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photo: Maura Lolandi

January 7, 2016

Welcome

to this week's edition of

TCFinTouch

the e-newsletter of
Trail Christian Fellowship
in Eagle Point, Oregon

As followers of Jesus

we gather throughout the week for worship, prayer, Communion, Bible study and fellowship. Our overall mission can be summed up as:

Helping People Think Like Jesus

This Sunday...

January 10, our Sunday Service will be held in the Worship Center from 10:00-11:30 a.m. Pastor Chris will be teaching. Programs for youth age Nursery-5th grade, Middle School and Teens meet at this same time in their respective classrooms.

Wednesday Service

Join us next Wednesday, January 13 from 6:30-8:00 p.m for Bible Study in the Fireside Room. Pastoral Intern Andrew Burns will be teaching from Psalm 2. Youth programs and AWANA will be held in their respective classrooms at the same time.

Listen to Trail Christian Fellowship Teachings

If you missed a service, or live out of our area, we invite you to click HERE

to listen to our recent Sunday a.m. and Wednesday evening teachings for free.

From our Pastors...

Living the Lord's Prayer

Part 1 of a 6 part series

Pray then like this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Matthew 6:9

Prayer is one of the most universal practices among human beings. According to an article in Psychology Today magazine, 6% of atheists pray daily and 11% report praying at least monthly. To whom they are praying might be another question, but the very fact that so many atheists pray at all is a telling statistic of prayer's universality.

Jesus rightly assumed His followers would be people who pray and so He taught them a manner of praying in the Sermon on the Mount. One of the interesting details about the Lord's Prayer is that though it is so-called, the Lord Himself wouldn't be able to pray it as He had no daily sins to be forgiven or temptations from which to be delivered. Truly, the "Lord's Prayer" might be more correctly called "The Disciples Prayer." It is a pattern of praying Jesus wanted His followers to learn.

The addressee of the prayer is "Our Father in heaven." This is no mere formality but a very important point: humans are not born with God as their father, but are His sons and daughters by grace because of the Cross. First and foremost we come to a holy God Who saved us, loves us, and is predisposed to hearing and granting our prayers.

The first petition of the prayer is that the name of God be hallowed. To hallow something is to sanctify it and make it holy. When the Lord sanctifies us, He is at work in our lives making us more holy. But obviously the Lord God can't be any holier than He already is, therefore we should understand this petition as a prayer that we would treat the name of God as holy and sacred.

As this touches on our prayer life, it is practically lived out in three ways:

1. Mindful worship: as we begin our prayer we reflect upon the name or person of God. In His Word, the Lord reveals Himself in many ways. He is our provider, protector, our counselor, our peace, our healer, our shepherd, and a host of other things. We understand God is far greater in His person than what He has revealed in Scripture but it is beyond our human comprehension. What we know is just the tip of the iceberg; but what we do know is that we have a great God Who is worthy of all praise which is where prayer always begins.

2. Submission of our wills. We always bring our ambitions and aspirations along with our burdens and sufferings to the Lord when we pray, but underneath this our attitude should be "Lord, my life is Yours. Use, bless, subtract, and dispose of it as will be for Your glory above all.

3. Guarding our witness. Jesus says for His followers to let their light shine before others that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. It is hard for others to do this if our behavior is such that it betrays our confession of faith. The 3rd Commandment is to not take the name of the Lord in vain. Yes, this does apply to abusing the good name of God in cursing and coarse talk, but it is much more than that.

When we call ourselves by the name of Christ and then in turn behave like devils, we have taken His name in a vain way. Indeed, we make it our prayer that our lives would be a positive testimony in a very negative world and so show the world the God we call "our Father".

See you Sunday,

Pastor Chris

Upcoming Events

2nd Wednesday Jam

If you're interested in learning worship songs and jamming with other musicians, meet Wednesday, January 13 at

5:15 p.m. in the Green Room (next to the Worship Center stage).

Questions? Call Ken Rensi at 541.951.1584.

Are you interested in learning more about what God is doing through His people? Join the Global Outreach Team at Mission Connexion, January 15 -17. This is the largest gathering on the West Coast focused on expanding the Kingdom of God through the mobilization of His people. This free event will be held at Sunset Presbyterian in Beaverton, Oregon. We will carpool up and share the cost of Hotel rooms.

From Missionconnexion:

Our purpose is to connect local churches and individuals to mission so that increasing numbers of believers are actively serving in areas of the world's greatest need and opportunity. See www.missionconnexion.com for more information. Reserve your spot by calling the Church Office: 541.878.3501 or outreach@trail.org

Swim Day

Come out for a fun family afternoon at Cascade Pool in White City, Sunday January 31, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. All ages are welcome! No charge but donations accepted at the pool. Please eat lunch before you come. Children 4th grade and older (SWIMMERS) may attend without an adult - with a signed permission slip. Children under 4th grade are encouraged to come with a parent or guardian. Permission slips and bus sign ups are in the Youth Center. For more information contact Debbie Conley at 541.261.2605 or Debbie@trail.org.

Weekend to Remember Marriage Getaway

There is a 2 1/2 day getaway weekend planned for married couples in Sunriver, Oregon, March 4-6, 2016. To register online for this "Weekend to Remember" Marriage Getaway by Family Life click HERE. Use group name: TCFMarriageMinistry for a $100 discount. (Further discounts are available Jan. 4 -25.) Brochures are available at the Information Counter.

Questions? Call Ben and Theresa Wewerka for more information: 541.826.7489 or email theresa_wewerka@hotmail.com

Building Teamwork In Your Marriage

Learn to see your spouse as your teammate and not an opponent - growing closer and stronger in your marriage in this 6-week study. Join with other couples for helpful discussions where you'll learn the importance of building teamwork in your marriage. Join us Thursday evenings Jan. 14 - Feb. 18, at 6:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room. Sign up using an Event Envelope at the Information Counter. Cost is $20 couple. Child care is available with sign-up.

Questions?

Contact: Ben & Theresa Wewerka: 541.826.7489

Are you working on a video? More entries=more fun! You are encouraged to create a 5 min. or less family-appropriate video and submit it by Feb. 7. Everyone is invited to dress up and view the videos Feb. 26. Dessert will be served. For questions or to submit your video contact Dakota: 541.951.1100 or dakotaL@trail.org.

Women's Ministry

A note from our Women's Ministry Director, Cyndi Harrington

My dear TCF sisters,

My heart is full of joy because of you! God has blessed us in so many ways. But most importantly "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit..." (2 Cor 13:14) is evident in you. As we face the New Year with all it's turmoils I know this to be true, as the Gaithers so eloquently put this to song,

"Because He lives I can face tomorrow, because He lives all fear is gone. And I know He holds the future and that life is worth the living just because He lives!"

In our weaknesses God is strong. We can know that by His precious Holy Spirit that lives in us, His amazing strength, we can have much joy in our hearts as we face the future.

Oh my dear sisters, may the love of Christ shine even brighter through you this New Year to a world that desperately needs our Jesus.

Love, love, love, you all,

Cyndi Harrington

Women's Bible Study

The Friday a.m. Women's Bible Study will begin a new study on "Our Life in Christ" Fridays, starting January 15 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room. Norah Gorden will be teaching. New students only need to fill out a Registration Form at the Information Counter. The Registration fee is $12 due at the first class. Child care provided. For more information contact Christean White at 541.664.2054.

An alternate evening study begins on Thursday, January 21 at 6:00 p.m. in Eagle Point, and there are 2 spots available! Sign up at the Information Counter using an Event Envelope, cost is $12. For more information call Rosita: 541.218.5507.

MOM's Group

The TCF MOM's Group will get together at TCF on Tuesday, January 12, 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the Youth Center. This group usually meets twice a month (2nd and 4th Tuesdays) and we enjoy a breakfast, a devotional or mentor guest speaker, and fellowship centering on Christian family life.

Check our Facebook page: TCF Moms Group or call Maria Consiglio: 541.826.9405.

Single Women's Dinner

Single ladies of all ages are invited to a home-cooked dinner Monday, January 25 from 6:00-7:30 p.m. in the Fireside Room. Please sign up at the Information Counter, no charge. Child care available with sign up. Questions? Nancy Payton: 541.878.1452.

Men's Ministry

Being God's Man Bible Study

All men are encouraged to attend our 9-week study "Being God's Man in the Face of Temptation, January 21-March 17.

All men are tempted to compromise. But not all men do. Some have learned the secret of being undivided between what they believe and how they actually think and live.

We'll meet Thursday nights from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Eagle Point Campus Life Building. Register at the Information Counter using an Event Envelope, enclose $8 or pay at the first class. You are welcome to come and sign up and pay at the first class. Registration closes February 11 or when all the books are taken. Questions? Pablito: (949) 246-9615 or email pablito@trail.org

Early birds, bring other guys (friends, neighbors and relatives) for a time of food, teaching, and fellowship. Breakfast is on a donation basis. Questions? Contact Pablito: 949.246.9615 or pablito@trail.org.

Celebrate Recovery...

Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered resource for rising above life's hurts, habits and hang-ups. Through eight simple principles people will move from bondage to freedom and will experience a new joy and peace in life. Join us in the Fireside Room for open meetings every Tuesday: Dinner is at 6 p.m. and the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Child care is provided. For more information contact Paige Harrison at 541.821.0459 or email celebraterecovery@trail.org. Visit us on Facebook: Click Here

Area Events & Announcements...

Forgiven & Set Free Bible Study

The Pregnancy Center will hold an 11-week study on Wednesdays starting January 13 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. to help post-abortive women overcome depression, guilt and painful memories. The class uses Scripture to promote healing, forgiveness and hope in a confidential and non-judgmental setting. To register or for more information call the Pregnancy Center at 541.772.1921.

Food Pantry Needs

The following donations are needed for the Church Pantry: boxed dry cereal, instant oatmeal, dried potatoes, Ramen soups, canned vegetables, canned fruits and chili, small bags of white rice and dried beans, spaghetti and tomato sauce. Please drop off items in the Food Pantry Box near the Information Counter or Church Office.

Access Food Pantry Volunteers

Reminder for those who volunteer at the Eagle Point Access Food Pantry this week is TCF's turn, Wednesday, January 13 at St. John Lutheran Church.

Questions? Contact Pastor Matt: 541.878.3501 or matt@trail.org.

In Closing...

Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:19, NKJV

Thank you for keeping in touch with the family of Trail Christian Fellowship via TCFinTouch. We welcome your questions and comments.
Feel free to contact us at

tcfintouch@trail.org