Issue 51 Volume 12 - Week of December 21, 2014

From Dr. Jim Weldon, Jr.

Dear FIPC Church Family,

Merry Christmas!

On behalf of the entire church staff, I would like to thank you for your generous Christmas love offering! You are and continue to be a blessing to me, the staff, our families, and our church family. May Christ richly bless you in all you do this Christmas!

God is good all the time! All the time God is good!

Grace and Peace,

Jim Weldon

Church Celebrations

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas at FIPC

Adult Christmas Dinner

Women's Ornament Exchange

ROCK Christmas Party

Youth Ugly Christmas Sweater Party

Church Announcements

Join us for 2 great Christmas Eve services!

4:00 pm Children's Pageant, "Crazy Mixed Up Christmas Story"

This service is great for families with children. All children can participate in the pageant. Great time for Christmas photo opportunities!

6:00 pm Candlelight Service

This service will have a Christmas Eve message, music led by a special instrumental ensemble and choir, and singing "Silent Night" with candles. It's a beautiful service, and a great time to invite guests to your church!

Don't let the threat of rain keep you away from worshiping with us on Christmas Eve! Remember, the Magi crossed through a desert to see Jesus!

Be safe, be warm, and be merry! God's blessings to you and your family from Fleming Island Presbyterian Church!

Merry Christmas!

The Perfect Christmas Gift

Don't know what to buy someone for Christmas? Want to give the perfect Christmas gift that will last, is guaranteed to fit, and won't be returned or regifted? If so, consider ordering an engraved brick paver for FIPC's Walk of Faith.

To place an order, simply complete the Walk of Faith Brick Order Form. Drop off your order form and payment to the Church Office or place it in the offering plate during worship. Contact Dawn Vanderpool at 269-2412 ext. 701, if you have any questions. We want to see your family, your friends, and your loved ones represented on our Walk of Faith!

Christmas Offering

Now through December 29

During this holiday season, a season of generosity, we would like to offer you the opportunity to give to a special Christmas Offering. This Christmas Offering is intended for gifts above and beyond your regular giving. The Christmas Offering will be dedicated to the FIPC Building Fund with the goal of raising the equivalent of one month's mortgage payment ($9,287.26)! Each Sunday, you will be provided with a special Christmas Offering envelope to use for your gifts to this offering. The Christmas Offering begins this Sunday, November 16, and the last day to give will be December 29. As you are making your gift giving list and checking it twice, be sure to remember a gift to your church. If you have any questions, please contact Joe Perry, Treasurer, or Dawn Vanderpool, CFO & Church Administrator.

Adult Ministries

Christian Growth Classes

January 25 @ 1:00 pm

Worship Building

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 Sara Dryden, Director of Membership. 1st Base participants, please sign up ahead of time in order to receive information to be discussed at the meeting.

In This Issue

Church Celebrations

Church Announcements

Adult 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.

New Members This Year: 22

Attendance:

12/21/14 = 147

Ministry & Building Fund Offerings:

12/21/14 = $8,988.34

(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:

I am thankful for family being together this Christmas.
For safe travels and for the Christmas time.
Thank you so much for prayers, calls, meals, help with mom, and cards. Feeling so much better. Carol-Anne Hallam.
God bless Flamingos.
Great message.
For a loving and praying church family.

Prayer Requests:

For our community.
For our church's growth in spirit, connections, and number.
For those who do not know Christ.
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.
Betty Gedrottis.

Prayers from the Welcome Cards:

Answers to health issues.
Dot K., healing for heart condition.
Desiree, Shannan, Robert, Lorraine.
Friend, widow, lost job; friend has cancer.
For Sydney with her MS; for my grandparents as well as my grandma.
Safe travels for those traveling; seeking full-time employment.
Racial peace; church and gov't leaders; travel mercies; Andy, co-worker, organ transplant recovery.
Charlotte, healing (Baptist South).

This Week's Funny

This Week's Devotional

"Get To Know Your Creator"

by Rick Warren

PurposeDriven.com

Weekly Devotional

"The smallness you feel comes from within you. Your lives aren't small, but you're living them in a small way .... Open up your lives. Live openly and expansively!"

(2 Corinthians 6:12-13 MSG)

This time of year, we all have many important tasks to get done. We've got year-end reports to write. We have holiday meals to plan. And, of course, we have gifts to buy.

But you have something much more important to focus on this Christmas: developing a personal and growing relationship with Jesus.

Why should you get to know Jesus better? There are at least two very important reasons.

First of all, Jesus made you. The Bible says, "Before anything else existed, there was Christ, with God. He has always been alive and is himself God. He created everything there is - nothing exists that he didn't make. Eternal life is in him, and this life gives light to all mankind" (John 1:1-4 TLB).

You have the opportunity to not just meet the Creator of the universe but also to meet your Creator. You've heard people say, "When in doubt, consult the manual." Knowing Jesus is even better. If you want to know how to get the most out of life, why not get to know the One who created you?

Secondly, Jesus opens up your heart to enjoy a life of purpose, peace, and power. A relationship with Jesus secures your place in Heaven, but it does more than that. God promises a life of purpose, peace, and power to all who know him.

Knowing Jesus in a personal way changes everything about how you live. Purpose, power, and peace are just the beginning of what God wants to give you in this life.

Unfortunately, most people are living in such a tiny, insignificant way because they've filled their lives with meaningless activity.

As Christmas approaches this year, think of the innkeeper who didn't make room for Jesus on the first Christmas. His actions didn't keep Jesus from being born. His actions didn't stop God's purpose in history. It just hurt the innkeeper. He missed the privilege of housing the Son of God at his birth.

The same is true for you. If you don't take the time to get to know Jesus, you miss the opportunity to know your Creator. You miss the opportunity to have the purpose, peace, and power that only comes through God's Son. You miss his purpose for your life if you never make room for him.

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