Issue 32 Volume 12 - Week of August 10, 2014

From Dr. Jim Weldon, Jr.

Here We Grow Again!

Join me in welcoming our newest members:

Janet and Mike McCaskey - Janet is a retired CPA and Mike is a Restaurant Executive for Popeye's Chicken.

Jason Wada - Jason is a student at Florida Career College.

Dear FIPC Church Family,

Marriage is work! Sometimes it is the hardest work you will ever do. It is easy to get married. It is hard to stay married. Below is an article which I found helpful. I think you will too.

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How Conflict Creates Connection for Couples

Dr. John Townsend

"Wounds from a friend can be trusted ..."

Proverbs 27:6a (NIV)

When my wife, Barbi, and I were first married, we had conflicts about conflict. Looking back, it's kind of funny because I later went on to write a Christian relationship book called Boundaries in Marriage. Imagine watching us have boundary conversations about how bad our marriage boundaries were.

Barbi's approach to conflict was to avoid it. My approach tended to be more blunt. We'd talk about a problem, and it wouldn't go well. One of us would misunderstand, we would pull away from each other and the problem wouldn't get solved.

One day I asked Barbi, "When we argue, I never stop loving you. Is there anything I can do to make this better for you?"
She thought a minute and said, "Maybe if you let me know you love me before you confront me, that might help."

That was a good idea, so I agreed. The next time I wanted to have a talk with her about a concern, I walked in the room and said something like, "Honey, I just want to let you know I really care about you, and I hope you feel safe with me." Then when I brought up the problem, things went better for her and for us.

This method of having successful conversations went on for a while. As time passed, however, something changed. I needed to bring up an issue, so I began with, "Honey, I just want you to know..." Barbi said, "Stop! It's okay. I know you love me; just get to the problem."

We had a good laugh about it. Over time, she began feeling safe enough not to need reassurance before each conversation. She realized I loved her even in the midst of confrontation, and she was ready to go straight to problem solving.

When God created marriage, He gave us one of His best gifts. He provided a permanent and safe connection for a man and a woman to experience love, joy, meaning and purpose together. Genesis 2:24 says, "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (NASB). God designed marriage to be a whole-person connection. This means that, more than in any other human relationship, every part of you ideally is to connect and cleave to every part of your spouse. The love you share should be complete as you intertwine your lives and emotions around each other.

Because marriage is such a wonderful type of relationship, confrontation within the marital relationship is very important. Who is better qualified to understand and speak to someone about a problem than the person living life right next to him? You are intimately involved with him. You see the real person, imperfections and all. More than anyone, a spouse should be able to see what her partner's true problems are.

Marriage is not about making each other happy; it is about growing and helping one's spouse to grow into Christ-likeness. Happiness can and does come to a good marriage. However, it is a byproduct of growth and life - not the goal.
Confrontation brings empowerment, which is the ability to make choices and changes in your relationship. God created all of us to be change agents for each other. We have a responsibility to influence the people in our lives to be the best possible people they can be. For instance, 1 Thessalonians 5:11a says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up" (NIV).

As Barbi and I have learned to confront each other lovingly, directly and effectively, we are often pleased in the change not only in our marriage but also in ourselves. We feel a sense of power that we can make changes and that we have choices. God designed all of us to connect and act, and confrontation helps put the "act" into the connection.

Lord, thank You for the blessing of earthly marriage to display Your heavenly love for me. May I value marriage as all that You designed it to be. Help me move past seeking personal happiness and strive to develop growth in myself and my spouse. I trust You to guide my words and actions when conflict arises so that it can be an opportunity to connect in a deeper way. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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Remember...God is good, all the time! All the time, God is good!

Grace and Peace,

Jim Weldon

Church Celebrations

Christian Counseling Center Lobby

The Christian Counseling Center recently received a generous $4,750 foundation grant. Part of the foundation funds were earmarked for the refurnishing of their lobby area. What a fresh new look!

Eagle Scout Projects

Our Boy Scout Troop 409 has been busy working on three Eagle Scout projects on our South Campus. They had two projects that involved extending and connecting the deck between the Youth Room and The Shack (the deck still needs to be painted). Their third project was the building of a professional size sand volleyball court. These projects are amazing additions to our campus that will truly benefit our youth ministry, as well as our 5th Quarter community outreach. Be sure to check them out!

Church Announcements

Trivia Night & Silent Auction

August 15 @ 7:00 pm

FIPC Worship Building

Our 3rd annual 5th Quarter fundraiser is only weeks away. Reserve a table for 8 for just $120 and invite your family and friends for a night of fun in support of our biggest outreach ministry. Individuals can also sign up for $15 per person and be assigned to a table. Register online today or sign up on your yellow welcome card during worship!

Donation items are also needed for our Silent Auction. Please contact Dawn deAbreu or Donna Bedsole, if you have new items or gift baskets that you wish to donate. Below is a sample list of just a few of the items we will have up for auction:

Weekends at Two Different Beach Condos

ESP LTD Acoustic Guitar

Two Tier Craftsman Tool Box

Multiple Craftsman Tool Sets

Queen Englander Mattress Set

Pampered Chef Gift Basket

Mary Kay Gift Basket

Dillards Gift Basket

Wine Gift Basket

Guess Sunglasses

Masterbilt Golf Cart Repair Certificate

and so much more!

Our Trivia Night & Silent Auction fundraising goal for 2014 is $5,000. Please help us reach that goal!

Mercy Support Services'

2014 Annual Benefit Concert

Friday, August 22

7:00-9:00 pm

Celebration Church OP Campus

You are invited to participate in the Mercy Support Services' annual benefit concert which will generate funds to assist displaced families on their journey to self-sufficiency. Join them in celebrating God's mercy through praise & worship. Invite your friends & family. Admission is free: Love Offering will be taken. Pick up a flyer in our Gathering Area after worship Sunday.

Help Needed

Hospitality Ministry Team

(Sunday Morning Refreshments)

The Hospitality Ministry Team has five established teams who serve one time per month to provide welcoming refreshments in support of our Worship Ministry. We have a couple of teams that could use an additional person or couple. Training is absolutely free. If you can assist with this special ministry, please contact Michael Loader at 269-5304 or write a note on your yellow welcome card during worship.

5th Quarter Is Back!

Help us put on the best 5th Quarter season yet! Donations of the following items are needed:

dry snack goods (chips, pretzels, candy)
s'mores ingredients
canned soda (no diet please)
bottled water
hot snack items (tailgating fare)
firewood
monetary donations

Stop by the Golden Eagle in the Gathering Area to pick up a football tag with specific donation items that are still needed.

We also need 40 plus adult volunteers for each 5th Quarter event. Stop by the 5th Quarter Volunteer Table in the Gathering Area to sign up to volunteer at one or more of the events. The volunteers have almost as much fun as the youth!

5th Quarter Dates

August 22

August 29

September 12

September 26

October 3

October 24

Blackboard writings A good example is the best sermon

Upcoming Messages

Don't miss out on the important messages that FIPC has planned this summer:

August 17 - Mike Horst - To be announced

August 24 - Pastor Jim Weldon - How to Handle Temptation Part 3 James 1:2-18

August 31 - Mike Horst - To be announced

September 7 - Pastor Jim - How to Build a Christ Centered Home Deuteronomy 6:5-9

Pastor Jim invites conversation on the topics before the scheduled Sunday.

Dates and topics subject to change.

Adult Ministries

Christian Growth Classes

September 14

Worship Building

Congratulations to the following on completion of a Christian Growth Class:

1st Base

Janet and Mike McCaskey

Jason Wada

2nd Base

Heather and Chad Varney

3rd Base

Ronnie and Carolyn Overstreet

Home Plate

Brandy and Jason McCreanor

Completion of all the classes
Brandy McCreanor

We would love for you to join the church and continue your discipleship journey by partaking in one of these classes. If you are interested in joining the church or attending one of the classes, please contact the Director of Membership Sara Dryden. 1st Base, please sign up ahead of time in order to receive information to be discussed at the meeting.

Women's Beach Retreat

One Ocean Resort & Spa

September 20-21

Single room rate $ 275

Double room rate $ 185

Triple room rate $ 160

Quad room rate $ 145

Deposit of $75 Due: extended to August 17

Final Payment Due: September 7

The above rates are for a luxury room at the exquisite, award winning One Ocean Resort & Spa. These rates also include the following:

Saturday Lunch at North Beach Fish Camp
Saturday Dinner at Ragtime
Sunday Breakfast

Pick up a brochure at worship on Sunday or in the Church Office during the week for additional details and to register. Or, register online today!

Youth Ministries

Rock The Universe

Grades 8th-12th

September 5-7

Universal Studios, Orlando

Rock The Universe is Florida's biggest Christian music festival. This is going to be a fantastic weekend of worshiping Christ with bands such as Third Day, Jeremy Camp, Toby Mac, and Lacrea, as well as a great time for our youth group to fellowship and have fun at Universal Studios. The trip will be chaperoned by 5 qualified FIPC leaders.

Departing from FIPC on Friday, September 5 at 4:00 pm. Staying at the newly established, Cabana Bay Resort on Universal Property. We will have early access to the park on Saturday morning before it opens!

Cost of the trip: $275.00
Second Payment: $135.00 (Due August 31)
Cost includes: Travel, 2 night stay hotel accommodations, 2 full days (Saturday and Sunday) in Universal/Islands of Adventure with park hopper passes, and Rock the Universe admission Friday and Saturday nights!

Make your final payment online today!

In This Issue

Church Celebrations

Church Announcements

Adult Ministries

Youth Ministries

Thank You

Thanks and Prayer Requests

This Week's Funny

This Week's Devotional

FIPC Calendar

A Record of Our Faithfulness

FIPC is a member supported church.

We do not receive any outside funding. Everything we do is made possible through your faithful giving.

Attendance:

08/10/14 = 156

Ministry & Building Fund Offerings:

08/10/14 = $4,959.52

(2014 weekly need = $10,048)

Offering envelopes are available in the church bulletin for cash offerings. The envelopes are not necessary for checks. If you ever have any questions about FIPC finances, please contact our CFO & Church Administrator, Dawn Vanderpool, at the church office at (904) 269-2412 ext. 701.

Sunday Worship

Worship Service is held every Sunday morning
10:00 AM

Attire is casual. It is an uplifting, come as you are service.

God never intended for us to go it alone!

We want to help you find the Small Group where you can you grow in your faith and have some fun doing it!

ChristLife - Senior High Youth

Fuel - Jr. High Youth Group

ROCK / Children

Thank You Notes

Thanks to:

The Hospitality Team for Sunday morning refreshments!

The counting team for your continued service to your church!

Our Awesome Worship Band!

Those who helped usher/greet last Sunday!

Our Children's Ministry Volunteers!

Our Youth Ministry Team!

Announcements

Announcements for the e-newsletter, power point slide show during worship, and web site should be emailed to Dawn Vanderpool by 9 am on Mondays.

Announcements for the bulletin should be emailed to Sara Dryden by 10 am on Tuesdays.

Christian Counseling Center

A ministry of Fleming Island Presbyterian Church, The Christian Counseling Center of FIPC is an outreach of the church to our community.

Church Staff

If you would like to contact a church staff member please go to our website.

Facebook

Check out our Facebook page! It's a great way to add photos of events and stay in contact with your church.

Quick Links

Register Now

News

Related Topics

More On Us

Thanks and Prayer Requests

Praise / Thanks:

To God for all the new families He is bringing to us.
To God for blessing us abundantly.
To God for His Word revealed to us in the Bible.
To God for all those who work so hard behind the scenes.
To God for our Hospitality Ministry.
To God for our Sunday School Team.
To God for our Youth Group Leaders.
To God for our Great Worship Band and AV Team.
To God for all those folks who pray each day for FIPC.

Praise from the Welcome Cards:

Excellent sermon series, so relevant and needed.
Great message on temptation, Jim. Looking forward to part 3.
Praise Team rocks. Sara Dryden for everything she does.
Safe travels to and from Chicago. Nephew, Nate, had a baby girl. Mom and baby Jordyn healthy.

Prayer Requests:

For our community.
For our church's growth in spirit, connections, and number.
For those who do not know Christ.
For our Church's Pastor and Staff.
The grace to live out our faith.
For our FIPC Pastor, Staff, Elders, Deacons and their families.
For families and individuals who are hurting.
For the PCUSA and FIPC's response to the changes. For our Denominational Relations Committee.
Martha Williams, health.
Faircloth family.
Sydney Ward.

Prayers from the Welcome Cards:

Doris, Dale Capito's mom, surgery on the 19th for Colin cancer.
Marjorie Mitchell and family on the loss of her brother.
Craig, friend of the Sages, fighting brain cancer.
For a safe and easy move. For my daughter, Mandy, as she goes through counseling for being physically and mentally abused in her marriage. For my daughter, Melissa, for a safe journey to South Korea and that God will keep her safe during her time teaching English.
Gus V.
Doris' surgery to go well. All others in church who are suffering from illness or from losing a loved one.
Kyle K. family. Kyle died 8/2/14 and buried on Saturday. My heart is breaking for this family.
Chris Overstreet in CA for 2 weeks military training. Church and gov't leaders. Peace in the Middle East.
Mike and family.
Peace in all the conflict areas around the world.
Gail A., grandmother; David N.; Brandon N.; Ruth T., friend and member of church family.
Please pray for my wife Laura for patience and understanding as I go through Navy chief induction over the next 5 weeks.
Lorraine, Shannon, Jerry, John, Lou.
Prayer for Margie Mitchell and her family on the loss of her brother.
For Sydney and her battle with MS, also for my grandma.
Dawn D.'s father in St. Vincent's hospital.

This Week's Funny

Back To School This Week

This Week's Devotional

"How To Give Grace To The Irritable"

by Rick Warren

PurposeDriven.com

This Week's Devotional

"A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense."

(Proverbs 19:11 NIV)

When you're dealing with people who are offensive or irritating, you need to look past the behavior to the pain. Because everything we do is motivated by something. When people are hurting others, it's because they're hurting on the inside. Hurt people hurt people.

The more you understand about other people's background, the more grace you'll show them. Think of the people who you find the most difficult to deal with and who irritate you the most - you probably know nothing about their background. So you don't cut them any slack. You don't know that maybe they were molested. You don't know that maybe they were orphaned. You don't know that they've gone through three marriages and their husband walked out on them. You don't know their story, so you're not showing them any grace.

The Bible says in Proverbs 19:11, "A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense" (NIV). With wisdom, you don't get offended. Why? Because wisdom gives you patience. When you understand somebody's background, you understand the stress that person is under - and it's easier to show grace. That gives you patience to overlook the offense.

What I'm talking about here is real love. In fact, the Bible says refusing to be offended by other people is actually an act of mature love. It shows you how much love you've got in your heart. The more love you have in your heart, the harder it is to offend you on a personal basis.

The less love you have in your heart, the more insecure you feel and the easier it is to offend you. The Bible says in Proverbs 10:12, "Love overlooks the wrongs that others do" (CEV). The more I am filled with love, the less I'm going to be upset with you when you are demanding or demeaning or disapproving or whatever.

So this is the first step in dealing with difficult people: You must choose to refuse to be offended and take it personally.

Fleming Island Presbyterian Church 1743 County Road 220 Fleming Island, FL 32003 904-269-2412 www.myfipc.org Directions