Advent Season...

Thanksgiving is over, and our leftovers are gone. This Sunday, November 29 starts the Advent Season. What is Advent? Well, if you Google it you will get ton's of info!There are many varying details regarding the wreath and its origin but the symbolic meaning in all of them is very clear - the Manger and the Cross can not be separated. I've compiled bits from several resources to sum up what this tradition symbolizes.

"The nativity, the Incarnation, cannot be separated from the crucifixion. The purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world, of the "Word made flesh" and dwelling among us, is to reveal God and His grace to the world through Jesus’ life and teaching, but also through his suffering, death, and resurrection."

Advent:
"The word Advent means "coming" or "arrival." The focus of the entire season is the celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ in his First Advent, and the anticipation of the return of Christ the King in his Second Advent. Thus, Advent is far more than simply marking a 2,000 year old event in history. It is celebrating a truth about God, the revelation of God in Christ whereby all of creation might be reconciled to God. That is a process in which we now participate, and the consummation of which we anticipate."

Advent Wreath/Candles:
The wreath is made of evergreen, either real or artificial. It's circular shape represents eternity, for it has no beginning and no end. The evergreen was chosen as it symbolizes growth and everlasting life.

There are five candles, three purple, one pink and one white (normally a larger pillar). They represent the four weeks of preparation. Each week as the candles are lit we are reminded of the growing light of Christ's presence. The meaning of the candles is as follows:

First Purple candle: represents hope.

Second Purple Candle: stands for love.

Third, pink candle: represents joy.

Fourth, purple candle: is a symbol of peace.

Fifth, white candle: is the Christ candle representing Christ Himself

Did you know? The third Sunday of Advent when the pink candle is lit is referred to as "Joyful Sunday?"

Where ever it's origin - the message is clear, Jesus is God's Son, born of a virgin, He came to save us. He is our Hope and only through Him will we find Peace and true Joy!
May your Christmas be filled with an abundance of all...
P. Hemphill

Calm before the storm

Ahhhh, it's Thanksgiving Day and the Turkey is in the oven, now for peace and quiet, NOT! Running around like crazy today as usual.......I hope everyone has a blessed day! For those Black Friday shoppers, be safe out there!

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV
As many of you know being thankful in the midst of turmoil goes against our natural instincts, however our "joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings." (NIV Commentary) Living life according to the will of God will most certainly grant "the peace that transcends all understanding."

Be watching for upcoming FCC events in December.........Happy Thanksgiving!

In His Peace
PDH

OCC 2009 - on to the Collection Center!

There are so many steps in getting shoe boxes to their final destination!!
After generous folks lovingly pack a shoe box and bring them to us, we log information in the book from Samaritans Purse to keep track of who gave a box and how many. Then we pack the shoe boxes into cartons, striving for 14 in a carton, now I'm sure the volunteers who've helped out over the years are snickering as they read this! Sometimes ya do, sometimes ya dont!! Sometimes we get items in bags and WE make shoe boxes up out of the random items. It can get interesting. But if we think it gets wild at our little relay center, you should check out the Collection Center.
Good grief! Those of you who have worked at the FCC Relay Center know that when UCHS or one of the larger Churches bring their 200+ shoe boxes in it gets a little wild. Well.....as we pulled into the Relay/Collection Center at Tri Cities Baptist Church another church had just pulled up in 2 vans with 500+ shoe boxes!! Now, the workers had to handle those just like we do here. Making sure there are 2 rubber bands on them AND packing them in the cartons! Of course as soon as they pack the cartons they're loaded onto the really BIG truck! Needless to say when we pulled in with our U-Haul and 92 cartons at the same time.......
I just cant even imagine what Boone, NC must be like! Say Katie, you game next year?
If it werent for the willing volunteers.........God bless each and every one of you!
I co-ordinated the relay center here this year and I have now set a goal to be a Collection Center as well! I learned a lot from Tri Cities Baptist!
Katie and I will be taking on this ministry for First Christian Church from now till whenever!! For now this concludes OCC 09 but you will be hearing a whole lot more out of us, such as The OCC Twelve Weeks of Christmas coming in 2010!!

In His Peace
Patti Hemphill

OCC 2009 Shoe Box Dedication

Every year we ask the the members of FCC to leave the shoe boxes they've made in the foyer of the Church, this year we had those along with all the "adopted" shoe boxes. After Worship Service is over we have a dedication. We have all the children of the congregation bring the boxes forward and then we have a prayer, please pray this prayer even as the boxes are in transit!

HEAVENLY FATHER CREATOR GOD,

I COME TO YOU IN THIS HOUR TO LIFT UP THE MINISTRY OF OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD.

I THANK YOU FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL WHO GAVE THEIR TIME TO THIS MINISTRY IN WHATEVER WAY.

I PRAY FOR EACH SMALL RELAY CENTER, EACH COLLECTION CENTER AND EACH DISTRIBUTION
CENTER AS THEY CLOSE OUT COLLECTION WEEK 2009.

I PRAY SAFE TRAVEL FOR EACH DELIVERY PERSON NO MATTER THE SIZE, FROM THE SMALLEST CAR TO THE LARGEST SEMI OR PLANE THAT TRAVELS THROUGH OUT THIS COUNTRY AND THE GLOBE.

I PRAY FOR EACH SHOE BOX WE SEE BEFORE US GIVEN BY THIS SMALL PART OF YOUR BODY, AND FOR THE MILLIONS THAT WILL GO OUT THIS YEAR.

I ASK THAT EACH SHOEBOX CARRY A MINISTRY AND A STORY OF LOVE TO A HURTING WORLD.
ABOVE ALL OF THIS FATHER I ASK THAT EACH RECIPIANT BE BLESSED.

I PRAY THAT THOSE WHO DONT KNOW OF YOU OR YOUR LOVE WILL SEE YOU IN EACH GIFT.

I PRAY THAT THE MESSAGE OF SAVATION WILL BE IN EVERY ONE OF THESE SMALL BOXES OF HOPE CREATING HEARTS THAT LONG TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR SON JESUS THE CHRIST.

FOR IT'S IN HIS NAME AND FOR HIS SAKE I PRAY - AMEN

Fri. 11/20 OCC Shoebox Packing Party

OK, so it's our first ever packing party and Katie and I learned a lot!!
FCC adopted 33 shoe boxes which we thought was pretty awesome! Believe me, Katie did a great job purchasing items for these boxes as you can see by the photo's!! For $25.00 the child got 3 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of underwear, 3 wash cloths, 6 pencils, sharpener, toothpaste, toothbrush, a bar of soap, box of crayons, note pad, toy, AND a baggie of hard candy AND that included the shipping. Sweet!
Even as I type this I'm visualizing the candy ordeal...and running out of baggies :) I wont mention the 1 sock and 2 toothbrushes that were left! There would be no rest until the box with the missing sock was found. Lee found them thank goodness!
The shipping was paid online (a new feature for OCC) and the shoeboxes can be tracked. Hopefully we'll know where our 33 boxes end up!
Next stop, our shoe box dedication!!

OCC 2009 - Success!

Well, the 2009 Collection week is coming to a close! Now that it's over I can't believe it's come and gone!!
First Christian Church has been a Relay Center for Operation Christmas Child (OCC) for a number of years now and the National Collection Week came to a close today. Our relay center took in 1,303 shoeboxes this year which are in transit to the Collection Center at Tri Cities Baptist Church in JC. The shoeboxes will travel from there to the Distribution Center in Boone, NC and from there across the globe!!
Let's lift up a prayer for each person involved in transporting these shoeboxes and for the ministry as a whole.
Many thanks to all our volunteers for all the time and work! Let's plan on making next year EVEN BIGGER, EVEN BETTER!!
Check out the link below for more on OCC...God Bless You!