Issue 3 Volume 13 - Week of January 18, 2015

From Dr. Jim Weldon, Jr.

Dear FIPC Church Family,

Are you happy? Really, and truly, deep down happy? God wants you to be! How do you and I become happy? What is the key to happiness? J.D. Greear writes this...

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The Key

by J. D. Greear

"[God] has never commanded us to go save the world for him; he calls us to follow him as he saves the world through us."

I spent a lot of my Christian life feeling guilty over what I am not doing in the kingdom of God. It's not that I am not committed to Jesus, living a sacrificial life or intensely busy for the kingdom. I am-but there is just always so much more to be done, and sometimes I feel as if the needs of the world are crushing me.

I've found that many, if not most, committed Christians feel the same way. They've been told to be radical, full of "crazy love," followers of Jesus rather than fans-and these are all true and needed messages. And yet many of us, after a really zealous start, end up down a radical path, feeling paralyzed by the weight of it all. So we toggle between summers of feverish activity and winters of guilt and fatigue.

We read Jesus' words about the yoke being easy and the burden light, and we genuinely have no idea what he's talking about. Discipleship feels like drudgery. I've counseled many of these weary believers in college groups and pastors' circles, on the mission field, and in my office.

And as I said, I used to be one of them myself. No matter what I gave, there was always more that was needed. One more child to free from the sex trade ... one more unreached people group to target ... one more person to tell about Jesus!

The burden of such a conviction nearly crushed me. My despair drove me to the Scriptures, and that despair eventually gave way to one of the most surprising insights I've ever had, one that has radically redefined how I see my service to Christ. This discovery turned drudgery and guilt into freedom and joy, and perhaps, ironically, has led to more generous living than any resolve to "be radical" ever did.

Let me warn you, it's completely counterintuitive. Brace yourself! Here it is: God doesn't need you! Never has. Never will. For anything. Ever.

It turns out I had vastly overestimated what I had to contribute. I didn't have "more" I needed to give; I actually had nothing God needed to begin with. Nothing.

God is not now, nor has he ever, looked for "helpers" to assist him in saving the world. That doesn't mean he isn't calling us to give ourselves generously to that mission or be sacrificially generous with our neighbors; it's just that he's not looking for people to supply his needs. He's not short on money, talent or time. He has never commanded us to go save the world for him; he calls us to follow him as he saves the world through us.

God's call to radical generosity begins with good news that he doesn't need us!

So instead of asking the question, "What needs to be done in the world?" we must ask, "What is the Spirit of God leading me to do?" Just like Jesus told his apostles to wait on the coming of the Holy Spirit before they went out to the world, we are to look to the Holy Spirit for his direction in what God would have us do.

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God may not need us, but He does want us! What is He calling you to do? He wants you because...God is good all the time! All the time God is good!

Grace and Peace,

Jim Weldon

Church Celebrations

Join us for a

Lawn, Garden & Patio Shower for

Mike Horst and Keri Pound

Wednesday, January 21 (TONIGHT)

@ 6:30 pm

Fleming Island Presbyterian Church

Plan to join us as we shower the happy couple with lawn, garden, and patio gifts.

We will also be collecting money after church in the gathering area for the purchase of larger gifts and to make a money tree.

Also, gift cards are welcomed!

Mike and Keri are registered at:

Sears

Target

Bed Bath & Beyond

Williams-Sonoma

Church Announcements

Four Apartments Are Ready - Now They Need Furnishings

Now that Mercy Support Services has four additional apartments for homeless families, they have a great need for furnishings. There are several families just waiting for the apartments to be fully supplied.

The list below is only the basic immediate needs for the four new apartments. On a greater scale, they need all of the basic housekeeping items that a new family would require. Your help can make a difference in a family's life by donating any of the following items:

sets of dishes
sets of silverware
can openers, pots, pans, frying pans, cooking utensils, dish towels, bath towels
shower curtains
bath mats
dining room sets, sofas, side chairs, end tables
bunk bed sets with twin mattress
twin bedding, full bedding, pillows, hangers, laundry baskets
vacuum cleaners and mops
buckets, sponges
small desks
TV's, household decorations
calendars

If you can donate any of the following new or used items, please contact Bridgette Davis, Senior Case Manager, at 904-297-4052 x108. Let her know if you need your items picked up. Thank you for your support!

Women's Monday Evening Bible Study Service Project

Baby Boutique

for

First Coast

Women's Services

February 1 - February 22

They will be collecting different items each week in the Gathering Area:

Week 1 - new born diapers
Week 2 - baby formula
Week 3 - baby bottles
Week 4 - baby food

Want a take home service project to do with your family? Baby bottles are available for you to collect your loose change. This project is tax deductible and they raise about $32,000 a year doing this simple project.

The Women's Monday Evening Bible Study thanks you for your participation in this service project!

Join the Easter Choir

We are putting together a special Easter Choir for Easter Sunday 10 am service. We are looking for anyone (men and women, ages 9th grade on up) who loves to sing and make a joyful noise. You do not need to know how to read music! Please sign up on your yellow welcome cards or contact Mike Horst at the church office for more information. Rehearsals are Thursday nights at 6:30 pm beginning February 19!

Adult Ministries

Women's Monday Evening Bible Study
2nd & 4th Mondays @ 6:30 pm

Worship Building Room #2

Currently studying "A Beautiful Offering: Returning God's Love With Your Life" by Angela Thomas. Given the enormity of God's grace and love to you, do you long to show your gratefulness by offering your life to Him? Angela Thomas, author of the best-selling "Do You Think I'm Beautiful" did. Enthralled by God's love, she turned to the Sermon on the Mount to learn how to glorify her loving Father with her life. Along the way, she came to see the Beatitutes not so much as a list of commands but rather a list of "when you are's" offering a spiritual inheritance. Rather than requiring perfection, discover that God simply requires your gracious obedience. In His eyes, your life, complete with mistakes, blemishes, and imperfections, is A Beautiful Offering.

A Beautiful Offering is an 8 session Bible study experience. The member books are available for purchase at LifeWay for $10.95. This group meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month from 6:30-8:30 pm. They meet for fellowship, a light meal, prayer, and Bible study and are open to all women. Contact persons: Ann Roos, C: 904-887-2265 or Candy Cafcules, C: 904-303-7674.

New Lunch Bunch Small Group

Wednesday, February 4 @ Noon

Gathering Area

Led by Pastor Jim

Bring a dish to share and come enjoy the fellowship. All the details of this small group, such as how often to meet, will be determined at this first meeting. Contact person: Pastor Jim Weldon, C: 904-553-8493.

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.

Youth Ministries

The Net Wednesday Nights

(Attend Mike & Keri's Shower Tonight)

Wednesdays

6:30-8:30 pm

Jr. High & Sr. High Youth

The Shack

Games, music, small groups, and worship! Invite your friends!

Children's Ministries

ROCK Wednesday Nights

5:30-7:00 pm

ROCK Room

ROCK stands for "Reaching Out for Christ's Kingdom" and is a youth group for 5th and 6th graders.

January 21: Dinner and Study: TBA

January 28: Dinner and Study: TBA

In This Issue

Church Celebrations

Church Announcements

Youth Ministries

Children's 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: 0

Attendance:

01/18/15 = 134

Ministry & Building Fund Offerings:

01/18/15 = $7,198.29

(2015 weekly need = $8,154)

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:

Good job Mike and Pastor Greg.
Thank you Father for a wonderful church family that truly is our family.
Great music Mike.
Going to see new grandnephew, Robert Peter, tomorrow. O happy day. Bonus seeing my sis, too! Mike and Keri. WEBS & Lifers friends.
Ruth is doing much better! Thanks to church family for your prayers and support.
Feeling much better from being sick last week; started Bible Study (fellowship) yeah; blessings of time after obeying God! PTL.

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:

Husband, health and unspoken; pray for my son, lost 3/5 of income, pray for salvation for him and his finance and that his heart opens to God's direction, wisdom, & discernment.
For the Kurtz family (the contractor who built our church passed away.)
Stokes & Ally families; for my son to continue his walk with Christ.
Pray for benign biopsy results for Linda V. who was diagnosed with a tumor on her tongue.
Bless our church; pray for Sydney with MS and her faith.
Evan working in Orlando; church and gov't leaders.
Mary Y. for her healing.
Georgann, the Lord get fever under control for her to start chemo; strength and rest for Candy C.; condition of loved ones to return to Jesus; Michaela, healing and diagnosis for severe back pain.

This Week's Funny

This Week's Devotional

"Master Your Moods"

by Rick Warren

PurposeDriven.com

"Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ." (Philippians 2:5 TLB)

If you want to succeed in life, you must learn how to master your moods. When you have emotion that isn't getting you where you want to go, you've got two options: You either change it, or you channel it.

Sometimes you need to change what you're feeling.

Some emotions are so destructive, so damaging, so hurtful, so non-effective, the only thing you can do is change it. You've got to change what you're feeling.

Philippians 2:5 says, "Your attitude should be the kind that was shown us by Jesus Christ" (TLB).

Your attitude includes your emotions, so what you're feeling should be the same as that of Jesus. You need to ask yourself, "How would Jesus feel in this situation? Would Jesus get irritated with this waitress? No. Would Jesus yell at that person? No. Would Jesus be up all night, wringing his hands and worrying that it isn't going to work out? No. Would Jesus be fearful? No."

Then, you instantly dismiss any feeling that doesn't make you more like Jesus. If Jesus wouldn't respond to your wife with that emotion, then you shouldn't, either. You drop that attitude, and you figure out what Jesus would do instead.

Sometimes you need to channel what you're feeling.

When my son, Matthew, died, I entered into the deepest possible grief you can imagine. But my wife and I decided from the first moment that we were going to channel that grief for good and use our pain to help other people. That's one of the reasons we host the annual conference on mental illness at Saddleback Church. I'm not about to waste a hurt I go through. I'm going to use it for good.

Your greatest ministry will not come out of your strengths and successes. Your greatest ministry could come out of your deepest pain.

What pain in your life are you using for good? If you have been in so much pain you didn't even want to talk about it, then you need to learn to manage your emotions. You need to name the emotion, challenge it, and channel it if you're not going to change it. Then, you use it for good.

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