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Prairie Avenue
Christian Church
To be learning, loving, and serving disciples of Christ from the depths of our being to the ends of the earth.
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Worship Each Week & Daily Prayer |
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Attending weekly gives you the opportunity to re-center your life,
give God honor and glory, and remember what is really important in life.
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Did you miss a sermon or can't remember the good statement made by Pastor Jason recently?
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Reclaiming Our Call: Beginnings & Origins
Genesis 2:7-9, 15-25
Sunday, March 6, 2022
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When we Christians behave badly, or fail to behave well, we are making Christianity unbelievable to the outside world. - C.S. Lewis
Our identity informs who we are and is disclosed when we act and behave in a particular manner. There is a distinct difference between appearance and reality. Jesus warns his disciples to be aware of false prophets in sheep's clothing. Not everyone who looks, acts, or walks like a Christ-follower is a follower of Christ. Hypocrisy does not sit in pews alone; it is a universal sign of brokenness in humanity.
What will be the evidence of appearance versus reality. Fruit. Your nature is always revealed by what it produces. Do your life and living make life and living for others a little better?
Fruit is not just for individuals, but also the evidence of God's presence (or absence) in the community. What fruits does Prairie Avenue grow and nurture? Are we deceptive? A pack of wolves disguised as sheep?
Attend Worship Online: Pastor Jason has encouraged an "A grade" of 90% worship attendance (missing less the 5 Sundays in a year). You can keep up your attendance by joining worship online through our Facebook premiere or our worship online page on the website. Join us in person or online... it will count!
FEBRUARY PRELIMINARY 90% ATTENDANCE-
Tonda Atchason, Peggy Bergen, Jason Butterick, Dave Geibel, Barb Humphries, Coral Ruffner, Charlotte Sutman
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This Week's Prayer Calendar
Congregations: FCC East Moline, Eureka CC, Frederick CC; FCC, Paw Paw, MI
Global Ministries: Puerto Rico
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Pray with Puerto Rico, March 13, 2022 - Global Ministries
Lectionary Selection: Luke 13:31-35 Prayers for Puerto Rico God, Creator of life, your overwhelming love and compassion is over Puerto Rico, its residents, and our partner in ministry, the Evangelical Seminary of Puerto Rico. As the people of...
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www.globalministries.org
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Grow in Faith
through listening, paying attention, and reading 5 verses a day
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Take a class, as you make friends and grow to know what learning, loving, and serving God and neighbor means in everyday life. |
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Morning Devotion
Each weekday (Monday - Friday), Pastor Jason shares a brief 4-7 minute scripture reading, reflection, response, and prayer. The associated devotion is posted to Prairie Avenue's Facebook page.
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Use Your Gifts by sharing five acts of love and kindness each week |
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Serve God and neighbor by using your gifts and talents both inside and outside the walls of the church. Each of us have spiritual gifts and natural abilities to use to serve others and glorify God. |
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Prairie Avenue Serve Saturdays |
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February 20, Pastor Jason Butterick announced a new initiative to provide a regular day of community service once a month with groups and individuals gathering or sorting donations, serving meals or some form of service. Since the third essential practice of the Walk is service, it will be held on the Third Saturday of the month. You can pick a site, an activity, or do it yourself (just let us know what it was so we can tell your service story!)
Third Saturdays were also traditionally the day where we have our Adopt-A-Street cleanup activity and neighborhood coffee fellowship hour on the lawn. We are looking forward to resuming these activities.
To help facilitate Third Saturdays, we are looking for a Third Saturday Activity Coordinator. The Coordinator will contact social service agencies and community organizations and groups to get up-to-date information on volunteer opportunities and service projects that need to be completed. Service activities and projects will be regularly updated and presented online for interested members to sign up.
Third Saturdays are as follows: March 19, May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15, November 19, December 17. April's Third Saturday falls on Easter Weekend, so it will be held on the 5th Saturday, April 30.
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MARCH 19
Serve Saturday Activities
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Our first official "Serve Saturday" is next Saturday!
We are still working towards a Third Saturday Activity coordinator and contact list for activities and projects available throughout our community. Please speak to Pastor Jason if you would like to know more about this position and its responsibilities.
Les Ruffner, our past board chair, is seeking individuals who will help sort, organize and clean many of the spaces that have sat unchanged within the education wing and sanctuary buildings. Weather permitting, there is also yard upkeep and projects.
Your time commitment is only 8 am to Noon, Saturday, March 19. Let's start putting our Easter preparations!
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Give Regularly through five acts of generosity each month |
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Giving regularly not only supports the work of the church,
but also is your way of giving God priority in your life.
What we love is where we will spend first.
When we are able to give, it always deepens our faith
in loving and serving God.
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WEEK OF COMPASSION UPDATE
And now these three remain: faith, hope, and Love. But the greatest of these is Love 1 Cor. 13:13
Thank you for your generosity in giving to the relief, refuge and development ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)! Pastor Jason challenged regular contributors to make a special offering with a 90% participation rate. There are 16 regular contributors to Prairie Avenue, and we are thankful to 9 (56%) who have already responded! We need an additional 5 to join in participating in whatever amount and size of the gift. To date, we have received $298.73 Our Giving Goal is $600.
Week of Compassion is the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Your gifts to Week of Compassion bring hope out of despair, find blessings amid the devastation, and help transform loss into new life. Your contributions bring tangible relief and change the course of lives. When you give, you help rebuild communities recovering from disaster. You also empower farmers to grow new kinds of crops in a changing climate; you support refugees; you empower youth through education, and empower women through vocational opportunities. In so many different ways, your gifts of love have the power to transform lives. Love is shelter. Love is a listening ear. Love is community. Love is a hopeful future. Love is a path forward. When all else seems lost, Love remains.
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MOVE-IN STARTER KITS: Items are needed for those individuals and families transitioning from homelessness to housing. The Macon County Continuum of Care is accepting items at Northeast Community Fund (NECF) and distributing them to agencies serving those moving into housing.
- cleaning supplies
- paper products
- bath towels
- kitchen towels
- sheets/blankets/pillows
- plates/glasses/silverware
- kitchen utensils
- pots/pans
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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER NEEDS: Disposable 3 ply face masks for clients, washable face masks, vinyl gloves (medium, large, xl), Clorox wipes, aerosol disinfectant spray, paper towel rolls, baby wipes, disposable diapers, pull-ups, new bath towels, new nightshirts-women's, all sizes, new sweatsuits, unisex, all sizes, African-American hair care products, hair grease, hairbrushes-natural & nylon bristles, conditioner, body wash, deodorant (women), disposable cups, plates & eating utensils, plastic (not disposable) drinking cups
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DOES YOUR BANK/FINANCIAL INSTITUTION PROVIDE BILL PAY SERVICES? If so, you can make sure your tithe/gift/offering arrives whether you are able to attend or not! Often when someone is absent, their offering is also. Or you left it on the table while coming to church! You can set up Prairie Avenue Christian Church as a "bill" (we are not, of course) and schedule timely checks to be mailed at no cost to our address. Many members have taken advantage of our online giving portal, but it also charges fees each time! Avoid the service charges and fees by setting us up as a regular payment through your bank/financial institution. Without fail, your support will arrive. Set your "payment" plan today.
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Thank You for your generosity! |
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General Fund
Donations given to the Prairie Avenue Christian Church General Fund support the year-round ministries of the church. Your generous support keeps our building, staff, and operations working for the mission of the church. The mission of Prairie...
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www.continuetogive.com
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Fundraising Project - reFresh Capital Campaign
Announced at the State of the Church address on June 30, 2015, the reFresh capital campaign has two improvement/update priorities: updating HVAC equipment and internet/network accessibility.
Read more
www.continuetogive.com
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For instructions in registering your Kroger Rewards Card, Click Here.
The Organization code for Prairie Avenue Christian Church is: BY235.
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Kroger Community Rewards Program News |
$29.12 was raised by 12 households who have linked their Kroger customer reward cards to support Prairie Avenue Christian Church. The quarterly contribution is for shopping at Kroger during October - December 2021
Joining to support the ministries of Prairie Avenue Christian Church is FREE. Any transactions moving forward using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you. Kroger donates annually to participating organizations based on your percentage of spending as it relates to the total spending associated with all participating Kroger Community Rewards organizations.
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Get Your Disciples Apparel and Gear Here!
Get your Disciples polos, hats, and hoodies in a variety of colors. Order by the 15th to be included in this month's production! 10% of the proceeds benefits the Disciples Mission Fund!
Read more
store.disciples.org
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"When you shop for items or gifts at smile.amazon.com/ch/37-6056944, AmazonSmile will donate a portion of your eligible purchases to Prairie Avenue Christian Church at no cost to you!"
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Prairie Avenue Christian Church is a listed charity with the Smile.Amazon program. Please use smile.amazon.com, and choose Prairie Avenue Christian Church for your generous support. We received a $7.56 donation from the AmazonSmile Foundation as a result of AmazonSmile program activity between July 1 and September 30, 2021.
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Share Your Faith by inviting 5 people to church this year |
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The God you worship is always revealed through your words and actions. Awkward conversations (i.e. "Are you saved?") are not necessary when your words and actions reveal the God you seek to learn, love, and serve. |
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