Current Events / Important Announcements & Hot Stuff!

Wednesday Night Supper & Programs Return!

As of Wednesday, Aug. 29, FCC resumed an evening of good food, followed by programs for adults, children and youth. Each Wednesday will now include:

• Supper will be served in the Fellowship Hall; delicious food provided by Ben E. Keith; meals coordinated by Mary Windham. Cost: $3 adult, $2 children, $10 per family. Please contact the church office at 396-1926 if you plan to take part in this meal on a regular basis.
• An adult Bible Study based on the coming Sunday's lectionary selection will be led by David Green. Sunday School teachers in particular are urged to attend in order to aid in preparing their Sunday morning lessons.
• Fellowship groups for early elementary, older elementary (JYF), middle school (Chi Rho), and high school (CYF) will be held.
• A nursery will be provided.
• 5:30 PM: Supper
• 6:15 - 7:15: Adult Bible Study, fellowship groups
• 7:15: Choir Rehearsal

Consecration Sunday - September 30th

During both worship services on Sunday September 30th, members will be invited to offer their Estimates of Giving for 2008. Estimate of Giving cards and envelopes will be mailed to each member in September (additional copies will be available at the church office). In the September 30th services, we will pray in particular for God's consecration of our financial commitments in support of our congregation and give God thanks for the multitude of ways our members invest their time, talent, and energy in our ministry.

On the Sundays leading up to Consecration Day, we will hear, during worship, from a variety of members about their particular hopes and dreams for our church and of the significance our ministry holds for each of them.

As our congregation increases its educational programs for all ages and anticipates hiring additional staff, as we continue to maintain and enhance our beautiful facility, as we grow in God's Spirit and in number and as we reach out to others in the name of Christ, the financial support of every member is clearly important. Being aware of the measure of this support in advance - through members returning Estimates of Giving - will give the Finance Ministry Department the best possible insight in planning our ministry together for 2008.

The Finance Department will be developing our 2008 operating budget in October, for Board and Congregational approval in November.

Please plan on being in attendance on September 30th to celebrate our shared commitment to the ministry of First Christian Church!

Cell Phone vs Bible or What If?

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone. What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets? What if we flipped through it several times a day? What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text? What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it? What if we gave it to kids as gifts? What if we used it when we traveled? What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go … hmmm… where is my Bible? Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phones, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected, because Jesus already paid the bill. Makes you stop and think, "Where is my priority?" And no dropped calls! (borrowed)

Christmas Pageant Auditions!

This year we will present our annual Christmas Pageant on the evening of December 16th. To add some fun to the festivities we are going to include people of all ages to the cast. So- if you have always dreamed of being on the big stage (or you just want to have a little fun) come to auditions on October 17. We will hold the (extremely laid back) auditions after our "Family Night at First" dinner.

Ladies of FCC

In just a few weeks, Community Bible Study will be starting a new class right here at our own church. I have been attending CBS for the past 6 years and it is amazing! This year, we will spend 30 weeks studying the Book of Acts. The studies are always exceptional and the fellowship is wonderful. It is truly my favorite day of the week.

There are several women from our church who attend but I always wish there were more…so I wanted to make sure you all knew what a great opportunity we have to meet incredible women from our area and to study the Word of God. If you are interested in learning more about the Women's CBS class or the co-ed class that meets on Thursday evenings in Wimberley, please feel free to contact me. I can help you get in touch with the appropriate people to sign up for the class. You may also attend as a visitor and see what it is like.

I can not tell you how much CBS has changed my life. Please think about joining us on Wednesday mornings from 9:30-11:30 starting in September.

Blessings,

Mattie Howard

By the way, nursery care is available for children under 2, and pre-school classes are offered for children 2-4 years of age. Space is limited for children so sign up soon!

Dinners With David Continued

Informal small-group potluck dinners and discussion are being held Friday evenings in member's homes as a way for David Green to learn more about our members and their hopes and dreams for our congregation. There is still room to sign up to attend one of these dinners which will be held through mid-October. Please see the sign-up sheets in the Narthex or call the church office.

ATTENTION LADIES

INFINITE GRACE ... Boundless ... Unequalized ... Amazing

Is your goal just to make it through ... Or to LIVE?

Understanding God's grace will change your life FOREVER!

Interested? Even a little bit? Well here's your chance to get in one of the biggest support groups you'll ever encounter. You will experience the most energizing and spirit-lifting music and the best heart-fulfilling and uplifting testimonies of faith, encouragement and power of prayer that you'll ever find in one place.

There's a core team of professionals who call themselves "the porch pals" ... With whom you will immediately fall in love... They are amazingly ordinary ... They're real women with stories drawn from their real lives and real faith.

They're unexpectedly hilarious, brutally honest, and constantly encouraging. They truly keep women coming back for more. They are a consistent and steadfast unit of the Women of Faith ... They are there every year and with each year you become closer to them till they are like family to you ... And you can hardly wait until the next time you "get together." And if that isn't enough to set your heart and soul on fire ... Then they add keynote speakers and guests that will totally knock your socks off. There is humor and laughter that will bring you to tears. There are skits, interviews, and testimonies that will bring you tears. There are spiritual messages to lift your spirit and there is music to rock your soul, move your soul or to quiet your soul.

Now how do you refuse that? All this and with thousands of women feeling just like you do ... Searching just like you are ... And clinging to the hope and belief that that they haven't lost their minds or their faith!

Infinite grace ... Women of Faith ... Come join us and find grace .. Boundless, unequalized, and amazing! YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID!

Ladies, if this hasn't peaked your interest, then nothing will! The February 7-9, 2008 Women of Faith conference will be in San Antonio. Call Mary Wasson via the church office for tickets or information. The early bird special of $129 will not last forever. Make the commitment now to join a fabulous group of ladies from FCC San Marcos for this extraordinary event!

Installation Service for David Green

Rev. David Green will be formally installed as Senior Minister of First Christian Church - San Marcos during a special service at 4 PM on Sunday September 23rd. This service will include representatives of the Bluebonnet Area, FCC's Search Committee and Board, the San Marcos community, and other clergy guests. Members of Disciples congregations in the Bluebonnet Area and the general public are also invited to celebrate this important milestone in the life of our church. A reception and barbeque dinner provided by the Fellowship Ministry Department will follow the service. Please mark your calendar now to join in this affirmation and celebration of David's new ministry among us!

Butterfly Group

Now would be a great time to join this group of ladies who meet the second Tuesday of each month. We welcome all ladies who would like to join us for Christian Book study, fellowship, and prayer. For the past few months our study has been the book, "The Case for Faith" by Lee Strobel. Currently we are on the final two chapters of that book and it has been such a thought-provoking examination of faith.

Now would be a great time to join us as we wrap up this session and summarize what we have covered this year.

Now would also be a great time to join us because we are looking towards starting a new study series in January (perhaps a Beth Moore study) and you could help us decide. We get together at the home of Lenore Bolton on the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. and usually get home by 9:30 p.m.

Now would be a great time to call Janet Drye via the church office and get involved with the Butterfly Group. If you need a ride, we can pick you up

Please Join Us for a Romanian Orphanage "Friend" - Raiser

Thursday, Sept 20th ~ 5 - 7 PM

Wimberley Community Center
Please RSVP to vcestey@aol.com by Sept. 14th.

Hosts: Vicki & Dave Estey, Rebecca & Cornell Stoian, and Ann Rollings

• ROCK Ministry (Romania Outreach to Christ's Kids)

  PLEASE BRING a love offering/donation - check payable to ROCK MINISTRY, or a cash offering

  We will show a brief video about ROCK

• ENJOY A FOOD SAMPLING/TASTING - Authentic Romanian Dishes prepared by Chef Cornell who is a native of Romania.

• EARLY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING

  Murano Glass Collection, including jewelry, some Russian Ivory pieces, etc.

• AND MORE…

ELDERS AND DEACONS September 29 is the DATE!

• Are you salty? Do you make others thirst for the Lord?
• Do you add flavor and enhance the lives of others?

Well, we will be back together for our next Elder Melder / Deacon Beacon at FCC on Saturday, September 29, from 9:30 AM till 3:00 PM. Our guest speaker will be Reverend Leslie Green (David's dad). Our agenda is filled with inspiring and edifying topics. Romans 14:19 states, "Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another."

1 Thessalonians 5:11 states, "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

We are asking that all Elders and Deacons attend this workshop. Lunch will be served and our salt groups will become even more colorful, tasty and strong.

The following acrostic was developed for SALT:

Serving our Savior, our church, and our community
Always seeking guidance through Your Sacred Word
Loving each other as You have loved us
Together, we will worship, praise and minister, glorifying Your Holy Name.

Please share your salt and let it flow freely.

Kid's Welcome Wagon

A new fixture in the Narthex is a special Radio Flyer red wagon filled with children's worship materials. Personalized embroidered denim bags (thanks to Mary Windham!), for each of our children through 2nd grade, contain a children's worship bulletin, crayons, and other materials for kids to utilize during worship. Bags for guests are also available.

A Follow-up From the Church Youth:
General Assembly of the Christian Church, 2007

The General Assembly was held in Ft. Worth this year. Some CYF girls represented FCC, San Marcos. We did mission projects in the morning like Mission Arlington, where the whole point is to bring the church to the "hood". We went door to door inviting kids to join us in the park for games and some Christian hang-out time. The next day we went to Catholic Charities where we helped stuff envelopes for their annual fund-raiser and visited an abused children's home, where Maggie got left behind because she was playing with the kids in the "loud room". Wednesday found us at a senior citizen home to join them in yoga, a hot rock massage and a sing-along. Afternoons were taken up with seminars like "Dating and the Church", "New Church Starts", and the "Dominican Republic Youth Project".

The best part? The worship times in the evening were the bomb! Try to imagine 8,000 disciples singing the Lord's Prayer. Sunday morning, the pastor was so powerful, the kids asked if he was available to be a keynoter at camp. There was an all-assembly (all ages) Fiesta complete with a mechanical bull. Ask Kelsey Altenhoff how it feels to throw one's self against a Velcro wall. Jill, Felicia, and Layne should have pictures of the attempt.

The Fowlers were there representing the camp at Gonzo. We even ran into Jimmy Cobb, James McKibben, and of course David and Ellen Green.

Thank you, congregation, for supporting our fund-raisers that helped pay for our trip!

CYF youth

Tuesday Prayer Group

Each Tuesday morning at 10:00, five Elders faithfully meet at FCC to pray.

This group prays fervently for those who have requested prayer as well as others who are have come to our attention. If you are in need of prayer, please contact Pastor David or Char and ask to be included on the prayer list.

Mike's Music Notes

If you enjoy singing, but cannot commit to Wednesday nights throughout the year, I invite you to come sing with us in our Christmas Cantata. It is coming sooner than you think! The Cantata books are on order and will be here soon. Extra voices will help us celebrate the birth of baby Jesus. Child care is available during choir rehearsals.

Hope to see you Wednesday nights at 7:15.

Musically,
Mike Wood
FCC Chancel Choir Director

Energizers!

Back in July we had 42 Energizers at the Bulverde Dinner Theater (S.T.A.G.E.) It was such fun and we thank Billy and Mary Windham for coordinating that wonderful evening for us. On August 16, the weather turned stormy and only 14 Energizers attended - but they were all dressed in bright yellow at the BYOB (Bring Your Own Banana) BINGO night. What yummy banana splits!! Many thanks go out to Susan and Tom Ballard for being our hosts. Mark your calendars and make plans to attend on September 20 at 6:00 PM when we go "out to eat" together at Logan's.

Thank You!

The Christian Education Ministry would like to extend our most sincere gratitude to all of the men and women who helped transform the education wing, and in particular the nursery and toddler areas. What an incredible blessing you all are to our church.

Thank you!

Thank You!

I want to thank all who have been concerned about my knee surgery and all who have made phone calls and sent cards and food. Thank you Donna for loaning me the walker, it has been very helpful.

Thank you David for the visit before surgery, it always comforts me to have a prayer before hand.

Mary Wasson

Thank You!

Dear Church Family,

We love our new nursery and all of the brand new stuff that is in it. What fun we are having playing and learning all about God. You all are a great example of His love. Thank you for loving us,

The children of First Christian Church

Thank You!

Dear Church Family,

Once again Bob and I are deeply grateful to the wonderful people of FCC for the prayers, good wishes, and telephone calls during Bob's recent hospitalization and recuperation. A special thanks to Billy and Mary Windham for keeping watch with me during Bob's procedure. We are so fortunate to have FCC as our church family.

Yours in Christ, Eva Doty

Thank You!

Dear Ones,

Thank all of you who helped make Roy's memorial an event to remember! You have loved us for nearly twenty-five years and you showed it again on July 27. Thanks especially to the Special Ministries committee for the reception after the service.

Love ya, Ruth Willbern

Please Keep These People In Your Prayers

Joyce Wallace
Deann French
Hildegard Harper
Family of Michelle Gregory
Crystal Wilhelm
Daniel Anderson
Jerry Kovaly
Avery Wright
Ray Redick
Thelma Moon

From our Board Chair

Your First Christian Church Board has been and continues to be quite active with our church business.

At the August meeting:

1. Mattie Howard reported on work and research done by her and her co-chair, Teri Stapp. They have been working diligently with our education ministry. They requested permission and funds to put down new flooring in the nursery and toddler room, fresh paint and some new accessories. They have selected educational curriculum which has been presented to the teachers. On Sunday, August 26, there will be a launching of this program with all Sunday School attendees.

2. The Permanent Fund Trustees recommended that Bobby Hawley be invited to speak to our congregation on September 16th to answer our questions and allow us the opportunity to be better informed about this worthwhile program.

3. Kerry Rash is chairman of the Finance Ministry and that committee is up-dating their guidelines and gathering information to begin the budget process for a 2008 church budget. She noted the need to submit budgetary needs to her by September 30.

4. In looking at our attendance and giving barometer for July, it appeared that attendance was almost level with 2006 and giving a bit lower.

5. Pastor David announced that his installation will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 23rd. You will want to mark this date on your calendar.

6. J.D. Elshoff's name has been submitted to Dr. John Callison, our Bluebonnet Area Minister, as a candidate for Licensed Minister. (Connie Burke, Maggie Mossler and Cari & Dale Fowler of our congregation, have already completed that program.)

Please continue to pray for this group of dedicated people as they continue their work for God and for you.

Jackie Cable
2007 Board Chair

Fellowship News…

Who says a bureaucracy "Can't get things done"? Your fellowship department, which is apparently made up of DEMOCRATS (yea, hooray, yahoo!) and Republicans (lost souls), and maybe an Independent or two, is out to prove that a large body of diverse people can come together and agree on a thing or two (unlike members of certain Legislative and Executive branches we know); most notably how to satisfy the appetites of you and me.

Your Fellowship Department is probably the largest of the church's functioning bodies, yet under the direction of "Pollsters" Jeanne & Gary McCaffrey and Darcy Hardy, and with the aid of "campaigners" Coleen & Robert Pfeiffer, Dawn Jester, Rocky & Karen Stone, Julia Herndon, Jerry & Marlene Weidman and Mary Skidmore and with the advice and consent of our "Presidential Advisor" David Green, were able to plan for a whole year of Fellowship Dinners and events for 2007 & 2008. Almost every month we will have some fellowship event and some months there are multiple events.

So get ready to vote (with your taste buds). 2008 is going to be a culinary bonanza for all you guys. Everyone is eligible and invited to "vote".

The first stop on the campaign trail is the August 26th breakfast to help kickoff the new Sunday School track. Breakfast will be served 8:30-9:30. The "deba

te" will include egg casseroles, fruit and biscuits provided by Fellowship. Then on Sept. 23rd, there will be a dinner following David Green's 4:00 PM installation service. On the "ballet" will be Robert Pruett, Rocky Stone, Don Harmon and the crew's famous BBQ and "fixins". Congregation members will provide green salad and/or dessert.

To end the month on Sept. 30th Fellowship hosts a "State Dinner" of Beans and Rice to highlight our participation in the annual Crop Walk. Everyone is asked to bring your favorite beans and/or rice dish. There will also be opportunity for you to donate food for the food bank or cash pledges for the walkers.

Also if you would like to become a member of the Fellowship Department or want more info about what we do, just contact Gary, Jeanne, or Darcy OR just drop by the kitchen during a fellowship event. It's easy and fun to participate. Till next month. . .

Your Fellowship Ministry Team

KID Time (Kids In Discipleship)

KID Time, our Wednesday afternoon Christian Program for children in grades K-5, is on its way back...we hope!!

We need many volunteers to help with this exciting program for our children which runs from after school (about 3:30) until 5:30. If you are interested in helping with this ministry, please call Mattie Howard via the church office today...right now...pick up the phone...dial the church office and say YES, I'LL HELP!!

Need a Ride to Sunday Worship or Sunday School?

If you are unable to attend Sunday Worship or Sunday School (or other church function) due to transportation challenges, please call the office and let us know. We can pair you with other members in your area so you won't have to be sitting home wishing you were here with us!

DID YOU KNOW????

• The energy saved by recycling one aluminum can is enough to run a television for 3 hours?
• About 7 kWh are saved per pound (33 cans) recycled.
• There are 50 billion cans that are trashed per year. Had those cans been recycled, the electricity saved could power 1.3 million American homes.

So, remember to take your aluminum cans to Green Guy Recycling in San Marcos and ask for the money to go to First Christian Church! You will help the environment and PET Project at the same time!

Upcoming Events for Bluebonnet Area

• Oct. 5-7 - Disciples Women's Retreat at Disciples Oaks in Gonzales. Theme: "Come to the Table".
• Dec. 8 - 10 AM to 1 PM -- Capital Cluster Christmas Party - birthday party for Jesus @ Bethany Christian Church, Austin.
• June 20-22, 2008 - Women's Regional Assembly @ TCU in Ft. Worth.

Please Help Provide CWS School Kits

Educating children is one of the most important development steps a community can take, and a CWS School kit is a great way to jump-start a child's education. Church World Service is providing large quantities of CWS School Kits to international partners, and need more kits right away. Our congregation can help.

The Christian Women's Fellowship here at F.C.C. is planning to participate. Some of us will be making up kits, and some of us are donating money. You can help us out by doing either one.

The School Kit Contents are:

• One pair of blunt scissors
• Pads or notebooks of ruled paper 8-1/2" X 11", containing 140-200 sheets of paper. No filler paper, please
• One 30-centimeter ruler (12")
• One pencil sharpener
• Six new pencils with erasers
• One large eraser
• Twelve sheets colored construction paper
• One box of 24 crayons
• One 12"W x 14"L finished size, cloth bag with cloth handles and a closure (Velcro, snap, or button)

Pack these items in the cloth bag and secure contents with the closure. Or, if you prefer, a donation of $13 per Kit will allow Church World Service to buy school supplies for use in classroom settings.

Processing/Shipping cost is $2.00 per Kit. Help with this cost would be appreciated..

For more information on how you can help, please contact Gayle Morris or Mary Wasson via the church office.

Here is an EASY way to help our Special Ministries Team...

• Do you like to help others, but find yourself over-committed?
• Do you like to cook?
• Do you get enjoyment from sharing with others?

If these apply to you, here is a way you can help our Special Ministries Team help others. The next time you make a batch of soup, stew or a casserole, put some of it into a freezer container, label and date it and put it in FCC's freezer. Then when there is a need (someone is ill, has surgery, or a family crisis, etc.), we have food on hand to assist these families. Call Mary Windham for more information.

E-mail Prayer List

Do you want to be added to the FCC San Marcos e-mail Prayer Request list? This means you would receive e-mails requesting prayers for members who are ill, in the hospital or are having surgery. If you wish to be added, please and ask to be added to the Prayer Request e-mail list.

Coffee Time

Helpers are needed to set up the sweets and drinks at 9:15 am Sunday Mornings and to be on the clean-up crew. Both these jobs require 15 minutes. Several families have been pitching in as this is something with which our youngsters love to help.

Sign up in the kitchen any Sunday morning! For those of you with busy schedules, this is one small way to pitch in without making a huge time commitment.

Hays Caldwell Women's Center Wish List

• Healthy snacks & drinks
• Small bottles of hair spray
• Razors
• Bottles of lotion
• Hair Accessories (pony tail holders)
• Scissors
• Colored pencils & coloring books
• Arts/crafts supplies
• Older children's games
• Play-dough
• Journals
• Sketch pads
• Various sizes of cotton sports bras with no hooks

Donations are accepted by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, contact the Donation Center Manager at 512-396-3404 ext. 238.

Thank you for your generosity in meeting the needs of our clients!

To Have and To Hold

EveryChild, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is to create family life for children with disabilities living in facilities. Many birth families have their wonderful children with a disability but need another family's help to hold them and love them as an alternative to living in a facility. EveryChild is looking for families willing to open their hearts and their homes to share in the care of children with disabilities. EveryChild also welcomes organizations and community members to provide support in other ways, from spreading the word of our mission to donating to our Specialized Supports fund, which provides direct help to families. Support can include such things as providing phone or gas cards to assisting families for maintaining or developing a relationship with the child in a facility until moving into a home. Please feel free to call and find out more: 512-342-6810 in Austin area or toll-free, 877-742-8844, or visit our website at www.everychildtexas.org

San Marcos Area Singles web site

Please log onto sanmarcosareasingles.org and check the new web site for singles. Please send me info about activities you have that singles would enjoy participating in. I want to keep updating this each month with activities your organization has in which singles would be interested. Please send data to my e-mail address - djgmimi@centurytel.net.

FCC Blanket

Be sure and check out the First Christian Church Coverlet Blanket hanging on display in the narthex. Order your blanket for $60 (market value is at least $75). The blanket is a remarkably beautiful keepsake. Please call or (512-396-1926) to order yours!