Mid-May update

Great day at FCC yesterday as we celebrated our Mother's and most importantly, worshiped the Lord! I really love our church and I'm so thankful for the opportunity to serve along side so many people who are sold out to vision and mission and love the Lord with passion! What a blessing! This week, I want to share several "shout-outs", multiple reminders/announcements and also a personal invitation from my family - let's get started:

Several "Shout-outs":

** Great job Ruth Davidson and our Choir - they really do a wonderful job bringing message after message in song! I even had the chance to join them for one song as a part of a men's quartet - my first and only quartet appearance! If you see Ruth or any of the choir members, please let them know how much you appreciate them!

** Great job to Joyce Mathias and her team of volunteers who made the 2nd annual Mother/Daughter banquet on May 5 such a huge success! 180 tickets were sold and we were blessed by special guest speaker Jill Savage! Nothing official has been planned yet, but I can't imagine Joyce and her team would NOT want to see another Mother/Daughter banquet next May!

** Great job everyone involved in our ROOTED groups this spring - 115 participants throughout 9 groups! Well done to each and every one of you! The groups have 4 weeks left and will conclude with their celebration in mid-June. This is just a "save the date" reminder for the rest of us: another Rooted session will roll out in September - are you in?

** Great job Pete Cocco on his message at FCC last Sunday May 6 when I was in Knoxville for Jordan's graduation! Pete is one of a kind in the very best ways and I'm really thankful YOU had the chance to be blessed by Pete's message and encouragement!

** Great job FCC Timothy Ben Dial - college graduate from nearby LCU and full time youth minister at Washington Christian Church near Peoria! You can encourage Ben personally by attending his ministry ordination on Sunday afternoon June 3 at 3pm! ALL are welcome and I really hope we have a great gathering to "set apart" Ben!

** Great job FCC on gathering 717 boxes of cereal for Little Galilee camp this summer! It is NOT too late to donate cereal!

Reminders/Announcements:

1. Graduate Sunday - this Sunday May 20 at FCC - we will be honoring ALL graduates this Sunday at FCC. A special bulletin insert will highlight any HS or COLLEGE graduates - you need to get info about your graduate to the FCC Office by 5pm tomorrow - Tuesday May 15 - for your graduate info to be included.

2. Final RELOAD of the spring will be Tuesday May 22 at 6am - Samuel Green will be leading and Karen Rice is cooking for us (can you say Baked Oatmeal)! RELOAD will resume in the fall.

3. ONE SERVICE Sunday on Sunday morning May 27 at 9:30am - no programming at 8:15 or 10:45 on May 27.

4. MOBILE Food Pantry at the American Legion building THIS Saturday morning - can you help us from 9am - noon?

5. Congregational Meeting on Sunday morning June 24 at the end of morning worship services.

6. VBS - June 11-15 - 9am - 11:30am each morning.

7. Little Galilee - make sure you take advantage of FCC's offer to pay half-tuition for a camp session for your children and grand-children this year! Most of our ministry staff will be serving during Allison's week of camp for 5th and 6th graders June 24-29!

8. Ben Pertl and Reveal student ministries have a couple of things on their plate you can help them with: Would you be willing to donate $ to "move the bus" for the Big Stuf trip? If so, contact Ben or the ladies in our office. Do you have a work project you need done around your house? If so, students are willing to serve for a donation! Again see Ben if interested.

Personal Invitation:

As many of you know, our family is in the midst of quite a season - two graduations and a wedding! Our daughter Jordan is getting married to Jacob Vangen on Saturday June 9 at 2pm in the FCC Sanctuary and we want YOU to know you are personally invited! A dessert reception will follow in the Family Life Center until 4:15pm. To say we are proud of our daughter Jordan is an understatement. To say we are thankful Jacob is the man she will marry is 100% truthful - an answer to 22 years of prayer! God is good - all the time!

Have a great week!

GT