Newsletter

Newsletter

First Christian Church ( Disciples of Christ )                                                 December 2009
P O Box 872
Burnet TX 78611                                                     Rev. Dawn Rosignol, Senior Minister
512 756 2223                                                    Ernest Spiekermann, Associate Minister
                               Website:                                    fccburnettx.org
                               Pastor's Cell Phone:                    830/613-9393

THOU ART THE POTTER; WE ARE THE CLAY.

Dawn reflections….
11/23/09
I went to visit my dad and my sister last week to check on their conditions, Dad with his chemo treatments and Linda with her ALS. Since I don’t get to see them very often, I have to rely on others to tell me how Linda is doing and I have to talk to Dad on the phone, listening to his voice, hearing what he says (and what he doesn’t say) to get an idea of how he’s doing. There’s just nothing like finding out for myself, nothing like actually seeing them for myself, to be sure how they’re really doing. In travelling the 4+ hours to see them, I had a lot of time to think about their health, to wonder about what I’d find when I got there. After a good visit, a reassuring experience with them, I was able to travel those 4+ hours back home with a renewed sense of peace about their condition and care.

I think our relationship with God is kind of like that. We can hear about God all day long but until we take the time to go see for ourselves, until we actually experience the power of God’s Spirit in our lives, we can’t know the peace of a life in relationship with God.

Each Advent season, we’re invited to “Prepare the way of the Lord” in real ways. We may just go through the motions of the Advent season – attending worship, sitting in on a study – but until we give in and let Christ be a real healing presence for us, we can’t experience true peace. How can we welcome Christ into our lives in new ways this Advent season? What difference can Christmas really make if we take the time to experience resurrection hope every day? Come and see for yourself. There are many opportunities throughout this Advent season to experience Christ for ourselves at FCC Burnet. How will you be involved?

Looking forward to experiencing
Christ anew this year with you, Dawn

The Advent Season is here. Our wreath lighting themes will be: God’s Promises, God’s Mercy, God’s Salvation, God’s Presence, and God’s Light. If any of these themes especially speak to you, and you would like to share your thoughts and light a candle on the Advent wreath for that Sunday, please let us know in the church office.

Have a Christmas Worth Remembering
because Christmas Begins and Ends
With Jesus
Nov. 29       First Sunday of Advent:
                   God’s Promises
    9:00 am – Breakfast
    9:45 am – Hanging of the Greens
   10:45 am – Worship – 1 Samuel 2:1-10
                   “Hannah’s Song”
Dec. 6         Second Sunday of Advent:
                   God’s Mercy
    9:30 am – Sunday School for all ages
   10:45 am – Worship – Luke 1:39-56
                   “Mary’s Song”
Dec. 13      Third Sunday of Advent:
                   God’s Salvation
    9:30 am – Sunday School for all ages
   10:45 am – Worship – Luke 1:67-79
                   “Zechariah’s Song”
Dec. 20      Fourth Sunday of Advent:
                   God’s Presence
    9:30 am – Sunday School for all ages
   10:45 am – Worship – Luke 2:8-14
                   “The Angel’s Song”
Dec. 24      Christmas Eve:
                   God’s Light
    6:00 pm – Candlelight Service

Bring Your Bibles and a Friend
4-week Advent Bible Study
led by Rev. Dawn Rosignol
Sundays at 5:00 pm or Thursdays at
2:00 pm beginning Nov. 29th
(the last session will be combined
on Sunday, Dec. 20th)

“Advent Conspiracy: Can Christmas

Still Change the
World?” by
    Rick McKinley,
    Chris Seay, &
    Greg Holder

   Cost is $10.00
    for the book.

Contact the
church office to
sign up.

512/756-2223 or fccburnet@verizon.net
204 E. Graves St. Burnet, Texas 78611

If you haven’t taken an angel from the Angel Tree to buy a Christmas gift for foster children in the Burnet County Child Welfare system, please prayerfully consider doing so. Return the unwrapped presents along with the angel tag to the Angel Tree by Monday, December 7th. The Christmas Party for the children will be on Saturday, December 5, from 1:00 - 3:00 pm at Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church. Please contact the church office if you would like to sign up to help with the party.

The church has arranged to purchase Christmas poinsettias to be used in the sanctuary on December 20th. If you would like to designate one or more plants in honor of or in memory of someone, please fill out the form (found in the gathering area) and return it with payment of $12.50/plant by December 14th. Designants will be listed in the worship bulletin.

Our party will
be immediately
following worship
on Sunday,
December 20.

In celebration of Christmas, the youth and children will present a play during the congregational Christmas party on December 20. The play is called, "This Is So Embarrassing!" Don't let the name throw you - it will be a wonderful gift for those who participate and for those in the audience. Brenda Williams has graciously volunteered to direct the play with the help of Paula Harris, Laura Orr, Susan Clark and Michele Darling. Rehearsals will begin December 6. I would like to thank Dawn and her Sunday school class for temporarily relocating while practices are held in the sanctuary. Mark your calendars for December 20! It will be an exciting and meaningful day in the life of our church!
Michele Darling

Christmas Eve
Candlelight
Service at 6:00 p.m.

Annual Congregational Meeting
December 13, 2009 after Worship
Approval of 2010 Budget, Election of
Officers, Elders, Deacons and
Trustee, and amendments to bylaws.
The following nominees have been approved by the board and have agreed to serve:

Moderator              Lisa Nance
Vice Moderator       Chuck Orr
Secretary                 Laura Orr
Treasurer                 Bennie Clark
Historian                 Joan Stone

Elders       Jim Nance       Susie Hearn
                Laura Orr*       Hank Holt**
*to complete Gerald Guthrie’s term
**to complete Greg Williams’ term

Deacons     Cricket Branon       Louis Metzler
                  Bobby Moore          Diana Moore
                  Dale Ritchie            Mary Arnold***
***to complete Hank Holt’s term

Junior Deacons      Brandon Colclasure
                               Jon Paul Harris
                              Victoria Johnson

Trustee            Steve Stone

This year's nominating committee comprised of Art Johnson, Jim Curtis and myself had a fairly easy task thanks to our First Christian Church members. I've said it before, and I will say it again, this congregation has a deep commitment to FCC Burnet for its continued success and it is a pleasure working with all of you. Thank you for willingly stepping up to the plate.
Joan Stone, Nominating Committee Chair

DISCIPLES MEN’S NEWS    The Church workday on Saturday November the 21st. was a great success. Thanks to the men and women that worked so hard to spruce up the Church for the holidays. It looks like the men will be busy throughout the coming months starting this Saturday, November the 28th with the Tamale sales in Bertram. There are Tamales available to the congregation for $7.50 a dozen, see Chuck to order.
   The Disciples Men’s Regional mission trip is tentatively set for May-24-29 at Jarvis Christian College in Hawkins, Texas. The goal is to remodel 9 duplex apartments on campus. Repairs will consist of painting, some sheetrock repair, plumbing, ac & heat and electrical and roof repair. There will be some outside work on a drainage problem. I attended my first Mission Trip last year to Jacksonville, Texas building the Church for the Hispanic congregation and will be looking forward to going to Hawkins. If any of the men in the congregation are interested, see me for details. Our church has a lot of talent that would be valuable to this project so I encourage that you be prayerful about making this Mission Trip. God has blessed our Church with a Men’s group that is eager to serve.
                     Ron Rosignol President

If you have pictures for the Church Historian, please get those into me so I can have the FCC picture book up to date by the end of the year.

Also thank you to everyone who has been a "camera bug".
Joan Stone, Church Historian

LOOKING AHEAD...
Advent Worship December 6                              Luke 1:39-56
Preaching                                  Pastor Dawn
Worship Leader                         Ron Rosignol
Children’s Moment                    Art Johnson
Nursery                                     Sharon Tippie

December 13                            Romans 6:3-11
Preaching                                  Pastor Dawn
Worship Leader                        Laura Orr
Children’s Moment                    Lisa Nance
Nursery                                     Brenda Williams

December 20                            Luke 2:8-14
Preaching                                  Pastor Dawn
Worship Leader                        Youth
Children’s Moment                    Youth
Nursery                                     Ann Knight

December 27                            Luke 2:41-52
Preaching                              Ernie Spiekermann
Worship Leader                        Art Johnson
Children’s Moment                    Michele Darling
Nursery                                     Sharon Tippie

AND BACK...
Attendance November 1                 66
November 8                 62
November 15               53
November 22               53

Treasurer's Report Balance, September 30 2009       $30,379.71
Deposits during October                  9,472.75
Disbursements during October       13,125.44
Balance, October 31, 2009           $26,727.02

OUTREACH
OPPORTUNITIES/REPORTS
Community Kitchen
Mondays

November 2      102
November 9        75
November 16     101
November 23     100

The November noisy offering for LaCare was $104.21.
Current LACare needs:
Macaroni and cheese, cans of carrots, pork ‘n beans, refried beans, meats (tuna, Spam, etc.)
The Thanksgiving Offering to provide resources to further the education of Disciples students at institutions of Higher Education was $242.00.

KITY Radio Food Drive
106.1 Burnet/102.9 Llano
Boxes will be available in the following locations until 12/21/09. All donations will be taken to the local food banks as follows.

Kingsland HEB donations go to The Harvest.
Burnet HEB donations go to LACare.
Marble Falls HEB donations go to The Helping Center.
Llano Tamale King donations go to Llano Food Bank.

A Project for Disciple
Oaks Retreat Center     At the recent women’s retreat, $396 was collected for the purchase of Chalice Praise books to be housed at Disciple Oaks Retreat Center. The purchase of these books will greatly simplify planning the music for the retreats for men, women, and youth. We will be making an order by the first of the year.
    If you would like to make a donation for additional books to be added to the order, please make out your check to FCC BURNET and mark it “BBA-Chalice Praise.” If you want the book to be given in honor or memory or someone, please give that information, also.
    Hey, Disciples Men, this is the book that you have at Brownwood that you like so much. So this CAN be a project supported by the Disciples Men and Women.     Thanks for considering this project.
                         Marilyn

On behalf of LACare and the Burnet Ministerial Alliance, I want to express my thanks to First Christian Church (DOC), Burnet for all the support from the congregation for the recent CWS/CROP Hunger Walk.

The Walk had 45 walkers and support people who came out to make a statement about hunger and poverty issues here in Burnet and around the world. Even the rain couldn’t spoil the walk – we walked in the rain and thought about the conditions that others have to walk in every day.

We started the walk from First United Methodist Church with enthusiasm from the music of the Smoking for Jesus Praise Team. We enjoyed the beautiful day as we walked along with Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans and Episcopalians. At Burnet Presbyterian, Darla Schlichting, Cheyenne Steve, and Laura Orr presented a reading about water and how it can make a difference in someone’s whole life. We pushed on to the LACare facility and learned from Manager Lottie McCorkle what families in Burnet receive when they ask for food. And then the rain came. Some had to leave the walk, but half of us trudged on to FCC where we celebrated the success of the Walk and enjoyed refreshments.

The Walk raised over $2722 this year. Remember, LACare will receive 25% and the other 75% will be used by Church World Service to help all over the world.

Many thanks to all our walkers – FCC had the largest group! Thanks to all who provided refreshments and to Marcie Guthrie and Ernest Spiekermann for serving as hosts.

Laura Orr, Coordinator

A WORD FROM THE MODERATOR…

      As I write to you for the last time, I want to thank you for all of the love and support you have given me these last two years. It has truly been a joy to work for you and has made me a much better person.
      Together we have grown more spiritually in our work spreading the word of the gospel. This next year we will redefine who we are and what type of church we want to be going forward, call it a vision for the future. Along with this we will be rewriting our constitution and bylaws to mirror this vision and the size of our congregation.
      As Lisa Nance becomes your new moderator on January 1, she will need all of our church family to participate in completing these tasks. I know you will give her this same love and support you have given me.
      I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
                                        Jerry

FROM THE ELDERS

      Advent Season is here and the church will be filled with activities and anticipation! The Elders encourage each of you to be involved and make this a more meaningful Christmas for you and your family.
      A new elder chair will begin serving in 2010 as I will be going off as an elder and elder chair this month. The last elder’s meeting of this year will be on December 9, 2009. I hope all current elders and incoming elders will be able to attend. We all look forward to a new year of leadership in the life of the church! Thank you all for your support!

                                        Lisa

STEWARDSHIP

A Generous Spirit Works Wonders
The greatest cure for greed is generosity. It’s also one of the most satisfying feelings in the world. We’re not talking about giving your old clothes to the Salvation Army (the only thing you’ll probably feel by doing that is the satisfaction of cleaning out your closet). The only way to feel the satisfaction of true generosity is to give away something you value.

This takes generosity beyond money to a realm that includes both possessions and time. That’s what the apostle Paul meant when he wrote that we should “be rich in good works and should give generously to those in need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them (1Timothy 6:18).

When it comes to generosity, ask yourself two questions: First, does your generosity come from your heart? A truly generous person gives out of love and compassion, not from a desire to impress others. You also want to give cheerfully, not grumpily. Generosity is incompatible with criticism, resentment, or regret.

Here’s another question to ask. Is your generosity productive? In other words, are you giving money, stuff, or tie away without accepting responsibility for the consequences? Don’t be foolish. Pay attention to the details of where your giving is going. Remember, each time you give to those “in need,” you are making an investment of God’s resources. Invest wisely. Be a good money manager by making sure your generosity is productive.

+ Money is like fertilizer: It’s not much good unless it’s spread around.

+ If you want to be needy – hoard.

+ If you want to be poor – grasp.

+ If you want to be rich – give.

(excerpted from “God Is In the Small Stuff”
by Bruce Bickel & Stan Jantz)

The Christmas Special Offering
will be received on Dec. 13th and 20th.
Our Christmas offering supports our
Region’s ministry to enlist Disciples
as members of “A movement for
wholeness in a fragmented world.”

Sympathy and prayers
are extended to Judy Ritchie
and family in the death
of her beloved mother,
Edna Sargeant.

Jim & Peggy Curtis
104 Sunrise Ridge Cove
Lakeway, TX 78738-5613
Temporary contact: 830/385-5016

First Christian Church
P O Box 872
Burnet TX 78611

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Last updated by Hank Holt December 12, 2009