january 2020 newsletter - fcc tyler, tx · 2019-12-31 · ada moore, norma carlton, shirin tavakol...
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FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH - - TYLER, TX WWW.FCCTYLER.ORG JANUARY 1, 2020 VOL. 63 NO. 1
JANUARY 2020 NEWSLETTER
FROM YOUR SENIOR MINISTER...
My dear friend and mentor, Rev. Dr. Sidney Spain, said to me on more than
one occasion, “I have never met a better churchman than Larry Gilliam!” …
and the church said, “AMEN!” For the past 4 years, Rev. Larry Gilliam has
served as a volunteer staff member—overseeing our ministry to Seniors…AND
leading Mission Trips…AND stirring up Outreach ministries all around us...AND
creating Security Team at FCC to keep our campus safe. Within the last year,
Larry finally had to hang up his high-tops (basketball shoes) as his doctor said
he would have to stop playing. Larry has been playing basketball on
Wednesday nights in our Christian Life Center since it opened in the early
80’s. Ask around town and every third guy will have a story about playing
basketball at FCC with Larry Gilliam. Then there were his days ...Continued on
page 5
A NEW YEAR
2020! A year of vision if there ever was one! Some of you will remember our
“2020 Vision Committee” we started about 10 years ago. The fruit of that
committee’s work is our beautifully renovated campus. In the years since, our
ministry has gone up and up. I have it on good authority that our church has
a great name in the community—I hear it all the time at our Guests and New-
comer’s Brunches. Through our Outreach Ministry, we are doing great work in
the community and beyond (Habitat for Humanity and Juliette Fowler Com-
munities to name a few).
This year, we will continue to strive in greater ways to do evangelism in this
21st century. We proclaim the same love of God and neighbor, the same
Lord Jesus Christ as the Church has through the millennia, but with newer ap-
proaches—like “Open Table Faith” that we believe will reach far into today’s
culture bringing a new relevance to Christianity that has been lost on many
people. We have nearly doubled the role of Travis Boles, our Media Specialist,
to continue to put our message before the masses of people through social
media and draw them in to our ministry (draw them closer to God and
Christ). We have 81 Fresh Faces for the year. 81 new people who are worship-
ing, caring, serving, and growing…and giving at FCC. In my 36 years of minis-
try, I have never had this kind of excitement for evangelism (and about our
potential to transform lives with the love of Christ). ...Continued on page 5
FCC FAST FACTS Last year we have an average
attendance of 261 in our Worship
services (up from 248 the year
before). 148 in Sunday School. We
also had 81 Fresh Faces in 2019.
JOYS & CONCERNS
Welcome Fresh Faces and/or
new member : Phil & Emily
Latham, Rae Carey, Christi Crane,
Dwayne & Lori Wilson, William &
Ada Moore, Norma Carlton, Shirin
Tavakol and her son Amir
In our prayers: Jim Crawford, Jen-
nifer Diotallevi, June Elliot, James
Hardage, Ombra Hughes, Bob
Hunt, Michael Lewis, Capie Long,
Mildred Mackey, Elizabeth Of-
ford, and Jean Worden
and our friends: David Bilbo
(Donna Lowry), Shawna Bishop
(Berndt), Don Bracchi (Pulliam),
Tony Brown (Swan), family of Lu-
men Holman (Bolton), Sandy
Hunter (Diane Martin), Dianne
Morris (Sartain), Dr. Sherry Munn
(Kyle Hill), family of Dorothy Jane
Osborn (Duff), Lindsey Puhalla
(Nancy Patterson), Neal James
Rush (Power), Angie McCardell
(Aaron), Cassandra Watkins
(Cynthia Watkins), Sue Wells
(Aaron)
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TRADITIONAL WORSHIP ONLINE
We are experimenting with broadcasting
Traditional Worship service on YouTube.
Currently, we are not “live streaming” it
(viewing in real time), but we can view
the sermon later in the week. We aim to
“live stream” both our worship services in
2020. Doing so will enable you to hear
the anthem again, tune in from out of
town, or direct a friend to listen to the
message.
OPEN TABLE FAITH
TICKETS FOR SALE
Open Table Gathering
will be here before you
know it! Now time to begin ticket sales
for April’s big event.
If you already use Facebook, can you
please help us spread our reach around
town. You’ll soon see an Open Table
Gathering event, April 24-25, with tickets
at $59 each through January. (FYI: Schol-
arships are available.) Help us share this
event post!
NEW ADULT CLASS FORMING!
A new adult class designed to bring young couples together is cur-
rently in formation and due to meet for the first time Jan. 19.
A “steering team” of Nancy Patterson, Jeff Billings, Debbie Sword
and Ginger Brandt are working on a possible teaching rotation and
curriculum ideas, to give this new group its best plan forward.
If you are a couple with young children at home and no current
adult class for yourself, we have you in mind! We believe many of
you will enjoy one another’s company and find encouragement in
the common experience of parenting.
We expect the new group will use a video then discussion format,
with a facilitator or discussion leader instead of a permanently as-
signed “teacher.” The facilitators will rotate through the first year
and hopefully give way to the class’ own members stepping into
that role.
The new class doesn’t change or affect Café Class (current home to
the most parents of young families); it’s simply another offering to
meet needs and grow more fellowship among similar generations.
And it comes about because FCC is always open to new ideas!
(Take note, if you have a good idea for a class topic, for an adult
education resource, or for meeting a need currently unmet. Rev.
Ginger would love to talk!)
Check the Sunday bulletins in January for class location and a possi-
ble evening meal kick-off. We’re excited to do a new thing to-
gether, working collaboratively with other adult classes already in
progress, to build up the body of Christ at FCC Tyler.
A BIG THANK YOU!
We sure felt the love last month! Church
members delivered SO MANY home-
baked treats to the church office, your
ministers and staff felt well cared
for. (And a little heavy around the mid-
dle!) You stocked our workroom, sent
décor for our office, left treats on our
desks – and all around helped us have a
wonderful Advent.
Chris and Ginger, especially, want to say
a public thanks for the cards and good
wishes sent our way around Christmas. It
is SO meaningful to be appreciated in
words! And you came through for us,
church.
We are humbled and grateful to do min-
istry, together – and ready to do more of
it, with you, in 2020!
Gratefully,
--your Reverends
CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP NOTES
We’re not quite done with our Advent theme, from Dark to Light.
So, we’ll keep the décor up and the metaphor going the first week
in January…. And then begin a church countdown to Lent and
Easter.
One sermon series to look for at the end of January and in early
February is Decoding the Enneagram: How to See More of the Di-
vine in each other. The Sacred Enneagram is a personality indictor
unlike most “tests and types,” and it’s become very popular in Chris-
tian circles. We won’t go deep into it, but we will learn enough to
be useful in our everyday lives, I hope. Expect special music, pod-
cast snippets and even some video content to this series, all to
keep it appealing to lots of different kinds of thinkers. I believe we
can make a 3 or 4-week run of messages engaging and enjoyable
for the whole room.
As always, you’re invited in or over, for always or just a short season,
as Contemporary Worship offers content you want or need.
--Rev. Ginger
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SUNDAY SCHEDULE:
Traditional Worship
9:30am, Sanctuary
Contemporary Worship
9:30am, Contemporary Worship Space
Christian Education
10:45am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
1/3 Lori Chapman
Linda Weskamp
JoAnn Wilder
1/6 Libby Lowry
1/7 Mary Wood
1/9 Jodi Brock
Jet Emmons
Kyle Hill
1/10 Bill Roberts
1/12 Richard Smith
Mary Ann Wills
1/14 Alyce Byers
Kay Davis
Nikki Moore
1/15 Tim Boyd
Whena Bridges
Mike Flowers
Kathy Wall
1/16 Margaret Perryman
1/19 Nathan Hoffman
Rob Mason
Jennifer Vick
1/20 Jim Rollins
Janice Younger
1/21 Kay Barry
Doyle Dorsey
1/23 Ernestine Anderson
Chloe Hamlin
Price Simmons
Lorene Sparks
1/24 Al Matson
1/26 Woody Flowers
1/29 Ombra Hughes
Don Simmons
1/30 Sue Fitzgerald
David Lowry
1/31 Charlotte Orr
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!
1/7 Jim & Faye
Crawford
1/13 Jesse & Rebecca
Grimaldo
1/14 Robert & Gayle
Cooper
1/29 Bill & Ombra
Hughes
1/31 Chris & Holly Burke
JANUARY 5
Traditional—Chris Pulliam
Contemporary—Ginger Brandt
JANUARY 12
Traditional—Chris Pulliam
Contemporary—Ginger Brandt
JANUARY 19
Traditional—Chris Pulliam
Contemporary—Ginger Brandt
JANUARY 26
Traditional - Ginger Brandt
Contemporary - Chris Pulliam
PREACHING CALENDAR
COMING UP
UN-DECK THE HALLS, JAN 5
Help us take down, organize, and put away our
Christmas decorations after Sunday School at
11:45am.
MOTHER’S DAY OUT, JAN 6
MDO reopens Monday - Friday, 8:30am-2:30pm.
DEBORAH CIRCLE MEETING, JAN 6
All Women are invited to join us at 10am in the Seek-
ers classroom. Lind Vass will present, “Thy Kingdom
Come.”
E-CIRCLE MEETING, JAN 9
E-Circle will meet 6:30-8pm in the Seekers classroom.
CARING CONNECTION, JAN 12
If you find yourself in a care-giving role and would like
to find a group for support, join us in the library at
3:30pm for our first gathering of the year.
ELDERS & DEACONS RETREAT, JAN 18
Please join us on this Saturday from 8:30am-12:30pm
in Contemporary Worship. Installation Sunday will be
Jan 19, in both services.
BLOOD DRIVE, JAN 20
On this day we have a Bloodmobile on campus
available for donating blood. If you’re able, please
stop by and save a life.
DWM LEADERS’ MEETING, JAN 21
DWM Leaders, please meet at 10am in the library.
SCOUT SUNDAY, FEB 2
We’re celebrating another year of Girl, Boy, and Cub
scouts at FCC. New this year, we are planning to
have the Taco Truck from across the street for lunch.
GUESTS & NEWCOMERS BRUNCH, FEB 9
This is a great Sunday to invite a friend to worship with
you. Bring them to the library area after services at
10:45am, for brunch with Dr. Pulliam.
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CHILDREN’S MINISTRY UPDATE
It seems like every time I turn around, it’s time for another Children’s
Ministry newsletter update. Man! Did 2019 fly by, or what!?! It’s crazy to
believe it’s already January 2020, but it is, so here we go.
First of all, I would be remiss to not thank all of you for all of your sup-
port of the Christmas program. I just have to say that those kiddos far
surpassed my greatest expectations, and they looked absolutely fan-
tastic doing it! Thank you to all of you who helped make our produc-
tion of Chosen Too such a huge success.
Looking ahead to January, I’m ready for a bit of a breather. So, we’re
just going to take it easy, focusing on making our children’s Sunday
school classes and children’s worship as meaningful and impactful for
the kiddos as possible. With that said, if you are willing to teach classes
or Children’s church on a somewhat regular basis, I need to know. We
have a trusty rotation of WONDERFUL volunteers, but I’d like to give
them a little more of a break, and I’d like our kiddos to get to know
more adults in our congregation. Please, let me know if you are inter-
ested, even if its just to sub in from time to time, and I will make sure to
get you all the information you need. If you’d like to see what it’s
about before you make a commitment, you are more than welcome
to come check out a class, just be sure to let me know first so I can
give the teachers a heads-up.
Starting February 5, we are planning on having mid-week family fun
and service nights every other Wednesday through the end of April.
There will be a meal provided, and we will spend time together as
families doing activities related to what the kiddos are learning in Sun-
day school, as well as working together to serve others in our commu-
nities and throughout the world. So, mark your calendars, and stay
tuned for details. Looking forward to a new year of serving together.
Happy New Year!
~Miss Vicki
JANUARY DRIVE: BRING A BLANKET
VALENTINES DAY BANQUET
Last year’s inaugural Valentine Banquet
was said to be, “the most fun I have had
at the church in my life!” The food, the
décor, the message, the crowd, the sev-
ers, and the musicians were outstanding.
We are planning another amazing night
Thursday, Feb 13, in Disciples Hall at 6pm.
Tickets will be available soon. Proceeds
will benefit Silver Linings.
Special thanks to Kyle Hill, Robert Cooper,
and “team” for putting it together. This
year’s musicians will include Chris Pulliam,
Don Cooper, and friend of FCC Derrick
Ganaway!
Don’t miss it!
DWM REPORT
The DWM proceeds from the holiday
Equal Exchange coffee, tea and choco-
late sale are $838.50. The net proceeds
for the Coffee Bar for 2019 is $1,364.26.
All of these go into the DWM General
Budget which supports Disciples Mission
Fund, Disciples Women’s Ministries Interna-
tional, FCC Mother’s Day Out, Inman
Christian Center, Juliette Fowler Commu-
nity, and Tyler Council of Church Women.
If we go over and beyond our budget,
the DWM leaders will decide how to dis-
tribute the extra money at the end of our
fiscal year which is June 30, 2020.
Thank you to all who support our Disciple
Women’s Ministry.
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A NEW YEAR… Continued from page 1
Second, we will be focusing on serving and growing in
our faith. Our 4 pillars are “worship, care, serve and
grow”—we do really well with the first two pillars…now
we are going to push the other two. We believe serving
and growing are connected, with one comes the other
and vice versa. We plan to offer a different emphasis
(way to serve) each month as our prayer would be that
through these serving opportunities we can become
more connected to one another and to our community
and world. We are convinced that our collective faith will
grow as we serve those around us.
Coming up in January, we will offer “SIGN UP TO SERVE.”
We will fill Disciples Hall (as well as Facebook and our
website) with information about our many ways to serve
at FCC. We will all have the opportunity to sign up to
serve in any number of ways…as a Sunday School
Teacher, cook, decorator, missionary, welcome team
participant, visitor to our homebound. You can sign up to
be part of the team that makes any of the following hap-
pen: Regional Assembly, Day of Caring, Valentine’s Ban-
quet, Open Table Faith, Back to School luncheon, Week
of Compassion…just to name a few!
Our Church is blessed to have so many faithful and ca-
pable people. We want everyone to share in the “hands
on” ministry of our church (plus in our serving, we will en-
joy the added benefit of getting to know others from our
church family), so “sign up to serve!”
Here’s to another great year…and to a faithful vision for
ministry in Tyler and beyond.
Chris Pulliam
FROM YOU SENIOR MINISTER…. Continued from page 1
working with Youth and serving at church camps.
His memories are on display in his backyard in a 5x8
foot air-conditioned treehouse (you wouldn’t be-
lieve it!) where he has pictures from every camp he
ever attended. The pictures inter-mix with his
“pencil museum” and coffee mug collection.
I do not want this to sound like a memorial because
Larry is far from being finished! He has lots of ministry
left in him that he plans to accomplish in the days
ahead…and that is why he is resigning his staff posi-
tion here at FCC. Will we miss having him in the
driver’s seat for so many of our ministries (did I men-
tion the kitchen!)? YES WE WILL! Will we be able to
keep all the ministries going that Larry spear-
headed? We plan to, but it will take an army to do
the work this one man did. In my conversations with
Larry this past month, he assures me he is not leav-
ing the church! He just has some things he wants to
do that do not fit in with all he is doing now.
So for now we offer the biggest of “THANK YOUs” to
the amazing Larry Gilliam and for his tireless ministry
at FCC over the years. He will still be among us, just
in a different role. Don’t worry, he said he would
continue to lead our annual Bazaar!
Please join me in saying, “Thank You” to Larry for
the gift of his life and ministry he has given us
through the years.“Press on, Larry!” We love you…
thanks for your significant part in making FCC great!
Your Friend and Pastor,
Chris Pulliam
SANCTUARY FLOWERS
Each floral arrangement in the sanctuary for the traditional worship service adds beauty and warmth to our
worship experience. Thank you to all who have contributed the $50 for the flowers in honor of or in memory of
someone you love.
There is a second blessing each week because the arrangements are delivered to a church member who is ill
or to someone who is home bound. Those who receive the arrangements express appreciation for being re-
membered in such a beautiful way.
Thank you to those who delivered the arrangements during the calendar year of 2019:
JOYCE GIBBS JACKIE & JIM ROLLINS
MABLE HILL CHARLOTTE & BOB ORR
ALYCE BYERS JILL & JIM SWAN
LIBBY & DAVID LOWRY JAN COPAS
TERESA & WAYNE AARON KAY BARRY DAVIS
ED BARRY KYLE HILL
Members have volunteered to deliver during the first four months of 2020. There is a need for others to volunteer
for the remaining months. If you are interested in participating in this service. Please contact Elizabeth Spain at
903-561-3296 or lizid25@gmail.com.
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AT FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH…
We believe God wants to transform our lives individually
and collectively for His sake. In everything we do, we
speak and live for Christ.
How we do that is we take God’s love and our God
given gifts and talents out into the world to make a difference. On
Sunday we gather to worship and refuel. Want to be a part?
MISSION: To speak and live for Christ in our community and world.
VISION: To be a worshipping community in which all people are trans-
formed through the love of Jesus Christ.
FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER
PRINTING: JANUARY 29!
If you would like to include anything in
the FEBRUARY Newsletter, please send
info to april@fcctyler.org by JANUARY 17.
ITEMS OF INTEREST
LOOKING FOR A WAY TO SERVE?
We need helpers to prepare Com-
munion each week on Friday or Satur-
day. Preparation takes about 30-45
min. Interested? Contact Alyce Byers
903-520-2704.
FLORAL DEDICATIONS
Request to donate and dedicate Sun-
day flowers with April Stiles at
april@fcctyler.org or 903-561-8138.
Each arrangement costs $50. Reserve
now for your 2020 dates. Upcoming open dates include: Jan 5, 19, 26,
Feb 9, 16, 23.
HOLY LAND TRIP
Start making your plans to join your
church family for our next Holy Land
Trek set for Oct 2021.The cost will be
around $4,000 per person, so start sav-
ing today!
SERMONS IN PRINT
Have trouble hearing the message?
Did you know, our Traditional Worship
preachers make paper copies of their
sermons most Sundays? You may pick
one up in the Narthex. Also, you can
take copies for friends and/or home-
bound folks from our congregation.
Let the “Good News” go out! You may
also contact the church office to re-
ceive an electronic copy, or better
yet, check us out on YouTube (First
Christian Church Tyler, Texas)
EASTER (SAVE THE DATE)
For those of you who are planners,
mark your calendars for April 12. Plan
to be in attendance as we celebrate
the Risen Christ together!
BUILDING A HABITAT HOUSE
We have the opportunity to partner with Habitat for Humanity to build
a house right here in Tyler, at 2401 Tenneha. In December we got off to
a great start framing the house. A big thanks to all our volunteers!
Now we have a whole new set of tasks for January. The following dates
are some specific needs where we as a church can participate. The
start time is 7:30am each day.
Jan 4—Need 8 people to help with siding
Jan 11—Need 6 people to clean up and bolt hold downs
Jan 18—Need 10 people to paint trim
Jan 25—Need 10 people to paint trim
Contact Jesse Grimaldo 281-732-8420 for more information and to sign
up for a specific task or general helper.
Pictured from left to right: Robert Patterson, Dave Hill, and Richard Perryman
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