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Worship Service Schedules
8am
Traditional
Service
9:30am
Contemporary Service
11:00 am Contemporary Service
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March 2013
The Family Church
'Family Connections' Newsletter
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A Word from Max 
As I sit here in the afterglow of this year's Global Impact Celebration, I am once again filled with thankfulness on a number of fronts. I am thankful for the dozens of Family Church people who worked so hard to make it a success. I am thankful for our local and international mission partners who labor so faithfully in the field each day as they join Jesus in His mission. I am thankful for the 100 plus people who came forward to commit themselves to "GO" this year. And I am thankful for faith commitments in excess of 250,000.00 for this year's GIC offering. The lives of people here locally and around the world will be impacted once again by the faithful stewardship and generosity of this body.
I am also aware that many found it hard to trust God for a financial promise this year. Some shared their own personal financial struggles. Some shared a sense of "compassion fatigue" and being overwhelmed by the scope of the need. Many are simply stretched too thin in their personal finances to have any confidence in God to provide. But that is not how God planned for His children to live. As much as there are business habits that can lead to more productivity in our professional lives, there are stewardship practices that can lead to more blessed financial lives. Here are some thoughts on Seven Habits of a Highly Effective Steward:
1) Be thankful! . . .
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Whispers in the Dark
Scripture: Matthew 27:50 - "And when Jesus had cried out again, in a loud voice, He gave up His Spirit."
Observation: The Spirit of life. The Spirit of God, the source of all of Jesus' power, the comfort and peace of His life, the only remaining tangible bond with His heavenly existence... Jesus gave Him up...released Him...dismissed Him...His Spirit. He truly died in that moment as He was truly cut off from God. He experienced hell in all its agony and finality. The life and presence of God was taken from Him. Jesus commends His Spirit to God. Yet, even in this moment, He is trusting the Father, trusting that God will return His Spirit to Him. He gives up the Spirit because of sin...my sin...our sin....all sin. Indeed, the only sin He didn't give up the Spirit for was His sin...because He was without sin. And because He had dwelt with the Spirit from eternity, He knew the Spirit could not dwell in sin. The Spirit is tormented, grieved, tortured by sin. And Jesus, in an unimaginable act of love, releases the Spirit from that grief. He gave up everything, even the Spirit of Life, in order to take on our sin. He became totally alone, empty, powerless, vulgar even...for me. With a cry of agony, He releases His Spirit...and dies!
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Resurrection Celebration
HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE
March 28th:
Maundy Thursday Service at 7 pm
March 29th:
Good Friday Service
at NOON
March 31st:
Sunrise Service
outside beginning at 6:30 am
Easter Services
at 9:30am AND 11am
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Worship and Arts Ministry
Hi Everyone!
As we complete GIC and catch our breath for normal production programming with Easter on the horizon, I would like to feature Jude Parfait in this months newsletter.
Jude is not only one of our bass players that you see on regular basis in our weekend services, he also heads up our youth sports camp each year...which fits really well into is "athletic / personal training" occupation. I'll let Jude take it from here:
Getting to know the Parfait Family:
"My wife Elisha and I have two kids, Kara and Tobin, as well as a third one due in March. We moved to Gainesville in 2010 because the Air Force is sending me back to school for my PhD. We knew we found the right church for us because of the uncompromising messages and the emphasis on missions. We got involved in a family group and have enjoyed it very much. I've always tried to give back to my church by contributing/volunteering and I thought that the tech team was something that I could balance with the time I need to devote to my studies. After some prodding by the Holy Spirit, and encouragement from the family group, I finally joined and it's been really great to contribute to the services."
So, Jude thanks for sharing part of your story with us...we are blessed to have you & your family here at Family Church.
Come join us as we grow, Larry
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Discipleship Ministry
 | | Aaron Read |
February was an exciting month for the Family Groups. We started the month off with service projects which helped us to a first step into liberating the lost. I heard that groups fed the homeless, served at the Ronald McDonald house, cleaned up a park, plugged into the Dare 2 Care ministry, and the like. I hope that these projects remind us that Family Groups should not be a holy huddle.
At GIC, many of the missionaries on their evaluation forms said that their favorite part of the week was the Family Group/Missionary potluck on Saturday evening. These potlucks give our missionaries an opportunity to share about themselves and their ministries. One Family Group leader told me that the stories the missionary was sharing literally had every person on the edge of their seats. In another Family Group, the missionaries were asked about their support needs and their support need was met by the Family Group.
Coming up: MEET THE INTERN, Jason Payne
TO READ AN AWESOME TESTIMONY
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Missions Ministry
 | | Jeff West |
 Global Impact Celebration 2013 Summary
If you were not around for the Global Impact Celebration (GIC) that took place from February 13-17, please accept my heart-felt condolences. Here is a quick summary of what took place and the encouraging result in taking the time to honor the Lord by focusing on His global mission. In our Wednesday opening service, we had an inspirational time of worship that highlighted the fact that the world needs to know that Jesus lives, that we need to be willing to go because the Lord of the harvest sends us, and He will give us the courage to go to the ends of the earth. Consequently, we can expect great results because He said to pray and He will give us the nations! Our youth did a wonderful job presenting an "Ends of the earth ... and end of the driveway" to show the link between the global AND local aspect of being missions minded. Speaker, Paul Emery, gave us a powerful visual representation of the need for missionary work among unreached people groups. We had great interviews with our long time missionary partners and friends and we saw some fresh faces of visiting guest missionaries who are working among unreached tribal groups and restricted access Muslims.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE:
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Youth Ministry
WHERE:
The Family Church
2022 Southwest 122nd Street
Gainesville, FL 32607
WHEN:
Friday, March 8, 2013 at 4:00 PM - Sunday, March 10, 2013 at 12:00 PM (EST)
Student Ministries Discipleship and Connections Weekend.
Get connected with friends and God!
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP:
axisweekend.eventbrite.com
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Kidz Under God's Instruction By Janelle Burns
CLICK HERE:
To Read The First Linkz Newsletter
CLICK HERE:
To Read The Kidz Venture Newsletter
Children's Calendar for the Month of  March
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Men's Ministry 
by Mark Ulmer
In our culture, our media and all around us, the family and in particular, men are under attack. The men's ministry has put together several events and activities throughout the year that are designed to forge and strengthen relationships, help men to grow in their faith and give them the opportunity to serve others.
Not all of our events appeal to everyone. However, I can assure you that as you get connected to other like- minded men, you will benefit in a tremendous way. Many that attended the men's retreat in January said it made a big impact on their life. We intend to make this an annual event.
I would like to challenge those men that have not taken the occasion to join us, to take a step out of your routine and get involved with a great group of guys.
Mark Ulmer
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Women's Ministry
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Vivian Sawyer
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The Women's Council Welcomes our newest member...Angie Phillips!
Angie Phillips describes herself as an "Army Brat born in Germany" but transplanted to Gainesville. Her picture is a perfect illustration of her personality and shows why she is a great addition to the Women's Council. She is a vibrant, "get it done" voice in the planning of programs for the growth of the women of our church.
Angie has been a member of The Family Church since 1998. She has been involved in many areas of the church body (nursery/ children ministry, greeter team, sign team). She has been married to her husband Paul for 22 years, has four daughters, three sons in laws and a son in law to be! J She has been a nurse for 25 years, currently with the Levy Co. Health Department in the school system. Angie has attended numerous Women's Ministry events and has volunteered at several this past year and felt a tug at her heart when being asked if she would consider being a part of the team. She was much honored and would like to bless other women in our church body as she has been over the years with the many stages of being a woman growing in God and sharing life.~
Welcome Angie, we look forward to working with you!
Save the Dates!!!
Spring Retreat at Steinhatchee ... April 12-14
Mother/Daughter Tea ... May 4th
Watch the bulletin for details
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Jellyfish, No brain Yet It Sees and Hunts
Stephen F. Larner, PhD
 A Clever Creature with no Brain1: Jellyfish have no heart, no bones, no brain, is composed of 95% water, yet it is still a remarkably efficient predator2. This unusual creature, an invertebrate (lacking bones), is bell shaped, constructed with a jelly-like substance, tentacles, and oral arms (sometimes called "flaps") which are used to ingest its prey.
There are more than 200 species of jellyfish (class Cubozoa), ranging in size from the Caribbean's tiny thimble jellyfish to the Arctic Lion's Mane, whose bell is up to 8 feet in diameter and its tentacles up to 200 feet long, twice the length of a blue whale, and is believed to weigh more than 550 lbs.3
How jellyfish move: Jellyfish move through water in two ways. . . .
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Evangelism
"Evangelism is the sob of God.
It is the anguished cry of Jesus as He weeps over a doomed city.
It is the cry of Paul, 'I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren,
my kinsmen according to the flesh'.
Evangelism is the heart-winning plea of Moses. 'Oh this people have sinned. Yet now, if thou wilt, forgive their sin; if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of the book which thou has written'.
It is the cry of John Knox, 'Give me Scotland or I die'.
It is the declaration of John Wesley, 'The world is my parish.'
It is the sob of parents in the night, weeping over a prodigal child.
The key to evangelism is a burden for the lost."
Jonathan McLeod -taken from The Evidence Bible, NKJV. |
The Family Church
2022 SW 122nd Street
Gainesville, FL 32607352-332-6459
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