I am so excited for this upcoming Easter plan, the Amazing Easter Race, which the staff, elders and Outreach ministry group members have been plotting to create for the families in our church and community. Family teams of two people or more will face family-friendly challenges to earn clues for their next destination. I can’t wait to hear the laughter fill the…
Our mission leads us to be and to share the good news of Jesus Christ!
Our mission leads us to be and to share the good news of Jesus Christ!
Church Blog (Page 39)
When I preached at the community Lenten service this week, I shared a story about moving into our house in Keokuk. A couple of months after unpacking everything, we noticed a bad smell coming from somewhere in the kitchen. We looked, but couldn’t find anything. Finally, the smell got so bad we tore apart the kitchen inch by inch until we found…
Little sheep, bunnies and bears – have you seen them anywhere around the church? Our nurseries have room-specific nametags for our kiddos (plus sticker-type tags for our new visiting friends)! We are so blessed to be a community where our volunteers strive to know each child by name. Our nursery folks are incredible! But did you know that the tags we provide…
Lent begins this week on Ash Wednesday. The day immediately preceding it is called Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Fat Tuesday got its name because it was the day when Catholic families used up all of the lard in their houses cooking pastries and pancakes so they wouldn’t have any animal fat left in their homes on the first day of Lent,…
Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (February 18) and covers approximately six weeks before Easter Sunday. At First Christian we emphasize this time on Wednesday evenings, with a Lenten meal at 5:30 pm and then special study groups. If you are already attending a group on Wednesday evenings, those will continue, and we have two new groups that will be offered on Wednesdays.…
The Lenten season begins next Wednesday (February 18). Lent is a time of reflection, repentance, and self-discovery. Therefore, this year at First Christian Church you are invited to find your place in the journey of faith, both in L.I.F.E groups and in worship. On Wednesday evenings, folks in our L.I.F.E groups will be discovering the S.H.A.P.E. of their lives. Each one of…
The love our “newsletter ladies” have and show each week is immeasurable. They come in smiling and chit chatting, always wanting to know how everyone is doing. They are like a little ministry amongst themselves. Each week one of them signs up to bring treats and I provide coffee for them always knowing who takes cream and sugar. These ladies are an…
Do you remember your dreams? Some people say they don’t, but scientists tell us that everyone dreams. Most of the time, our dreams are a product of our subconscious working on issues of which our conscious minds may or may not be aware. Sometimes they are just the brain’s version of housekeeping. But occasionally I believe God speaks to us in our…
An afternoon of cooking led to the special occasion of an entire family dinner. Extra hands made the meal happen and gave me time with our granddaughters! Additional hands handled after dinner details, giving Papa time with the “girlies”. When the day was over, I was not exhausted, I was exhilarated! As Nominating Committee work heads into full swing, I am reminded…
On January 6 we celebrated Epiphany, the day the wisemen traditionally caught up with the Holy Family. One of the details Matthew includes in his nativity story is that after giving the baby Jesus their gifts, “the wisemen returned by another road.” (Matt. 2:12) Like the magi in the story, I believe we also stand at a crossroads. We now stand at…