Sunday WorshipMorning Worship 9am

Sunday School 10:30-11:15 amCommunion served 4th Sunday

Children’s MinistriesJ.A.M. (ages 3-PreK) every SundayK-4th Church; 1st & 3rd Sundays

Wednesday Youth Groups 5:30-7:30pm Jr. High, Zack Puck7-9pm Sr. High, Jordan McKinsey

Pastoral StaffAndy Huette, Sr. Pastor

Grant Stauter, Associate Pastor

January 2020 IssueThe OuTpOsTThe OuTpOsTDear Christ CC Family,

Grace and Peace, Andy Huette

January is a time of newness: New diets, new exercise rou-tines, new Bible reading plans, new goals, resolutions, and habits. For our church, the flip of the calendar also means we begin a new fiscal year and some of our church officers (elders and deacons) will complete their terms. Elders are allowed to serve up to six years before a one-year mandated break, and deacons may serve up to four years before a one-year break. These term limits are not only good for those serving, but they also force us as a church to be continually developing and enlisting new leaders in ministry. The word deacon comes from a word in the Bible that means

“servant.” In Acts chapter 6, when there was a dispute at the food pantry in Jerusalem, individuals who were “full of the Spirit and wisdom” were given oversight of the ministry. These ser-vant-overseers in Acts 6 are typically regarded as the first dea-cons, an office in the church which is also explained in 1 Timo-thy 3. Deacons give oversight and organization to a segment of ministry that serves the mission of the church. Competency is required (i.e. our technology deacon must have some de-gree of technology knowledge), but more than that, deacons must be “eager to maintain unity in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). Faithful, competent, organized, wise, loving, Spirit-filled

deacons are essential (though often unseen) ingredients to a healthy church on mission in the world. At our Annual Meeting on January 26th this month, we’ll have

four deacons complete their terms. Derek Meiss (Finance), Jen Morrison (Meals), Bev Nelson (Hospitality), and Betty Kaupp (Missions) will each be finishing their role as deacon. I’m so thankful for the faithful service of these individuals over the past four years. Through their service, missionaries are cared for, members of our community receive meals in times of need, fel-lowship time on Sunday morning operates smoothly, budgets get made, the building is maintained, and many more ministry functions take place. These deacons have done excellent work and if you see them, please thank them for their quiet, behind-the-scenes service. Mark Butikofer (Technology) and Tiffney Palmer (Local Out-

reach) will continue in their current terms in 2020, joined by four new deacons: Kayla Carroll (Hospitality), Kansas Krone (Missions), Mark Ludy (Finance), and Debbie Meiss (Meals).Each of our six deacons are assisted by volunteers who help

fulfill the functions of each team. If you are interested in get-ting more involved serving at CCC, please contact one of the deacons below.

Photos from December

Children’s Christmas ProgramBecky Roth and her team coordinated the Christmas Program with the kids who participate in Children’s Church and J.A.M. (3-5 yo).

Christmas Eve ServicePhil & Linda Hartzler performed a short skit for the kids dur-ing the Christmas Eve Service. Another aspect of our service includes singing “Silent Night” together acapella as a church family!

Little Lambs Christmas Program

Stacy Ludy (Direc-tor) coordinated the Christmas program on December 17. Thanks to Mark Ludy for taking photos of the kiddos through-out the years!

Technology Team Deacon: Mark Butikofermarkbuti@yahoo.comOversees audio/visual equipment needs, repairs, and opportunities. Assists with computer troubleshooting and, once in a blue moon, hunts down email spoofers.

Meals Team Deacon: Debbie Meissddmeiss@gridcom.netOrganizes meal schedules for those with a new child, illness, or recovery from the hospital. Also oversees funeral meals, spe-cial occasion meals (Thanksgiving, Easter), and kitchen supplies.

Hospitality Team Deacon: Kayla Carrollcarroll.kayla53@gmail.comOversees Sunday morning logistics such as coffee fellowship, ushers, communion servers, and nursery.

Missions Team Deacon: Kansas Kronekpettit2210@gmail.comCommunicates with and cares for current missionaries, organizes mission trips, evalu-ates potential mission support options, iden-tifies new mission endeavors, and encour-ages missions awareness within the church.

Finance Team Deacon: Mark Ludy mark.e.ludy.gc98@statefarm.comPrepares and oversees church budget, exercises stewardship of church property through ongoing maintenance, identify-ing future needs, and coordinating regular building and property care.

Local Outreach Deacon: Tiffney Palmertiffneyp@gridcom.netAdministrates local benevolence budget by responding to local needs requests. Orga-nizes and oversees events aimed at outreach to the community such as the Harvest Party.

In addition to these deacon teams, Becky Roth (Children’s Ministry Director), Tammy Sanders (Worship Coordinator), Zack Puck (Junior High Youth Director), and Jordan McKinsey (Sr. High Youth Director), are staff members who oversee their respective seg-ment of ministry. If you would like to explore how to serve in any of the ministries listed above, please contact one of the deacons or staff members to learn more about how you can join in the ministry here at CCC. Many hands makes light work!

Clayton Robert shared his testi-mony and got baptized on De-cember 15.

Our photo directory is available at each Welcome Center at the church and on our website under the “Resources” then the “Member Directory” tab. The pass-word for our directory is “One Another.”

Photo Directory

If you would like to update any information, take a new photo, or have your own photo you would like to use for the directory please contact the church office at office@christ-cc.org.

JanuaryMilestonesBirthdays2 Ryan Fehr3 Caleb Porzelius3 Haze Welsch4 Trent Kaupp5 Sloan Gentes8 Robert Carr9 Sophia Allen11 Harper Deckard11 Glen Smith12 Franki Finck12 Brent Kelly12 Julie Walters13 Bill Roth14 Carrie Dixon15 Katie Albritton16 Jacob Krone17 Porter Egle19 Pearl Rinkenberger19 Caroline Wettstein23 Addison Bridgers23 Megan Bridgers25 Frankie Finck Jr.25 Keiko Klein25 Mark Ludy26 Melissa Eskridge26 Edith Wilson29 Brady Carrion29 Joshua Krone29 Trevor Neal29 Jason Porzelius 31 Peggy Barth31 Tyson Fehr

Anniversaries 8 Frank & Irma Grusy15 Glen & Joan Smith

Attendance & Offering11.24 359 $9,58412.1 363 $14,43612.8 412 $6,80012.15 404 $14,67412.22 374 $9,880

WEEKLYEVENTS MONTHLY CALENDAR

/ JANUARYMON Morning Workouts

5:15amFamily CenterOpen to all.Dave Ihlenfeldtdave1@gridcom.net

WED Morning Workouts5:15amFamily CenterOpen to all.Dave Ihlenfeldtdave1@gridcom.net

Boyz to MenEvery week, 6-7amConference RoomJohn Dirksdirks.family@reagan.com

MOM’s Group1st/3rd, 9-10:30amChildcare provided. Can always use more childcare workers.Susan Laimingsusan.laiming@yahoo.com

Evening Women’s GroupStudying the book of JamesEvery other, 6:30pmConference RoomDebbie Meissddmeiss@gridcom.netJr. High Youth GroupEvery week, 5:30-7:30pmFellowship Hall & Family CenterZack Puckzepuck@gmail.comSr. High Youth GroupEvery week, 7-9pmUpper RoomJordan McKinseyjmac213108@gmail.com

THURS Gridley Food PantryEvery week, 12:30pmFellowship HallMaralon Stauter, Director(309) 747-2222

FRI Morning Workouts5:15amFamily CenterOpen to all.Dave Ihlenfeldtdave1@gridcom.net

Men’s Group: Revealing Christ Through Revelation2nd/4th, 6:30pmConference RoomMen’s group going through the book of Revelation.Tim Johnsontpj.ccc@gmail.com

05 Monthly Prayer MeetingSanctuary, 7:00pm Our monthly prayer meetings are a time when the church body can come and worship together as well as pray about specific events go-ing on at Christ CC. Everyone is invited!

26 Annual Meeting10:30am, SanctuaryAnnual Reports will be available at both Welcome Centers on January 12. If you are a member at Christ CC we encourage you to attend the meeting. No Sunday School.

19 Baby DedicationsDuring the serviceIf you have a child you would like to dedicate please contact a pas-tor by January 12.Grant Stautergrant@christ-cc.orgAndy Huetteandy@christ-cc.org

08 Youth Group BeginsJHYG - 5:30pmZack Puckzepuck@gmail.comSHYG - 7:00pmJordan McKinseyjmac213108@gmail.com

Sunday School Resumes10:30-11:15am, All AgesSunday School LocationsK - 1st: Curved Room2nd - 3rd: Middle Room4th-5th: Family Center ClassroomJr. High: Conference RoomSr. High: Upper Room

00 February Book Group Sign-UpsSign up for your favorite February book group. Indicate on sign up sheet (available in the coming weeks in the Fellowship Hall) if you need the church to buy the book for you. Drop off payment to church office on or before Jan 19.

11 Building ReservedSanctuary, 3:00pm Check out upcoming events on the church calendar which can be found on our website or our app.

One of the many beauties of Scripture is that there are always more diamonds to pull from it. There is always more truth, more wis-

dom, more grace that you continually find. Over time you start to learn who God is and what He is like and since God is infinite there is always more to learn. I know that you can learn about God from listening to good teaching and other avenues but there is something special when it

is just you and the Bible—and God shows you things that you’ve never seen before.

This past year, some of you followed a Bible reading plan, and you read through the New Testament or maybe the whole Bible, and for some, it was for the first time. It brings me much joy that you stuck with your plans. For 2020, I want to challenge the congregation again to read through, not just the New Testament por-tion of the Bible, but the entire Bible. Grant Stauter, Associate Pastor

Reading Through the Bible in 2020“We desire to be a church that opens the Bible often, whether in public

or private, to know the truth of God’s Holy Word.”- from our Open Bibles Core Value Statement

February Book GroupsFebruary is “Book Group” month for adult Sunday School. The adults take a break from the nor-mal routine and take four weeks to read and discuss books about spiritual matters. The sign-ups for book groups will be in the Fellowship Hall throughout the month of January. You may order a book from the church or order your own copy (hard copy or Kindle version). *If ordering from the church, please place and pay for your order by January 19 so that we have time for delivery.

Habits form us more than we form them. The modern world is a machine of a thou-sand invisible habits, forming us into anx-ious, busy, and depressed people. We yearn for the freedom and peace of the gospel, but remain addicted to our tech-nology, shackled by our screens, and ex-

hausted by our routines. The answer to our contemporary chaos is to practice a rule of life that aligns our habits to our beliefs. As you embark on these life-giving practices, you will find the freedom and rest for your soul that comes from aligning belief in Je-sus with the practices of Jesus.

THE COMMON RULE $10

Whether it’s the Christmas and Easter Christians or the faithful church attenders whose hearts are cold toward the Lord, we’ve all encountered cultural Christians. They’d check the Christian box on a sur-vey, they’re fine with church, but the truth

is, they’re far from God. So how do we bring Jesus to this overlooked mission field? The Unsaved Christian equips you to confront cultural Christianity with honesty, compas-sion, and grace, whether you’re doing it from the pulpit or the pews.

THE UNSAVED CHRISTIAN $8-$10

God is extraordinarily generous, and our churches should be, too. Because poverty is complex, however, helping low-income people often requires going beyond meet-ing their material needs to holistically ad-dressing the roots of their poverty. But on a practical level, how do you move forward

in walking with someone who approaches your church for financial help? With practi-cal stories, forms, and tools for churches to use, Helping Without Hurting in Church Be-nevolence is an all-in-one guide for church leaders and laypeople who want to help the poor in ways that lead to lasting change.

HELPING WITHOUT HURTING IN CHURCH BENEVOLENCE $10

Keeping the end in mind shapes how we live our lives in the here and now. Living life backward means taking the one thing in our future that is certain death and letting that inform our journey before we get there. Looking to the book of Ecclesiastes for wis-dom, this book was written to shake up our

expectations and priorities for what it means to live “the good life.” Considering the reality of death helps us pay attention to our limita-tions as human beings and receive life as a wondrous gift from God freeing us to live wisely, generously, and faithfully for God’s glory and the good of his world.

LIVING LIFE BACKWARDS $13-$15

Check out the CCC App!

Available Content:

The SpurTuesdays & Thursdays

Insights from our Bible Reading Plan.

Glimpses of GraceTestimonies of

God’s grace within our church family.

Go to the app store andsearch “CCC of Gridley.”