The

MESSENGER

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH(Disciples of Christ)

View Messenger online at: www.� rstchristianhopkinsville.orgVOLUME 16 ISSUE 21 NOVEMBER 29, 2017

Relationship, Re� ection and Response

Making Disciples of Christ by sharing God

’s lo

ve in -

LOOKING AHEAD TO ADVENTDecember 3

11:00am - Annual Congregational Meeting followed by a Reception for Brian and Brandi Miller

5:00pm - Youth Christmas Party

December 1011:00am- Prayer Partner Party

Help us celebrate the birth of Jesus by bringing diapers and wipes for children at an orphanage in Ethiopia!

5:00pm - Children’s Christmas Program/ All-Church Carol Sing

5:30pm - All-Church Christmas Dinner (Reservations are Needed!)

December 136:00pm - Children’s and Youth Choirs

December 179:45am - Progressive Christmas in Song

11:00am - Farewell Luncheon for Rev. Nathan Brown and Rev. Sara Fisher

6:00pm - Living Nativity

December 245:30pm - Family Christmas Eve Service

11:00pm - Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

I have such fond memories of Thanksgiving. It was al-ways my favorite holiday. Recently as I’ve thought about this, I’ve realized how much my family’s Thanksgiving pre-pared me to be a Disciple.

From my earliest memories, each year after the Thanksgiving Eve worship service on Wednesday night, we would pile in the car and drive to Mishawaka, Indiana, to be with family. The meal was pretty much the same every year: Aunt Thelma’s noodles (yes, noodles at Thanksgiving. It’s a thing.) Dressing made both inside and outside of the turkey. A stockpot full of mashed potatoes.

No one leaves hungry.

As my generation - my siblings and cousins and I - have gotten older, the house has grown fuller each year. We’ve added spouses. And children. The couches no longer suf-fice and the living room is now filled with folding chairs. And it isn’t just family. When I was in college, I brought two friends to my family Thanksgiving, when their own homes were too far away for the weekend. There are always ex-tra chairs, for neighbors and church members - and any-one who has nowhere to go, really.

There is always room for more at the Table, and all are welcome.

After the Thanksgiving lunch (we ALWAYS eat at noon!), after the plates had been cleared away, after the leftovers were stored in the refrigerator in the garage, af-ter the football game had been decided... the Christmas Craft would come out. My grandmother would work all year to choose and prepare the perfect Christmas Craft. The kids would all gather around the table, in eager antic-ipation of what Grandma had come up with that year. The ritual marked for me the end of one season and beginning of another. Now, it is my kids who gather around the table. What I have loved, I have passed on.

We honor our past by looking toward the future - in seasons, and in each other.

This season at FCC, our rituals will be a bit different. During Advent, we’ll be adding extra events of welcome and farewell, we’ll be doing some events a little different-ly… and some will remain unchanged. Changing faces and changing traditions always come with grief… and with the hope of more celebrations, more chairs around the table, and the hope of a future.

“A Note from Sara”

ATTENDANCE PAST SIX WEEKS10.22.17 191 10.29.17 17911.05.17 200 11.12.17 16211.19.17 173 11.26.17 158

REMEMBER IN DAILY PRAYER(Names will remain on prayer list for one month,

unless the offi ce is otherwise notifi ed.)

Ron Hayes Teresa Combs Aneta MiteraSue Cummins Hanson Williams Oakley HaddockSharon Gustafson Kelly Campbell Helen Damron The Frost Family Gary Haddock Betsy RitzelGaryandNitaSatterfield FrediaMeade TheLongFamilyThe Powers Family

WELCOME MILLERS!Brian and Brandi have officially moved to Hopkinsville and will be joining us this Sunday! Please take a moment to send them a welcome:

303 Northwind DrHopkinsville, KY 42240

PROGRESSIVE CHRISTMAS IN SONG Our Children’s Choirs, Youth Choir, and Adult Choir will be leading in worship on December 17th. We are present-ing a Progressive Christmas in Song and sharing the story of Christmas through the music of The Perfect Gift written by Ellen Woods Bryce, several additional Advent and Christmas anthems, congregational hymns and scripture based read-ings. I want to thank Saundra Kilijian and Brenda Ousley for putting together a felt board and felt characters that will help us visualize the songs in an art form. The Christmas story will unfold in front of us as we journey through the ser-vice! Come on December 17th expecting to experience once again the beautiful story of Christ’s birth! Sylvia

CAROLING @ CHALLENGE HOUSE 5Everyone - children, youth, and adults! - are invited to carol in the CH5 neighborhood on December 23 at 4:30pm. See Karen Shields for more information!

NEW MEMBERWe welcomed Nathan Ray into the membership of FCC. Nathan was also Baptized during the service on Sunday, November 26th. Nathan’s address is:

1421 E. 7th Street, Hopkinsville, KY 42240

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The Messenger

First Christian C

hurch(D

isciples of Christ)

2601 South Walnut Street

Hopkinsville, K

entucky 42240

Periodicals

Hopkinsville, K

entuckyU

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elationship, R

e� ection and R

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Making Disciples of C

hrist b

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aring God’s love in -

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ADVENT 2017Coming Soon…

At times, the season of Advent can sound like one big marketing ploy. In anticipation of Christ-mas, we are all encouraged to get our last-minute shopping done. And don’t miss out on the great opportunities of Black Friday! Christ-mas is coming soon. We hear similar messages in Church, although they are aimed at something much more important. Are you prepared? Act now! Christ is coming soon….

December 3, 2017Trailer

Isaiah 64:1-9; Mark 13:24-37Rev. Nathan C. Brown

December 10, 2017Act Now!

Isaiah 40:1-11; Mark 1:1-8Rev. Nathan C. Brown

December 17, 2017100% Guarantee

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16; Luke 1:26-38Rev. Nathan C. Brown

END OF YEAR GIVING I would like to thank each of you for your generosity to First Christian Church by sharing your gifts of money, service and prayer. As we are saddened at the departure of our ministers, we will continue in exciting ministries within our church and community! Your gifts are an in-tegral part of those efforts. If you have not re-turned your pledge card for 2018, please do so as soon as possible. Also as a reminder, if you wish your end of year contributions to be counted in 2017, please have your checks in to the church no later than December 31, 2017. Thank you for your continued support of First Christian Church! Jane Wells