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Weekly E-News
January 6, 2016
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From our Executive Director
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Looking at 2016, anticipating the opportunities that we will have and what we will do with them is a challenge that each individual must face. How we look at our decisions and responsibilities is characterized by our understanding of God's role in our lives and how interested he is in our daily choices. Early in my ministry I encountered a young man who challenged my teaching that God was intimately concerned with our lives on every level. He believed God only noticed the big decisions and that we just handled the day-to-day events without having to consider his leading in our lives. I asked him to consider the teaching in Matthew 10:29-30 where even the sparrows are noticed on their coming and going and God's knowledge of us extended to the very hairs on our head. He was not convinced and chose to continue to live making his choices based on his mindset.
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NORTH CAROLINA
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| "Under a Starry Sky" performed by Stones Creek ACC adult choir |
Benson - The Stones Creek Advent Christian Church adult Choir performed their Christmas musical, "Under a Starry Sky," on December 13. They held three performances: morning, matinee and night. It was a wonderful time of praise with more than 600 people in attendance.
Our kids performed "A Tree Lot Christmas," preceded by an opening nativity program performed by our little ones. The play was held on Sunday, December 20 with more than 385 in attendance. We are so proud of our kids! They did an amazing job! (Submitted by Cindy Dixon)
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Announcements & Upcoming Events
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GOSPEL LIGHT SUNDAY SCHOOL CURRICULUM
David C. Cook recently became the home of Gospel Light Curriculum. To date, there will not be any changes in the materials. The ACGC Resource Center would be happy to be of service to anyone who uses Gospel Light or would like to receive more information on it. We have recently received the order form and price list for the spring quarter. If you would like us to help you with your order, please let us know. We consider it a privilege to be of service to you.
Phone: 1-800-676-0694 x221
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News from our Latin America Area Director John Gilbert
Feliz Navidad y Prospero Nuevo Año from Mexico and Honduras and a joyeux Noel et bonne année from Haiti.
Mexico AC Conference
The activities of last year ended in Mexico with a dinner for the pastors and their families. It was held in Conference President Javier Cota's church. The ladies of the church did a beautiful job preparing the tables and food. It was traditional food for "Navidad" here in Mexico.
There were nine pastors' families in attendance with overall participation of 45 people in addition to myself.
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DETERMINING YOUR CHURCH LIFE CYCLE
I am always reading and sometimes I come across a book or even in some cases, a thought that stirs within me a desire to do ministry more effectively.
One such book that has caused this recently is, "Legacy Churches" written by Stephen Gray and Franklin Dumond. Today, I am not pushing the book, although I think it would be a great resource for any pastor or church leader. Rather, I want to share a part of the book that I think is eye opening AND in many respects disconcerting.
In the middle of the book, the authors talk a great deal about a church's "life cycle." The illustration below describes this cycle.
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An illustration from "Legacy Churches" written by Stephen Gray and Franklin Dumond
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By now most of you have made it through the Christmas season and any type of New Year's celebration. You are probably back to work and hard at the regular daily grind.
Somewhere in this period of time you may have thought about making a "New Year's resolution." You may have made more than one. Well, how are you doing? I don't think it's universally true, but many people make them, and a whole lot of people don't. There are probably many reasons why people don't make them, but I suspect most often it's because of the fact that many of us don't live that way on a daily basis. You know, set goals and objectives, and then do every thing we can to meet them. If we did, then we wouldn't be overweight, or in debt more than we would like to be. We wouldn't be as impulsive in everything we do. Instead, we get used to just going through life without some clearly defined strategic goals, and before we know it, we are at the end of the calendar year thinking that we should make some changes.
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2015 $504,382.39
2014 $511,226.03
2013 $541,503.31
2012 $531,035.74
2011 $542,792.60
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Now located on our website is an "Asleep in Christ" page. As we are made aware of your Advent Christian loved ones who have fallen asleep in the Lord, they will be added to this list. Click
HERE
to go to this web page. If you wish to have details of your loved one on the website, please send the information via email to
[email protected]
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