Dear Congregation,

Kelly and I continue to thank the Lord for how kindly you all have received us. We have already been in some of your homes and have enjoyed the company of others in ours. We look forward to more of this in the future-getting to know you all one individual, couple, and family at a time.

November and December have gone fast, and the new year is upon us, Let me renting each of you that now is the time to began afresh with a Bible reading plan for 2008. There are many variations available (one year Bibles, family devotional plans, etc.), but three to four chapters a day will get you through the Bible in a year. Kelly and I have done this for several years now, and find that it is a must if we are going to get and keep a handle on Scripture. We all need steady input from the word of God, and staying on a plan is a great way to maintain consistency.

In addition to reading your Bible, let me encourage you to be studying more deeply into a particular book or Bible doctrine regularly. If you want some ideas about reading plans or study methods, let me know.

In the coming weeks, my plan is to begin a study of First Thessalonians. This is a book with which I have become well acquainted over the last five years, and I have found in it a tremendous wealth of guidance for the local church. I look forward to the work our Lord will do here at ACC as we seek to follow that guidance while awaiting His return.

I pray that this year will find us living like those who have "turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come" (1 Thess 1.9-10).

Maranatha,

Pastor Brian

YACC’s annual SNOW TRIP

January 25th – 27th

     We will be going to the same spot we went to last year. For the trip, you need to be at the church at 9:00 a.m. with a sack lunch.  We will return on Sunday around 3:30 ~ your parents are to pick you up! Cost for this trip is $60.  Partial scholarships are available for this outing.  There will be a workday for the youth group from 12:00-3:00 on January 13th here at the church.  If you are in need of a scholarship, you are to come to the church workday.  (Check out our church’s website to see what to bring for the outing).

New medical release forms have to be handed in before you can go on this outing. 

Pray that our church will be a stepping stone to the teens who come.

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Paul & Judy Slater have  a new grandson named James Avery Slater-Simpson.  He came December 9th, weighed 9 lbs 2 oz and was 21 inches long.  Parents Jodia and  James Christopher live in Charlotte,N.C.  It’ll be awhile before Paul and Judy hold him, but they do get pictures!

Women’s Outreach

The first Thursday of every month they meet at 9:30 a.m.  Jackie Hill is president.  Lunch is planned and served to all who attend.  All women are invited to this outreach, please come!  Not only do they get things done in our church and for our community, they get to know each other better. 

Those who received Christmas boxes were very thankful!

Thanks to everyone who put up the Christmas decorations and to those who took them all down!

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●Remember to tear off the canceled postage stamps from your letters.  There is a bag in the library for these.  The canceled stamps go to a collector and they send a check back for a missionary.  Our proceeds go to Jerry and Maureen Clark, who run Home For Good in GP.

●Also, save all your Campbell labels and Box Tops for Education.  Hand these into Denise in the office; we give them to Applegate School.

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Thanks to Dale Fisher for putting so much work into our church’s website!

Check it out:

applegatechurch.org

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“I will love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock am my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”  Psalms 18:1-2

AWANA NEWS

Everyone is likely enjoying their holiday, but remember AWANA starts January 9th! 

Several leaders and 13 kids from our Truth & Training club who went caroling in December had a great time.  They really sang out!  One woman at a nursing home followed them around and joined in on the singing.  Sounds like an outing which blessed those who were listening.  Our clubbers were able to learn a way to serve our Lord.

If we, as a church, want to reach out to our community, AWANA is a great program which teaches children about the saving grace of our Lord.  In order to get some of these children to the church, a bus is needed.  With the bus, adult bus riders are needed.  This is not a difficult thing to do, and if we had enough volunteers, you wouldn’t have to do it often.  Children are not always taught the Word of God in their home, they need to be here, are you willing to help get them here?  Bus riders are needed!

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Bible Studies

*Ladies’ Bible Study, Tues, at 10:00 a.m. in the Fireside Room, led by Jackie Hill.  Just beginning  “Adventure in Prayer.”

*Home Bible Study ~ Fridays at 7:00 p.m. call Phil & Tricia Clark at 846-9635.

*Saturday mornings at 8:00 a.m., Men’s Breakfast in the Fireside Room.

*Tues evening at 7:00 p.m. Bill Zimmerman is teaching at Darrel and Vickie Prose’s home.

Missionaries for January:

The Gideons

The Gideons are missionaries in over 175 countries; they do not have to adjust to the culture or get permission to live in these countries, and there is no expense on churches to send them anywhere.  However, without the support of the church, they could not send any Bibles.  The Gideons are a missionary arm of the church whose main goal is to win men, women, and children to the Lord Jesus Christ.  They print Testaments and Bibles in over 83 languages and distribute them in motels, hotels, physician and dentist offices, hospitals, schools, colleges, and the military.  Bibles placed in the right place at the right time, no teacher, just the Holy Spirit leading those who find the Scriptures.

 Missionary Barrel for Dec ~ $118.62.

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Greeters for January

Les & Jackie Hill

This couple met in junior high.  After Jackie graduated high school, they were married in 1954.  They have two children, six grand-children, and eight great grandchildren!  In 1967 they moved to this area.  In 1972 they started the LeHi pump service which is still family run by Ron and Jody Hill, and their son, Dustin.  Les helps in AWANA, he taught Sunday school off and on, and was an Elder here for over 30 years!  Jackie is president of Women’s Outreach, a director in AWANA, and was our choir director for 25 years.  Les’ new hobby is Hilco.  A metal refinishing business, such as for guns, antiques, etc.  Jackie stays busy in the church, loves to crochet, knit, sew, and bake.  A happy homemaker she is!  We are blessed to have this couple in our church.

January 2007 Dates Ahead
1/6   Communion Sunday 
1/7   Medford Mission 
1/8   Pre-K resumes
1/9   AWANA & YACC resumes
1/10  Women’s Outreach
1/13 YACC Workday 12:00-3:00
1/20  Annual Business Meeting/Potluck

1/25-27  YACC Snow Trip

February Dates Ahead
2/3  Communion Sunday
2/7  Women’s Outreach
2/8-9 Women’s Retreat

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January Birthdays
1/7   Bill Cawein
1/10  Mike Zimmerman
1/12  Beth Piete
1/14  Wyatt Arnsdorf
1/15  Robert Belanger, Sr.
1/18  Joe Niederheiser
1/22  Allison Johnson
1/23 Terry Brown
1/26 Steve VanderValk

February Birthdays
2/1    Dan Walker
2/2    Jim Shropshire
2/4    Milly Harmon
2/5    Susan Mikolavich (M)
2/9    Joe Clement
2/10  Kolton Fisher
2/17  Esther Ackerman

January Anniversaries
1/5   Jerry & Evonne Ekholm
1/12  C.J. & Gwen Bernard
1/18  Ken & Valorie Emilio
1/26  Robert & Shirley Belanger

February Anniversaries
2/15  Mike & Connie Quigley

Nails and a fence

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper.  His father gave him a bag of  nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence.  Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down.  He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive these nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all.  He told his father about it, and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed, and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone.  The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence.

“The fence will never be the same.  When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one.  You can put a knife in a man and draw it out.  It won’t matter how many time you say I’m sorry, the wound is still there.”

A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Friends are very rare jewels.  They make you smile and encourage you to succeed.  They lend an ear, they share words of praise, and they always want to open their hearts to us.

Forgive those if they have ever left a hole in your fence.

How many times shall I forgive my brother, seven times?  No, seventy times seven.

Read Matthew 18:21-22     Cricket