oac h,
Ch ri s Allis on
Derek Fishel Shane Fair Isabella Hunter These youngsters received a child-­‐sized Bible when they got promoted to the Beginner’s class. Parents should encourage their children to bring their Bibles to church every Sunday, where they receive a sticker in class for bringing them. A huge thank you goes out to Pat Curry and Myron Allison for recently cleaning and painting the nursery walls. Plans are for them to continue painting in the Mother’s room in the near future. We call Pat and Myron the “Dynamic Duo”. Together they are able to accomplish huge tasks in record-­‐breaking time. Make sure you give them a personal “thank you” when you see them next. Our Early Childhood Ministry is very much in need of new teachers and helpers. Please notify Pastor Doug Walter if you are interested in serving. My years of service as Early Childhood Ministry coordinator are coming to a close at the end of May. It has been my honor and a huge personal blessing to serve in this capacity over the past several years. The teachers and helpers in this ministry have been extremely supportive and faithful and I want to thank each of them for their cooperation and assistance. My prayer is that God will raise up a new leader for this important ministry in our church. Praising my risen Savior for His love, grace and mercy in my life, Chris Allison 8
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10
11
St aff Con tac t In form ati on
Josh Deeter, Lead Pastor
([email protected])
Douglas W. Walter, Young Life Pastor
([email protected])
Brenda Smith, Office Manager
([email protected])
Becky Stedman, Communications Director
([email protected])
For general church communication, use
Email: [email protected]
Our church website: firstchurchtallmadge.com
Phone: 330.633.0107
Se rvi ce T ime s
S un da y P ro g ra m s:
Early Childhood Ministry
Kids/Adults Growth Groups
W or sh i p Se r vi c es :
Early Childhood Ministry
9:30 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
Kid’s Church
10:30 a.m.
Worship Service
10:45 a.m.
S un da y E ve n in g :
Student Growth Group
5:00 p.m.
Student Hang Time
6:00 p.m.
Adult Growth Group
6:00 p.m.
First Word…is a quarterly publication of First Church of God, 464
Northeast Ave. Tallmadge, OH. First Word is published four times a year to
inform, encourage and communicate God’s love for all people in the name of
Jesus. The editor and Church Staff can be reached at the above address or
by calling 330.633.0107
W ed ne s da y N ig h t Pr og r am s :
FUEL Student Ministry
6:45 p.m.
Dated Material
Address Service Requested
First Church of God
464 Northeast Ave
Tallmadge, OH 44278
NEWSLETTER
First Word