Pastor’s Pen: I want to take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year. With the season of Advent and the New Year, significant changes are coming.
[ December 4 ] Christmas Musical 8:15 and 10:45am Sanctuary
[ December 24 ] Candlelight Lord’s Supper Service 6:00pm Sanctuary
[ December 25 ] One Worship Service 10:00am Sanctuary
@fbcjc @fbcjcmo FBCJC FBCJC
Change #1: Patti Hill, my administrative assistant for over five and a half years, completed her time with us at the end of November. She has faithfully provided all of us with efficient and professional service and has been an integral part of our ministry throughout her time with us. I consider her a friend and will miss her very much. This vacancy and Lori Hodges' recent retirement have left us with some big shoes to fill in our office. Change #2: More change...as we work to use every penny of our church budget efficiently, our proposed 2017 budget no longer provides each member a paid subscription to Word & Way. Changes in how people receive their news and new electronic methods of communication have made this decision necessary. Over the past several months, we have had some great conversations with Word & Way staff as we arrived at this decision. They not only understand but are also going through a re-evaluation of their most efficient way of sharing news with all of us. I would encourage each of you to subscribe to the print version of Word & Way on your own. We will have a subscription table in the narthex December 4 and 11. Or you may contact our church office or Word & Way. The cost is only $17.50 per year. As occasions arise, FBC JC will continue to offer our state paper compelling stories of what God is doing in our congregation. Even as Editor Bill Webb retires, we have the added bonus that the new editor, Brian Kaylor, is active in our own congregation. Change #3: Electoral change. The recent presidential election was particularly strident. But it is done. Now we move on. We move on because responsible citizenship means not only voting but also working for unity after the vote. But that unity is not one which wallpapers over our deep differences. It is a unity born of God's Spirit, involving humility, deep listening, respect for winners and losers and living the Golden Rule. In these days, it's time for the church to step up and be the church, to model for the world how to get along in the midst of diversity. This is the only way we can truly be one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice--not just for some--but for all. Grace,