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First Assembly of God Newsletter January 2009
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Happy New Year! I am always filled with renewed hope at the beginning of a new year and the possibilities that it holds for all of us. Paul encourages us to "forget those things which are in the past, and reach forward to the things that are before us" (Philippians 4:13). It is so
important to remember that God is more interested in our future then He is with our past.
I would like to challenge you at the beginning of this new year with three objectives we would like everyone to help us to achieve as a church in 2009. They are our "mission statement", our "core values", and our "purposes". It is one thing to have these on paper, it is another to commit to making them " a way of life".
First, our mission statement says that "Our mission is to inspire and equip passionately devoted followers of Jesus Christ." This is obedience to the great commission given by
Jesus to his followers in Matthew 28:19. For this to become a reality I believe we have to desire to have a daily walk with Him. It involves more than just a Sunday morning worship
service, but a time set aside each day to allow God to speak into our lives. Let me encourage you to read through your Bible this year (daily reading schedules are available at the
Welcome Center), and to pray a minimum of seven minutes a day. You will be amazed at how you will find your desire to spend time with the Lord growing, as you faithfully commit to spending time with Him.
Second our "core values" are taken from the acronym "EQUIP". "E" is for "Empowering the laity for service". I believe that one of the biggest lies that has been promoted by Satan is that the work of the church is to be done by paid clergy. God has gifted each of us with special gifts and talents to be used in service to Him and our fellow human beings. Look for ways to become involved in the different ministries of the church, and perhaps even start a new one should God lay it upon your heart to do so. "Q" is for "Quality worship that honors God and inspires people". I believe that worship is the life-blood of the church. Whether it be in song, prayer, preaching or teaching of the Word, we are to worship the Lord with all that is within us. It is so important to get the focus off ourselves and onto the Lord. We may not all like the same kind of music, but look around and ask are people being ministered to. It is not always just about you or me, and a song that ministers to me may not be the favorite of someone else, and vice-versa. But an important question to ask is," Does it honor God, and are people participating in worship?" If the answer is yes, then we have accomplished our objective of providing people with an environment to "experience an encounter with God". "U" is "Unity in obedience to God's Word". We are living in a time of "false" doctrine and "social tolerance". However, when it comes to the Word of God, "compromise" and "political correctness" have no place in the church. The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:15-17). It is important that we commit ourselves to live a life of obedience to His Word regardless of popular opinion. "I" is for "Intimacy with God through prayer and Biblical teaching". This is pretty much self-explanatory, but I want to stress the importance of spending time with God in daily devotions and being faithful in church attendance. "P" is for "Partnering with missions world-wide". We presently support 32 ministries here in the U.S. and 52 ministries in foreign countries. The first Sunday of every month is designated as "Missions Sunday", and we encourage you to give an offering above your tithe to help support these important ministries. If there is a particular missionary or ministry you would like to support, indicate that on your tithing envelope or check.
Last, "our purposes" are derived from the description of the church in Acts 2:42-47. They are "worship, evangelism, discipleship, ministry, and fellowship". As a church we are committed to providing individuals the opportunity to grow and mature in each of these areas in their Christian walk. As we continue on this journey together, let us never forget the importance of being an encourager, and always strive to look for the best in one another. I encourage you to commit these three objectives to memory in the next couple of months. We will have them posted in the church lobby and in the hallway leading to the church offices. My prayer is that 2009 will prove to hold many blessings for you and our church, and that we will continue to grow together in our pursuit of God.
In closing, let me encourage you to attend the church’s annual business meeting scheduled for Wednesday, January 28 at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend, but we strongly encourage all eligible voting members to be in attendance. We will be electing next year’s officers, hear about where we are presently as a church, and I will be sharing my vision for the future. We value your input as we work together in reaching the lost with the ‘Gospel.’
— Pastor Jeff |
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BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATOR
NOTES
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It doesn’t seem possible that we are at the end of another year. Are you like me and find that the older you get the faster the years seem to fly by. Maybe that is God’s way of reminding us that time is precious and we should not waste any that He gives us.
Speaking of reminders, I want to remind you of the IRS requirements concerning year-end giving that I mentioned in last month’s Newsletter. The general rule is:
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A contribution is effective when it is delivered.
This means that a check deposited in the church
offering in January 2009 cannot be deducted in
2008, even if it is backdated to 2008. One
exception is a check that is mailed (and
postmarked) in 2008 is deductible in 2008, even
though the church does not receive it until 2009.
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The last regular 2008 offering will be received on Sunday, December 28th. All tithes and offerings that you wish to have credited to your 2008 giving must be delivered to the church no later than the close of business December 31st, or they must be mailed and postmarked by that date. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about the year-end giving regulations.
We will be preparing your 2008 contribution statements in early January 2009, and hope to have them distributed to you by the middle of the month. If you made individual contributions of $250 or more during the year 2008, I would encourage you not to file your income taxes before you receive your contribution statement. The IRS requires that you have documentation from us to substantiate any individual contribution of $250 or more. Please review your contribution statement when you receive it and let us know if you think it is in error. We will work with you to resolve any discrepancies between your records and ours.
Many of you have already picked up the new tithing envelopes for 2009. I encourage all of you to obtain a box of the envelopes and use them for your tithes and offerings. It makes it much easier on the people counting the offering, and on the Church Treasurer, if you use the envelopes and fill them out completely. It also is the best way to ensure that you will receive proper credit for your contributions to the church. We thank you in advance for your cooperation on this matter.
Thank you for your continued generous support to your church and its ministries. Due to the current economic climate we experienced less income in 2008 than we did in 2007, but we praise God that we were able to maintain all of our ongoing ministries, pay our bills on time, and still generate a small surplus at the end of the year. I will give you a full report on the year 2008 at our annual business meeting scheduled for January 28, 2009. Please make plans to attend this important meeting. While everyone is welcome, we particularly need our official church members to participate. This is your opportunity to hear the “State of the Church”, receive the Pastor’s vision for the future, elect next year’s officers, and provide your input to the church leadership.
May God richly bless all of you in 2009.
— Steve Parsons
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