FIRST FRUITS WE GIVE OUR FIRST FRUITS BECAUSE HE GAVE US HIS ONLY SON
May 2020 Volume 23 No. 5
First Things First …
This I Believe “…in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and respect.” 1 Peter 3:15 Belief exerts a powerful influence on every aspect of life. As Peter says above, there is a hope in everyone who believes in Christ the Lord. Each one of us should be ready, at any time, to make a defense (tell the reason) for that hope. In the series of statements which began in the February edition of First Fruits, I plan to share a summary of what I believe so that you may know me more fully and so you may see the reason for the hope that is in me. I continue the series with my belief regarding the nature of God’s Being in the second of three statements.
I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became the only sinless human, without ceasing to be God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin, Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. I believe for the duration of His life on earth He was fully human, during which He voluntarily and temporarily did lay aside some of His divine attributes. I believe the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished redemption through His suffering at the hands of sinful men and His true death on the cross as a reconciling and substitutionary sacrifice, and the redemptive satisfaction is authenticated by His bodily resurrection from death. This work of redemption satisfies the wrath of God for all who have lived: past, present and future. By His words spoken from the Cross, “It is finished,” Christ indicated that all and everything necessary for salvation had been completed. This propitiation is appropriated to each one who believes that Jesus’ sacrifice is a personal expiation. That is, when one believes the promise of God’s forgiveness, then there no longer exists any punishment for sin. That forgiveness is communicated through God’s Word (Romans 10:17) by the power and ministry of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The result becomes a profession of the faith (Romans 10:9) and a reborn life (2 Corinthians 5:17). All this is a gift of God (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8, et al). In fulfillment of the Scriptural prophecy, on the third day following His death, Christ rose from the dead, in His crucified body, through the glory of the Father. I believe Jesus is now in Heaven, a literal and actual place, exalted at the right hand of God the Father, once again having fully restored divine attributes, where He fulfills the ministry of intercession for all believers. I believe in the bodily return of Jesus as the righteous Judge of all people of all time. I believe when He comes all those who have died in faith will be resurrected with Him in glorified bodies which will never see corruption or disintegration. Likewise, all Christians alive at that time will be transformed into the same glorified bodies. I believe the millennial reign of Christ, as described in Revelation, will be a literal and physical presence on Earth*, preceding the dissolution of all creation and the subsequent creation of a New Heaven and Earth, wherein Christ, with the Father and the Spirit, shall reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, one God eternally.
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05/03 Psalm 12; Genesis 13, Acts 8:1-25, Matthew 5:17-30
05/10 Psalm 13; Genesis 14, Acts 8:26-40, Matthew 5:31-48
05/17 Psalm 14; Genesis 15, Acts 9:1-19a, Matthew 6:1-15
05/24 Psalm 15; Genesis 16, Acts 9:19b-31, Matthew 6:16-24
05/31 Psalm 16; Genesis 17, Acts 9:32-43, Matthew 6:25-34
First School
And Day Care ews First School has 44 children enrolled. We have 20 more
are on the list to return when things get back to normal.
We haven’t had high attendance the past month due to
the COVID 19 health crisis. Our state childcare licensing
mandated that only children of essential employees are
allowed to attend childcare. They also required health
screening at the door as well as parents to drop off and
pick up children outside the door.
So many day to day things have changed for the children
as well as the teachers. We have had all of the school
children here doing the online learning with their school
issued chrome books as well as their paper assignments
each day. With over 10 kids in the fellowship hall needing
schooling assistance has required a lot of extra hands and
effort! Throughout the daycare children miss their friends
they had and do not understand what is happening.
Continued on page 6
First School Board Meeting – Tuesday, May 12th – 5:30 p.m.
WE’RE HERE WHEN YOU NEED US
OR
Office hours: Tues & Thurs: 8:00am - 4:30pm Wed: 8:00am – 12:00pm
Phone: 979-543-5847 Email: [email protected]
05/01 Kim Kainer
05/05 Robert Hollingsworth
05/20 Emery Langston
05/23 Dagny Thane
05/25 Shane Langston
05/26 Kathleen Joines
05/30 Evon Atchetee
05/02 Kirk House
05/11 Ed Campbell
05/13 Sheila Herrington
05/14 Shane Langston
05/14 Sarah Langston
05/24 Jewel-Deen House
05/25 Daniel & Claudia Wilfert
COUNCIL MEETING Thursday, May 21st
6:00 p.m.
Pray for our loved ones
In the Military
Jake Barosh U.S. Armed Forces
Our FLC Family
Dorothy Atchetee
Harlo Atchetee
Charles Bard
Ron Chambles
James Herrington
Nora Hollingsworth
Jewel Deen House
Harry & Marilyn Kight
Kim & Larry Ledwig
John Nelson
Jimmy & Sharon Nielsen
Ruth Speckels
Charlotte Watson
Larry & Cheryl Young
Friends of FLC
Lucille
Pastor Clyde Grier:
Phone: 979-541-6173
List will be cleared on the 1st
in January, April, July
and October. Please help us stay current; call the
office with changes or additions.
WOMEN OF THE WORD
MEETING
Monday, May 4th
5:00 p.m.
WOW Food Drive
Sunday, May 3rd
A Prayer for the Day of Pentecost
God our creator, earth has many languages, but your Gospel announces your love to all nations in one heavenly speech. Make us messengers of the good news that, through the power your Spirit, everyone everywhere may unite in one song of praise; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. --- LBW, page 23
SUNDAY, May 31st
Kist By Grace will host our service
Please invite your family and friends to join us for this special service!
_ _ _ _
FLCEC Manna Meals Team
Our FLCEC Manna Meals Team will be serving
on Thursday, May 7th. Please let Cathy
Schoenfield know if you will be able to help.
The serving will be different as food will be
delivered to the vehicles rather than gathering
inside as in the past.
Where all are family and all are fed
Flower Chart The Flower Chart still has
available dates for the second half
of the year! Please sign up for the
Sundays when you would like to
provide flowers for our service.
1.
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
3 Sunday School
9:30 AM Worship Service w/Communion
10:45 AM WOW Food Drive
4 WOW Meeting
5PM
5 6
7 National Day
of Prayer Manna Meals
5-6:30 PM FLCEC Team
serves
1/8
2/9
10 Sunday School
9:30 AM Worship Service
10:45 AM
11
12 First School
Board Meeting 5:30PM
13
14
15
16
17 Sunday School
9:30 AM Worship Service w/Communion
10:45 AM
18
19 Newsletter Items Due
20
21 Church Council
Meeting 6:00PM
22
23
24 Sunday School 9:30 AM Worship Service
10:45 AM
25
26
27
28
29
30
31 Sunday School
9:30 AM Worship Service
10:45 AM
May Responsibilities
ASSISTING MINISTER: Calvin Borak
SEXTON: Daniel Wilfert
USHERS: Calvin Borak, Daniel Wilfert
ALTAR GUILD: Jan Nelson, Kathleen Joines
ACOLYTES READER
3rd Ty Schoenfield 10th Kirk Marek 17th Ted Schoenfield 24th Sheila Herrington 31st Cathy Schoenfield
If you are unable to serve on your date, please find someone to take your place.
MAY FLOWER
CALENDAR
May 2020
3rd Open 10th Calvin & Nora Borak 17th Pastor & Alys Grier 24th Jimmy & Kathleen Joines 31st Open
(continued from page 1)
I believe this is most certainly true, Pastor Grier
*This statement frequently is charged as being contrary to Lutheran doctrine, specifically, as stated in the Augsburg Confession, Article XVII. The Return of Christ to Judgment, wherein the Reformers state:
It is also taught among us that our Lord Jesus Christ will return on the last day for judgment and will raise up all the dead, to give eternal life and everlasting joy to believers and the elect but to condemn ungodly men and the devil to hell and eternal punishment.
Rejected, therefore, are the Anabaptists who teach the devil and condemned men will not suffer eternal pain and torment.
Rejected, too, are certain Jewish opinions which are even now making an appearance and which teach that, before the resurrection of the dead, saints and godly men will possess a worldly kingdom and annihilate all the godless.
Regarding the third paragraph quoted from the Augsburg Confession, the Formula of Concord, the more complete illustration of Lutheran theology, rejects chiliasm, defining it as a Jewish kingdom lasting a thousand years.
I agree with the composers of this seminal profession and teaching of Luther and those who agreed with him. I reject with them that the prophecies of the Latter Days proclaim a worldly kingdom and annihilation of the godless before the resurrection of the dead. Neither does the Word teach a Jewish kingdom. I believe the Scriptures teach the resurrection of the dead and the concurrent rapture of all believers (the Church) will be followed by the establishment of Christ’s Kingdom, over which He will reign for a thousand years. At the end of this Millennial Reign, the final judgment will occur. This judgment will be on those who were not disciples of Jesus when He initially returned. Simultaneously, the dissolution of the present creation will occur and the creation of the New Heaven and the New Earth will be accomplished. In this New Creation the Redeemed will know and fully experience the sinless perfection which the LORD intended from the beginning.
+ + + + + + +
Continued from page 2
Our teachers had to drastically have their work hours reduced and were financially struggling. We applied for the forgivable payroll protection loan through the C.A.R.E.S Act passed by Congress. We received the funds on the 23rd of April and it has meant so much to us that we can now have payroll relief! We were awarded $69,300.00 of forgivable funds.
Also, the Texas Workforce Commission was funded to disperse funds to essential frontline workers for free childcare through the end of July. I have been relentlessly helping parents apply and pushing through applications so each of our working parents can take advantage of this great opportunity. We have about twenty families we were able to help so far and more keep being added.
Over all this has taught us so many things and for those things in the midst of this we are so grateful. We are grateful for God’s provision to keep us afloat during this crisis. We are grateful for all of our supportive daycare parents that helped support us in so many ways. We are also grateful for our church family who stood by us and approved us to move forward with the payroll protection plan. Please continue to keep our daycare’s health and safety in your prayers!
Many Blessings,
Bree Joines
First Lutheran Church
304 Oscar
El Campo, TX 77437
979-543-5847
Email: [email protected]
ESTABLISHED FEB 1893
Worshipping Christ and Sharing the Word for over a century.
Clyde Grier, Pastor Helen Marie Kight, Organist
Christine Richter, Office Manager Bree Joines, Director of First School
Join us on FACEBOOK or check us out at
www.FIRSTLUTHERANEC.COM
CHURCH COUNCIL MEMBERS: Milton Johnson, David Kight, Kirk Marek, Sheila Miller, Jimmy Nielsen,
Cathy Schoenfield, & Lynn Talafuse
Our Newsletter
can be found on
our website at www.firstlutheranec.com
Join us for worship
on Sunday mornings!
Sunday School – 9:30 a.m.
Worship Service – 10:45 a.m.