Drakes Chapel UMC
On this Sunday following Thanksgiving we gathered giving thank for our church family and the blessings of the past week. Sharing stories of family get-togethers and time with our friends.
We were pleased to have Trevor Hickman and his family from Columbia, Mo. with us for worship. Master Lane Hickman assisted with lighting the candles and ringing the church bell. We hope the Hickman family felt the love.
Pastor Margie’s message “Sheep or Goats” gave us pause to take a look at ourselves and to analyze where we are in our walk with Jesus. Both the sheep and the goats were viewed differently in biblical times. Are we like goats who have gifts to give and pray for the least of these but that is where it ends. Or are we like sheep who follow their shepherd who pray for all those who are hurting and in need and then do as Jesus asked us to do. To feed the hungry, welcome a stranger, give someone clothes who has none, help someone who is sick and in prison. How are we doing? God sees our hearts and actions or the lack of them. In the end it is His judgment that matters.
We are busy planning events for this holiday season. A cookie exchange will be a fun time for sharing fellowship and filling our trays with dozens of others favorite cookies. And saves on the baking. Yes! We are also planning our holiday dinner and a local mission project.
We hope that you will join us and see what it like to experience worship and hear God’s word with our church family. Our service begins at 9:00. If you can’t be with us in person, join us on Facebook Live, look for Margie Briggs. We are located 5 miles east off 52 hwy. Just look for the sign. As we begin our Advent season, may blessings given to you be shared with others.
First Baptist
On Sunday, Pastor Pat Findley delivered the final message of his fall sermon series, ‘Weakness is Greater than Strength’ titled “Looking Up for a Hero”. Referring to Judges 8:22-35, Pastor Pat described how seeing others battle weaknesses can often give us hope for our own. In the story of Gideon, he declines the throne to give God the glory, emphasizing that the Lord, not him, will rule over them. However, Gideon falls into temptation and weakness when he requests gold and creates an idol. We, too, are prone to wander, but we need to fix our eyes on Jesus. The key to becoming more like Jesus is to call on Him in our weakness. Our priorities today impact future generations. We should pray that, not our will, but His be done. How you are living now will outlive you. Are you pointing people to Jesus? An essential part of following Jesus is sharing about how Jesus found you. We should impress our love for Jesus on the hearts of our children because the responsibility of shaping our kids and grandkids is ours. We have the primary spiritual influence in our family, so we must do what we can in leading our families to Jesus. Our weakness is greater than strength because it leads us to call on the Lord. Jesus is the one and only faithful hero!
Celebrate Recovery is on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 pm at the Vansant location for anyone with hurts, habits, or hangups. Worship service times are 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and Sunday School is offered at 8:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Youth and Children’s Ministries also align with these times. On Thursdays at 6 pm, GriefShare provides help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member, or friend. For more information and upcoming events, please visit www.firstbaptistclinton.church or find us on Facebook at ‘First Baptist Church – Clinton, MO’.
We invite those without a church home to join us in worship of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. First Baptist Church exists to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) by loving people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.
First Presbyterian
Thanksgiving is behind us and our thoughts now turn to the Christmas season. As the hustle and bustle begins, remember “the reason for the season”. Don’t forget to take time to worship the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His death and resurrection has given us eternal life, if you but accept the greatest gift ever given. Worship Him. He is worthy.
Rev. Nancy Gillard finished the sermon series “Love and Faith”. Using Jeremiah 23: 5 – 6 she delivered the message Stepping Into the New Year. Gay Smith played our anthem “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”. We look forward to our handchimes and choral choir presenting additional beautiful music during the Christmas season.
The collection of cake mixes to be given to the Samaritan Center in support of Christmas Cheer has ended with a sizable amount in a variety of flavors. The ladies of PW appreciate the generosity of the congregation.
The Presbyterian Women will meet on Friday, December 1 at 1:30 pm in Fellowship Hall for their monthly meeting. The lesson will be “Mary and Martha Encounter Jesus”. All women of the church are invited to attend this study and fellowship.
Plans are made for decorating the church building for the Christmas season. Adorning the sanctuary once again will be the gorgeous poinsettias given in memory or honor of loved ones. Monetary donations for these flowers may be mailed to the church or placed in the offering plate. For questions ask a flower committee member.
The Advent Event will begin Wednesday evening, November 29 at 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm. Waiting Here for You by bestselling author Louie Giglio will lead you through the season of Advent. Come and be a part of this study.
Notify the church office so a book can be provided.
Tai Chi classes continue to meet here each Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 am. If you’re looking for something to help strengthen your core and improve balance then Tai Chi is the right fit.
Are you looking for a church home? Please come join us and be a part of our friendly congregation. If unable to attend in person, broadcasts are also available online at our website: fpcclintonmo.net or Facebook First Presbyterian Clinton MO. Stay updated on happenings by visiting our website. Our monthly newsletter, calendar, pictures and other interesting items about the church can be found there.
Mt. Calvary Apostolic Pentecostal
“911, What is Your Emergency”
1 Corinthians 10:13.
There is a state of emergency in our church, cities, and around the world. For those of us who continue to struggle being Christians, we are in a state of emergency when we continue to yield to temptations.
Emergency: is a critical situation that needs immediate attention. If it is ignored it can have catastrophic results, that could lead to death.
Temptation: is a desire to do something, especially when it is wrong or ill-advised.
God is merciful and is aware of our situation. If we remain diligent in our struggles to call out to him, he will answer.
There is always a way of escape from our situation. We do not have to fall down the rabbit hole. We should not be chasing after everything shiny because it can us in trouble.
If you are steadfast in the Lord, there will always be an escape route. The devil cannot overtake us in temptation, he can put the idea in our head, but we fall to the temptation when we give in to it.
Whether we chase temptation or it chases us. It cannot overtake us. Have a plan of escape, get out, and get away from it. It doesn’t matter if others laugh at you for walking away, “Chicken Route”.
We need to have an escape route before temptation comes our way. Stay ready by praying, fasting, and reading God’s word. Guard your heart against what you watch, and what you are around.
Knowing the word of God we will know how to be prepared. It will keep us from falling into quicksand. It is hard to get out of quicksand, if you panic you will sink deeper and suffocate.
The goal is to be as still as possible and think, look for something you might grab onto. We can avoid falling into the quicksand if we pay attention to the Lord’s prompt.
Pay attention to what is going on around you, and look for warning signs. We do not have to be caught off guard because the Holy Spirit will forewarn us.
We should not be caught off guard because he forewarns us. If we are having trouble hearing him, then we need to seek his face through prayer and fasting.
Sometimes we are in the midst of a situation beyond our control. We panic and our senses leave us. We need to prepare so our brain automatically knows what to do. It may be a test or it may be the real thing.
Jesus is our panic button he will show up, we only need to wait for him. Remember, trouble is what we find because we are led away by our lusts. Don’t go looking for it, close the door on it when it comes looking for you.
We may find ourselves in an emergency, but when we call on Jesus he hears us. The enemy has no power over us. God is faithful and we should always seek him.
God Bless.
Urich Baptist
11/19/23 Service
Joy filled our hearts as we gathered to worship the Lord. Clint Keeney rang the church bell. Mrs. Julia Klinefelter led in the congregational singing with Mrs. Dixie Collins playing piano. Lonny Bramell and Clint Keeney collected the offering.
The title of interim Pastor Steve Sowell’s sermon was “Jesus is the God Who Shows Up.” The scripture passage from his sermon was from John 20:19-30. In tis passage Jesus appears to the Disciples after His resurrection in a locked room. Jesus then breathed the Holy Spirit within them. Jesus did many other miraculous signs in th presence of His Disciples. Jesus is there for us and meets us where we are. He will show up for us even when we think we don’t need Him. Let us be thankful for eternal life with Jesus and all the blessings we receive from Him.
Valley Center United
What a wonderful day to come and worship here on the brow of the hill! The beautiful prairie that surrounds our church changes with the seasons and never disappoints!
We are an open and affirming church and welcome all to come and worship with us next Sunday morning at 9 am. We continue our prayers for our loved members and friends who are facing some serious health issues. Our Ladies Aid Christmas party will be on December 10th at 2 pm. We will have Holy Communion next Sunday.
The message this morning tells us that the prophet Elisha sent his servant to give Naaman the Lord’s instructions on how to heal his leprosy. But when his instructions simply said that he was go and wash in the Jordan River seven times, Naaman was angry and complained. He had his own idea of how he was to be healed. He had expected the Lord’s prophet to come out and quickly heal him right then. He didn’t want a servant to bring him the message and especially with such a simple solution.
This is a lesson meant for all of us. Many times we also let our preconceived notions and even our pride guide us on how we think things should be done.
All too often we think that we are strong enough to do everything on our own. We want things done on our terms. When we pray to God with our concerns, do we just expect the answer to be just we want to hear or do we ask for the blessings that only he can give?
We need to understand that there is a simple solution. When we come to the Lord with honest and open hearts, it is only God who has the real answers. Our faith helps us let go of our own preconceived notions and lets God show us the simple solutions that are there right in front of us.
