Happy New Year - 2019 is here!

The New Year is off and running! Thanks to Samuel Green for his message yesterday on the importance of a long obedience to the Lord - much to chew on! And special thanks to Don and Penny MacIsaac for sharing their testimony via video, and for Don's commitment to travel to Kenya with Barb O'Donohue and help supervise the construction of the wall at the COPE ministry area. Don will be in Africa for up to three months - please pray now for success of this undertaking and the positive impact on one of our monthly mission partners!

Several items rolling through my brain on this windy Monday morning:

** ROOTED! Today is the last day to sign up for the winter session that begins next week, either on Sunday January 13 or Wednesday January 16. Please contact the church office and get signed up today! Let me know if you have any questions or need more information.

** Bible Reading Plan - since January 2017, we have been publishing a daily Bible reading schedule one week at a time and had copies in the weekly bulletin. We are still publishing this plan, but are now doing it one month at a time and the copies are now available at the Welcome Center, in the church office, on our website or can be emailed to you. The February plan will be available to pick up on Sunday January 27.

** Bible Study Fellowship - FCC will continue to host both men's and women's BSF groups on Tuesday evenings this school year - they begin meeting again tomorrow night January 8. It is NOT too late to jump in - if you are looking for another Bible study option and want to connect with Christians from other churches, BSF might just be for you!

** Discover FCC - our next gathering is at 9:30am on Sunday January 27 in Family Life Center Alcove - come learn about the history, the beliefs and the ministries of Clinton FCC - all are welcome!

** Pizza Potluck Connections Event - Sunday evening January 27 - Lindsey Moody has announced one of my favorite connections events - less than three weeks away! Join us for pizza and fellowship on the 27th!

** FIRST KIDS and The Underground Student Ministry - both ministries get rolling this week - make sure you are aware of what is happening with children's and student ministry at FCC! Please note BREAKFAST CLUB will return on Friday January 25.

** Elective Bible School class for Adults in January - The Good Book! Key Themes in the Bible - will meet in room 2217 and EVERYONE is welcome! Cassandra Benton is leading this class.

** Direct Line - Wednesday evening radio from 5-7pm - most Wednesday evenings, I am blessed to be able to talk about life and faith on AM 1340 WSOY out of Decatur with my friend Wayne Kent from Decatur FCC. Listen in! Call in! Let me know if there are topics or interviews you would like to hear us discuss or facilitate!

** Funerals this week at FCC - this Wednesday, our church will host the visitation and funeral for long time FCC servant Peg Reeter and this Saturday, our church will host the visitation and funeral for Shane Peterson. Please be in prayer for both families. On a personal note, I can't tell you how much I personally appreciated Peg and her heart for service she displayed during my time in ministry at FCC. Peg was a member of the Faith Builders SS class I am honored to lead and absolutely loved our church! I'm so thankful for the Peg Reeter's I've connected with in life and in ministry through the years!

** Change for Life baby bottles - January 20 is Sanctity of Human Life Sunday and we will be blessed to hear from Penny Weaver from New Life Pregnancy Center in Decatur during Sunday morning worship services. You will also have an opportunity to grab a baby bottle and begin collecting your spare change - a fundraiser for NLPC - my hope is Clinton FCC can raise $5,000.00 this year for NLPC through our spare change - let's do it!

** Coming in February: "I Am a Church Member" - the four Sunday mornings in February will bring messages from this book by Thom Rainer and we are making this book available to EVERYONE! If you are able, we are asking for a $5 donation to offset the cost the books, but regardless, we are hoping EVERYONE will grab a copy of the book and read it during the month of February.

** Coming in February and early March: Dr. Tom Ewald from Lincoln, IL will lead us during the 9:30am hour for three consecutive weeks on lessons from his new book, Judas and the Criminal Mind. Tom was one of my favorite professors at LCU and continues to be a dear family friend. You will NOT want to miss this three week study hosted by the Faith Builders class but OPEN to ALL! This class will meet in the Family Life Center on February 17, 24 and March 3 - I hope you can join us!

** Finances! I am excited to announce that 2018 ended really well for our church, and we will finish the year at least $60,000.00 above our 2018 MAP (budget) - final figures will be announced as part of an annual report we will have available to everyone by the end of the month. We also raised $4,557.00 through our Thanksgiving Offering for the Vault and as of Friday, had raised $6,277.00 through our Christmas Offering for the Neighborhood Care Center to provide a commercial generator and sally port. Praise the Lord!

Happy New Year - see you Sunday!

GT