Family Ministries Meal

The meal for tonight will be:
Soup
Grilled Cheese
Salad
Dessert.

Meal begins at 5:30 PM, ministries for all ages begin at 6:30 PM.  Hope to see you there!

Family Ministries Meal

The menu for this week's Family Ministries Meal will be one of our favorites - breakfast for supper!

Sausage Gravy & Biscuits
Eggs
Grits
Link Sausage
Fruit

Come join us at 5:30 PM for a meal, then plan to stay for Family Ministries at 6:30 PM where there are classes and opportunities for all ages to grow in the Lord.

Ravi Zacharias is coming to Gaineville on Thursday, January 25.  

There will be an Open Forum with author and apologist, Ravi Zacharias, and author and professor, Vince Vitale, as they discuss the topic of Jesus Among Secular Gods.

This event is FREE TO THE PUBLIC and will be held at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.

Doors open to the public at 5:30 PM.

Sliver Ring Thing

What is the Silver Ring Thing? It is an event for young people from middle school to young adult. It is described as:

A RADICAL RESPONSE TO CULTURE'S CASUAL VIEW OF LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS

This is a challenge to live bold and set apart from the celebration of immorality all around us.  SRT defies the meet-up, hook-up, break-up mindset of today and inspires students to a pure life centered in Jesus Christ.

 This 2 hour stage performance incorporates high energy music, videos, skits, special effects, and comedy delivered in a concert-style approach with which teenagers can respond and relate. The event is presented by a team of peer-level students serving as role models and examples of the power and freedom in living out this calling.  Their message is one of hope, boldness, and truth that's jam-packed with powerful speaking and personal testimonies. The program also proclaims the grace-filled message of the Gospel, going way beyond a call to abstinence to full life in Jesus Christ!

This event is coming to Lake City on January 27 at Christ Central Ministries.  Our youth group has plans to attend.

For Parents:

At the beginning of each Silver Ring Thing event there is a special presentation called PARENTAL GUIDANCE.  This session gives honest truth, informing parents about the real attitudes and behaviors of today's youth culture and instructing you how to support your child's commitment to purity.  This session helps equip you to navigate the teen years and provides valuable information and current resources to succeed as a family.  Reach out to friends, neighbors, and family members who will benefit greatly from this session. Topics include:

• The role of parents in the abstinence decision
• Faithful living in a fallen culture
• The news you haven't heard
• Debunking the 'safe-sex' myth
• 8 key things every parent should do
• and so much more...

Be encouraged to pray for and support this event.  Visit Silver Ring Thing for more information. 

Loving Others Outside the Church

How do we become agents of light? How do we penetrate the marketplace? How can we bring glory to God and touch the lives of the people we meet in a positive life-changing way?

The following practical steps can be implemented to communicate and model the love of Christ when you steps outside the walls of the sanctuary and into your workplace.

1. Take on the 'unseen' Partner

Live as the psalmist who wrote, "I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (Psa. 16:8). Before you go to work, take time to pray about your job. Pray for the people you'll be working with and those who you'll be serving. Remember, God is the "unseen Partner" in all of life. He is with us wherever we are. And we need his presence, especially in the marketplace.

Being conscious of God's presence can have a profound impact on your job, and the people around you.

2. Transform your attitude

Work like the apostle Paul who wrote, "And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" (Col. 3:17). At your work, whatever it may be, have an attitude that reflects the positive nature of God's grace on your life. 

3. Realize your job is your mission field

The apostle Paul reminds us, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God's power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek" (Rom. 1:16). "Why should I be ashamed of the gospel?" asks Paul. "It is the message of salvation, of life! It's powerful! It's the answer to man's greatest need!" And guess what? People in the marketplace are in the largest mission field in the world. You rub shoulders everyday with people who need the power and grace of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What can you do in your work setting to minister and witness to those around you?  You can make an impact list. List the people with whom you work that you will pray for. And begin praying for them each day. Begin each day by consecrating your work place. Dedicate it as a sanctuary to God. Make it a holy place where God is present and God can work. And, then, each day look for opportunities to minister, to serve, to help, to offer assistance. We may not be able to do everything, but we can do something.

Family Ministries

Family Ministries is Wednesday beginning at 5:30 PM with a meal. The menu will be Beef Stew & Rice, Cabbage and Dessert.  Classes for children, youth and adults begin at 6:30 PM. Come enjoy the warmth of a hot meal and blessed fellowship around the table.  Come grow in the Lord as a family!

Your Mission in the Marketplace

What a powerful sermon we heard on Sunday.  One that is worth pondering and keeping close in our minds and hearts.

In order for Jesus to reach and rescue the world he had to penetrate it. Likewise, for us to impact and influence the world for Christ we must penetrate it. John Stott said, "We are to go as he went, to penetrate human society, to mix with unbelievers and fraternize with sinners. Does not one of the church's greatest failures lie here? We have disengaged too much. We have become a withdrawn community. We have become aloof instead of alongside."

On Sunday the church gathers, but on Monday through Saturday the church scatters. Into the marketplace followers of Jesus Christ live as God's ambassadors. They are his representatives, his messengers. They are on mission.

Jesus' strategy always involved believers going into the world, to penetrate the marketplace. Followers of Christ must recognize their ministry and mission of communicating God's love to people they come into contact each day.

1. The biblical mandate

It was this intentional mission strategy that Jesus had in mind when he said, "You are the salt of the earth.  But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It's no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matt. 5:13-16).

Here are three ideas illustrated in Jesus' imagery of light that have direct bearing on our experiences in the marketplace.

1. Radiate Christ's love

Jesus made it absolutely clear that he wants his followers to radiate his love to those around them. That's why he talked about light.  We can't turn a light on and then tell it not to dispel darkness. The very nature of light is such that it must shatter the darkness around it. In the same way, true Christians should, by their very nature, radiate something of the work of God in their lives to the people around them. We are the light of the world; we must, therefore, radiate that light and dispel darkness.

2. Don't refuse to shine

Jesus anticipated that some believers might choose to limit their candlepower, to refuse to shine their lights. He anticipated this and forbade it. "Let your light shine!" he commanded. He did not, and he does not now leave believers the option of letting their worlds remain in undisturbed blackness.

3. Spread Christ's influence

Jesus made it obvious that he wants us to spread his influence to every corner of this dark, fallen world. It's not enough that we simply take our lights out of hiding. He wants us to put them on a lamp stand where everyone can see them! God wants the light of his love to be held high so it can permeate every bit of darkness.  It is through the channels of our daily lives that God shines the light of his message of love.

Baby Bottle Boomerang Begins

The annual Baby Bottle Boomerang will begin this Sunday!  There will be baby bottles available for families, classes or groups to take and fill with loose change. These donations will go to support our local Pregnancy Care Center. 

January 21 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and we are excited about the opportunity to remember that each life is created in God's image and put action to our beliefs as we collect our change to bring changes in the lives of women in our community. 

Family Ministries

This Wednesday, Family Ministries will resume.  The meal will begin at 5:30 PM and we will be serving Chili, Hot Dogs, Cole Slaw and dessert. 

All classes, children, youth and adult prayer meeting will begin at 6:30 PM.  Let's be encouraged to begin the new year with a faithful and committed spirit and desire to grow in the Lord as a family. These are not simply resolutions, but decisions that will build a godly legacy that impacts many. Hope to see you there!

January Bible Study

We are excited to begin a January Bible Study on Sunday nights beginning at 6:00 PM.  This year's study will focus on I Peter.

In the first century, Gentile believers were suffering and facing persecution because of their faith in Jesus. Peter wrote a letter to remind them that their heavenly hope and eternal inheritance outweighed anything faced in this life. He encouraged them to live holy lives motivated by love.

The message delivered by Peter has great relevance for today, as more pressure is being exerted on believers around the world. This January Bible Study will be a source of encouragement to believers facing this increasing pressure, reminding them that they are foreigners in a distant land and that one day they will gain the privileges of their heavenly citizenship. 

Come join us and begin 2018 in the Word of God. 

Becoming a Better Volunteer

Volunteers - those who have a heart for service are a vital and valuable part of the church. Many tasks are done behind the scenes and are done with those who desire to serve and to serve well.  

Here are a few qualities of outstanding volunteers that will benefit the church and any other place you may serve.

1. Great church volunteers practice relational intentionality. 

Relational intentionality is one of the most valuable traits you can have in a ministry volunteer because they will be able to pull people in and get them connected within the church. This essentially means you are purposeful in your friendships. You seek out the kid sitting by themselves. You bend over backwards to make someone feel special and seen. 

2. Nothing fazes them.

Looking for a great volunteer? Find the person who will do the job no one else wants to do. Look for the person who can cheerfully high five a scowling kid who was dragged to youth group. Look for the person who is endlessly patient with endless possibilities for frustration: lost waiver forms, difficult parents, relational drama, and even differing personalities.   

The ability to jump in and learn goes hand-in-hand with this trait. As a ministry leader or director, there are often so many tasks that need to be done in the moment that an ideal volunteer will take initiative and help out.

3. They are in a role that is a unique fit for them.

It is a beautiful connection when volunteers serve in areas where their gifts and strengths are maximized. 

When you can fit volunteers into this setup, they’ll flourish and more importantly – continue as a volunteer. Volunteers are vitally important and they bring a relational vitality to ministry.  

An excellent volunteer is invaluable, no matter the ministry. 

Church Sservices Tonight

There will be services tonight at Antioch.  No meal will be served and no children's classes will be this week, but the sanctuary is open for prayer meeting beginning at 6:30 PM.

*If any of our church family is without power and needs a place to stay warm, our fellowship hall is open and available.