Next Sunday we begin Sunday School, and I’d like to tell you what Sunday School options are available and to encourage you to partici-pate this fall. We will have classes available for all children from Pre-K through high school, and a nursery will again be available so that adults with babies and toddlers can attend the adult Sunday School classes. In years past, our children have all used the same curriculum, but over the summer we decided to try to find curriculum that works best for each age group. We found that last year’s curriculum was great for the younger children, but wasn’t challeng-ing enough for our older elementary kids. The downside to this change is that if you have children in different Sunday School classes, they may be learning different material this year. However, we think the upside is worth it, and hopefully the curriculum selected for each class will allow our children to learn Biblical truth in an age-appropriate manner.

There will be three adult Sunday School op-tions this fall. Tim Fairchild will once again teach the Seniors class, which meets prior to church from 8:00-8:45 in the conference room. Tim will be leading the group through the book of Matthew this fall, and new faces are

welcome to join. At 10:30, Grant Stauter will be leading a class in the sanctuary through a book called Frameworks: How to Navigate the New Testament, An Extraordinary Guide for Ordinary People. The

book is designed to give basic understanding of each of the 27 New Testament books in a way that is easy to understand. If you are look-ing to improve your Bible knowledge so that you can understand the context and themes of the books of the Bible when you read it, Grant’s class will be a great help to you. Also at 10:30,

I’ll be leading a class through a book called Turning Points: De-cisive Moments in the History of Christianity. In this class, we’ll journey through some of the ma-jor events in church history seek-ing to make application from the

past to the way we live out our faith in the present.

Sunday School is one of the ways we aim to incorporate our Core Value of Spiritual Growth into ministry at First United. Gaining knowl-edge is not the only means of spiritual trans-formation, but “renewing our minds” (Rom. 12:2) is no doubt integral to spiritual maturity. It is my hope that you will find the 45 minute classes each Sunday well worth your time and that through Sunday School we will grow not only in knowledge, but in love for God and one another, remembering that “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Cor. 8:1). I very much enjoy our time together in Sunday School, and I’m eager to begin meeting again. Hope to see you there!

Firs

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Pastor Andy’s Letter • Sunday School/Youth Groups StartingFirst United News • Milestones • Attendance • Church CalendarSeptember 2013Andy Huette, Sr. Pastor Brett Monge, Youth Director Grant Stauter, Discipleship Pastor

407 W Seventh Street, PO Box 280, Gridley, IL 61744 309-747-2299 www.1stu.org

Dear Church Family,

September Church Calendar3 LittleLambsfirstdayofschool4 SeptemberPrayerMeeting7:15 - 8:00 pm

5-7 LocalOutreachboothatCornFestival13-14 Jr.HighLock-InDoorsopenat6:30pm;endsatnoon22 OneAnotherMeal10:00FamilyCenter28 Leaving a Legacyladiesconference 8:30am-1:00pmFamilyCenter

Sunday Worship ServicesMorningWorship 9 am-10 amJ.A.M.(ages3-PreK) 9am-10ameverySundayChildren’sChurch(gradesK-3) 9am-10am1st&3rdSundayCommunionandOneAnotherlunch4thSundayofeachmonth

Youth GroupsSr.High-Wednesdaysat7:30pmJr.High-Sundaysat2-3:30pm(starting9/22)

Sincerely, Andy

August at First U

“As we seek to walk by the Spirit, we will, over time, see the Spirit working in us and through us to cleanse us from the remaining power of sin in our lives. We will never reach perfection in this life, but we will see progress . . . And we have His promise that ‘he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ’ (Philippians 1:6).” —Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins, page 42.

Spiritual Growth

OnAugust11,themissionsteamhostedalunchforAus-tinandAnnawiththeirFirstUadoptivefamilies.

FirstUsentateamof16toVillageofHopeinSanLucas,Guate-malafromAugust12-19.Arecapofthetripisinside.

TheLittleLambsOpenHouseforparentsandstudentswasAugust27.ThefirstdayofschoolisSeptember3.PleasecheckwithStacyLudybeforeplanningtousetheFamilyCenterduringtheday.

Our Core Values Open Bibles One Another Beautiful Feet Spiritual Growth Authentic Worship2 3

Attendance & Offering8/4 258 $7,3358/11 271 $6,4888/18 301 $7,257 8/25 311 $8,764

September Birthdays1 Shelby Edwards1 Emily Wenger2 Danielle Mallory3 Lisa Barnhart5 Ethan Cooper5 Hattie Meiss6 Connor Stoller7 John McKey9 James Albritton9 Pat McKey9 Doug Nelson10 Charles Albritton11 Carlee Stoller12 Nickie Moulton13 Tim Sanders14 Tom Hany15 Jason Albritton15 Luke Ihlenfeldt15 Peggy Poppen15 Jeffrey Porzelius21 Susan Johnson23 Jacob Carls23 Greg Maurer26 Ella Blair29 Silas Huette30 Al Hany Anniversaries02 Matt & Emily Wenger 04 Greg & Gilda Maurer 13 Bill & Becky Roth 25 Jeff & Denise Benedict 26 Scott & Kim Edwards 28 John & Tonya Krone 28 Jeff & Teresa Porzelius 30 Jim & Danielle Mallory

Library CornerCCEF booklets

Christian Counseling& Educational Foundation

Sunday School

Team ChallengeSepTember 4 aT 7:30 pm

Youth GroupsSr. High

Jr. High

to the ends of the earth

Lock-In: September 13-14Doors open on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

(eat dinner first)Ends at 11:15 a.m. on Saturday

See Brett for info/permission slip

Teachers/chaperonesBrett Monge, Youth Director

Dave IhlenfeldtSeth Foor

Heidi WelschAlicia Allen

JHYG First Fall MeetingSeptember 22 at 2:00 p.m.

2013-14 Adult sponsorsSeth Foor

Dan & Courtney KauppKansas & Joshua KroneMarqui & Jordan Krone

Jordan & Alyssa McKinseyChris Zeller

Village of Hope Trip RecapWe had a great week at Village of Hope,

San Lucas, Guatemala. They had just received their license to receive special-needs children so there was an urgency to getting the duplex homes ready.

Our team built built-in shelves/drawers and a headboard for the houseparents’ bedrooms. The goal was to complete one. We did that

and got the sec-ond one installed with only draw-ers and painting left undone. We put twocoats of dry-lock on the concrete walls (to

keep out dampness) and painted: milk-choco-late brown, Smurf-blue and Pepto-Bismal pink.

We accompanied the Village of Hope mis-sionaries to deliver food baskets to four fami-lies; taught VBS in the village of Chituk as well as after school in San Lucas; helped the children with a craft and played, played, played. “Pato, Pato, Gonzo” (Duck, Duck, Goose) was a fa-vorite. On Wednesday, a couple of us made a

big pot of chicken & rice soup, and in the eve-ning, we all went into Antigua to give it to street people. We taught English (nature words) in the public school. Not sure how effective we were.

Throughout the week, we felt upheld by prayers and grace. No one got sick; everyone worked joyfully; we laughed a lot; sang together in the evenings; played games including a com-petitive game of “Signs” on our last night.

The week gave us an appreciation for the abundance of our blessings. We know we have been blessed so that we can bless others. It was a privilege to live and work closely with brothers and sisters in Christ and see their gifts be used selflessly and for others’ benefit. It gave us a greater appreciation for our missionaries work-ing throughout the world, learning languages and cultures, so that every tribe, tongue and na-tion can come to worship Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Muchas gracias for your faithfulness in pray-ing for us and for your generous support in sending us. We are humbled by the gracious-ness of the Lord and the love shown us from the Body of Christ. —Keri Hany for the VOH team

TheVillageofHopeteam(andtheirsigns)listedinalphabeticorder:ChuckandMarshaAlbritton;JeffandDeniseBenedict;AlandKeriHany;AbbyHuette;Mark,Stacy,andJacobLudy;LoganMaughan;Jor-dan andAlissaMcKinsey; Doug and Bev Nelson;DianeSwanson.

Premium Coffee for SaleOurteam’scheckedbagstoGuatemalaincludedbooks,vitamins,blanketsetc.toshare.Onourreturn,ourcheckedbagsincludedcoffeetoshareatFirstU.WewillservethiscoffeeforcoffeefellowshipandwillofferitforsaleattheWelcomeCenterfor$15perpound.EverybagpurchasedaddsfundstotheVillageofHope(VOH)…ANDbecausethecoffeeisgrown,processed,anddistributedinGuate-mala,itprovidesjobsandeconomicgrowthforGuatemalans.WehopeyouenjoyandchoosetohelpVOHbypurchasingcoffeetotakehomeandtogiveasgiftsaswell!PleaseseeBevNelsonwithquestions.

Every day we make hundreds of unconscious choices that affect our rela-tionships positively or negatively. In order to invest in the people who mean the most to us, we have to make choices that bring life to our relationships.

Speaker and author, Jill Savage will base her message on Deuteronomy 30:19-20a: This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.”

Saturday, September 28 from 8:30 to noon • Light lunch included$10/person • RSVP preferred by not required

ladiesonlyFirst United Women’s Fellowship hosts

Leaving a LegacyLeaving a Legacy

PreK - Second gradesHeather GentesVal WinterlandJenn Morrison

Bri Sanders

Third - Fifth gradesBill Roth

Susan JohnsonDianna Kitchell

Jr. HighDave IhlenfeldtJason Albritton

High SchoolBrett Monge

AdultsTim FairchildGrant StauterAndy Huette

May my teachingdrop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb.

For I will proclaim the name of the LORD;ascribe greatness to our God! Deuteronomy 32:2-3 ESV

Sunday School starts September 8. Class time is from 10:30-11:15 a.m. The class sizes for PreK through 2nd grades and 3rd-5th grades are still being reviewed.

Please pick up your children promptly following Sunday School. Thank you!

Our Teachers

Biblical advice for life

Worry: Pursuing a Better Path to Peace

Grief: Finding Hope AgainGod’s Love: Better than

UnconditionalBad Memories:

Getting Past Your Past

Other topics available