FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH VILLA GROVE, ILLINOIS

PHONE: 832-5231

FAX: 832-9348

December 10, 2019

December 10 Nina Boyer Mike & Judy Zylstra Brad, Maryanna & Ruby Smith Kent & Brenda Elam Bob & Frances Dowler Sue & Randy Taylor Raymond Weaver Judi Lock Paula Webber Matt & Bonnie Stanton John & Linda Dilliner Seth, Kate, Madeline, Erin & Tucker Shunk Janice & Paul Thode

For the Villa Grove Community Wednesday, December 18th

4:00-7:00 p.m. First Christian Church Fellowship Hall

To donate, go online to:

www.bloodcenterimpact.org and use the group code 70301.

Sunday, December 15 9:30 a.m.

All the children and young people of our congregation will be leading the service!

December 8, 2019

Auditorium 101 Sunday School Nursery 10 Nursery 2 Blessed Believers 25 TOTAL 111 SMC (Age 3-1st Grade) 2 Ambassadors 6 King’s Kids (Gr. 2-5) 5 The Fellowship 20 Grades 6-8 2 Chosen Ones 8 High School 5 TOTAL 75 OFFERING $6166.25 Spendable $6133.25 Fell. & Outreach 31.00 Worship (Coffee) 2.00

Praise! Steve Bragg released from Lyme disease doctor and taken off antibiotics John Cobb (friend of Paul Smith)- Carle Hospital with water in his blood Margaret Czerwonka (friend of Sarah Cannon)- saw doctor on Tuesday to schedule cancer surgery Paul Green (good friend of Mady Reno)- 2 prayer requests: 1) his parents’ home in southern California burned down, total loss; 2) his internship ends this month and is still searching for a job Brian Icenogle (Linda Shadwick’s brother)- had open heart surgery on Monday; is in St. John’s Hospital, Springfield Tony & Jessalyn Jackson- Nancy Jackson’s son and daughter-in-law Bruce McCandlist (father of Glenda Case’s daughter)- has heart procedure at Carle on Wednesday Therese McGee (Terry Naddy’s sister)- starts chemo this week Chuck Summers (Sandy Bragg’s brother)- has 2 cancer masses in his lung and spine; pet scan and biopsy at Carle this week Family of Tammy Uptmor- Billy Uptmor’s mother

VILLA GROVE SCHOOL SNACK PACK PROGRAM

This year for Youth Sunday on Dec. 15, the youth group will be asking for a special offering. The

offering will go to the Villa Grove School Snack Pack program. This program is

currently sending home 88 packs of food a week with children in our school district. With the holidays,

it is the perfect time to help those in need. We will be collecting in 2 ways. First, we will be collecting

non-perishable items (preferably individually packaged) from Dec. 1 to the 15th. If donating canned

items, please buy cans that open with a pop-tab opening. Second, we will also be collecting monetary

donations on Youth Sunday, Dec. 15 at the end of the service. Please write checks to “Villa Grove

School”. Thank you for helping us give to our youth. The list of non-perishable items are listed on

posters all over the church. Please no peanut butter or nut products.

The ladies of Women’s Christian Fellowship will be Christmas caroling to our nursing home residents and shut-ins on Thursday, December 12, leaving the church at 9:00 a.m. The group will be caroling to folks in Villa Grove, Brookstone (Tuscola), Eberhardt Village (Arthur), Clark-Lindsey (Urbana), Villas of Holly Brook (Savoy) and then back to Villa Grove-- with a stop at Yoder’s for lunch. Please keep this group in your prayers for safety and for a good day of fellowship with our shut-ins!

Dear Friends, Thank you so much for our participation in our Baby Bottle Blessings fundraiser! Your support is a tremendous blessing to us! Your congregation raised a total of $538.53! What a blessing it is to know that you continue to value the ministry of Choices!

Most Sincerely, Chris Bugle, Executive Director

Let me share the wonderful opportunity I have by joining One Mission Society’s training team going to Rwanda and Ivory Coast, February 29-March 15, 2020. The team will focus on Seed Sowers training and Train the Trainer for women who are eager to share the gospel with other women. Seed Sowers training gives the women tools to share with gospel with other women who do not know Jesus, such as a 15 second testimony. The purpose in writing to you is two-fold. First, to ask you to be in prayer for me and our team as we prepare, while we travel, and then as we conduct the training. Your prayers are vital in what promises to be a life-changing experience for every team member. The second reason is to ask you to support me financially as I go to train and evangelize with the women. The cost for my trip is approximately $3,100.00. My request is that family and friends like you come alongside me in this ministry, as the Lord leads. If you would like to be involved through prayer and financial support, please return your check to 515 North State Street Gibson City IL 60936 (me, as I will send them all in together) (check made out to One Mission Society, with # 583199 in the memo line). Also include the form (on the letter) and OMS will be receipting you as a charitable donation. With joy and thanksgiving,

Sara Williamson

(There are letters with the needed form attached to the bulletin board. Please see this letter/form, if you would like to help Sara financially with her mission trip.)

FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH Website: www.fccvg.com Church E-mail: fccvg@frontier.com Minister: Mike Zylstra Home Phone: 681-1034 Mike’s E-mail: fccvgmin@frontier.com Office Hours: 9:00-1:00 (M, W, Th, F) Secretary: Brenda Elam Office Hours: 9:00-12:00/12:30-4:30 (Mon.-Fri.) Elders: Elmer Decker John Dilliner Bob Dowler Chad Reno Joe Rothermel

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2019 Elder: ELMER DECKER/DUNCAN HUGHES (Meditation) Offering Prayer: MACEN HUGHES CANNON, J. HUGHES, DUZAN, D. HUGHES, RENO West Door Greeter: J. CASSIDA, P. & C. EISENMENGER South Door Greeter: DORIS BLACK Coffee Fix & Clean-up: GLENDA CASE December JAM Leader: JUDY ZYLSTRA AM Nursery: MARYANNA SMITH SS Nursery: MARYANNA SMITH Offering Scripture: RIANNA ROTHERMEL (Deut. 16:17) Shut-in Communion: DECKER/SHUNK Elder-On-Call for December: ELMER DECKER (832-8589)

REMEMBER THOSE IN ASSISTED LIVING John & Shirley Waldrop Brookstone Estates, Room 15 1106 E. Northline Rd. Tuscola, IL 61953

MORNING WORSHIP 9:30 A.M. No JAM this Sunday SUNDAY SCHOOL 11:00 A.M. YOUTH GROUP (December 15) 5:00 P.M. BIBLE STUDY- Bible Study will resume January 5 CELEBRATION CHOIR: rehearsals will resume January 8.

Jesus: Light of the World 12/10/2019

The October 2001 edition of the National Geographic featured an article titled, "Power of Light". The introduction said, "Light reveals the world to us. Body and soul crave it. Light sets our biological clocks. It triggers in our brains the sensations of color. Light feeds us, supplying the energy of plants to grow. It inspires us with special effects like rainbows and sunsets. Light gives us life-changing tools, from incandescent bulbs to lasers and fiber optics. Scientists don't fully understand what

light is or what it can do. They just know that it will illuminate our future."

Light also has spiritual significance. --God created it. Genesis 1:3-4 – And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that

the light was good... --It is God’s character. 1 John 1:5b – God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. --It is life changing. 2 Samuel 22:29 - You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light. --Psalm 27:1 – The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? --Isaiah 9:2 – The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep

darkness a light has dawned. --John 1:5 – The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. --John 1:9 – The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world. --John 8:12 – Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness

but will have the light of life." --Matthew 5:16 – Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your

Father in heaven.

Celebrate the Light. Celebrate Jesus. Be the light. Be Jesus in someone’s darkness.

Mike