As the New Year begins, your mind begins to race with the all the possibilities of new things, new adventures, new relationships. Along with all of this promise and excitement, a person will set new goals to achieve in the upcoming year.

The Bible suggests 12 –
1.) Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul and all
your might, in love, word, and deed.
2-11) Willfully and gladly follow the 10 Commandments.
12.) The Golden Rule; Do onto others as you would have them do unto
you.

All 12 are beautiful in their simplicity and effect.
All 12 are also difficult, in one way or another and to one degree or another, to achieve and perform on a consistent basis.

God, in his love, realizes this and readily forgives us when we honestly try, we take action, but fail anyway. However, we have all been given God’s strength and love to gladly seek to do these 12 things to the best of our God-given abilities. Given God’s wonderful love for each and every one of us, we must actively work each and every day to become better Christians. Most importantly, as a loving and caring Father, he expects us to diligently strive to become better Christians each and every day.

As we have just celebrated the 12 Days of Christmas, let us all return God’s ever-lasting and never failing love by making 2011 the 12 Months of Christ, and let our lives and actions reflect what God truly wants us to be.

Your friend in Christ,

Dwight Deardorff, Deacon

Our world is full of unhappy and dissatisfied people. For this reason, people everywhere are
looking for answers to the emptiness they feel inside. These people will try anything, if it might
bring them some sort of satisfaction or happiness. Perhaps this explains why there is so much
divorce, suicide, thoughts of suicide, drug dependency, alcohol abuse, criminal behavior,
prostitution, sexual impurity, depression, pornography, eating disorders, emotional, and
psychological disorders. We are messed up. So, what is the solution? Materialism and wealth?
Pleasure and enjoyment? Power and prestige? Religion? Wisdom and understanding? Everybody has an answer. But, I believe the Bible when it says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to death," Proverbs 14:12

There is an answer to the eternal question, "How do I find happiness and satisfaction in life?"
Jesus stated in John 10:10 the purpose of why he came. He said, "The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full". What did Jesus
mean when he said that we can have "life to the full"? You deserve an answer to this question.

A good dictionary will define the word "full" as "complete, perfect, being at the highest or
greatest degree, the maximum". So when this word is in reference to one’s life, it would mean a
life that is complete, not lacking in anything essential. It would imply that one’s life was
successful, superior, having an abundance of quality and life. The good news is that not only did
Jesus come to save us, but he also came to give us an abundant life. This is much like a second lessing: eternal life, plus "life to the full"! I’m convinced the reason why so many Christians are not living life to the full is because they don’t know what it is! Many Christians don’t really think that such a life is available to them. How sad this is!

Jesus said, "I have come, that they may have life, and have it to the full." This tells me that God
desires that his children are living a life full of happiness, peace, and a genuine friendship with
God. Through Jesus, it is without a doubt, still available today. It can be done and Jesus came to
do it! Christians call this quality of living, "Abundant Life!"

In HIS unfailing love,

Sharon Boyle

One way to pray is to “pray through scripture”. Usually a person will use the Psalms and just use a chapter in Psalms as an outline of what to pray for. In December before church each week (at 7:30 am) we’ve been using several passages out of the New Testament as a prayer outline. They’ve also guided us as to what to pray for in a model church. This is very appropriate for a Restoration Church that seeks to follow the first century model. Sometimes your leaders have been the only ones attending the early morning prayer time, but everyone is encouraged to join us. God seeks to guide all of us, not just the leaders.

The scriptures we have been using are John 17:20-26, Rom 12:1-13, 1Cor 12:12-27, 2 Cor 3:7-18, Eph 4:1-32, Eph 5:1-21, Col 3:5-17, 1 Thes 5:12-26, Heb 10:19-27. Below I’ve listed a few of these scriptures describing God’s plan for the church.

Jesus says in John 17:20-26: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Paul writes in Colossians 3:5-10: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to you earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”

The writer of Hebrews states in verses 10:22-25: “let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

And lastly Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13: “Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” and in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Jim Worcester, Elder

Nominated for Elder:
Dennis Hall for Elder: Approved at 81%
Doyle Petry for Elder: Approved at 99%
Jim Worcester for Elder: Approved at 97%

Nominated for Deacon:
Dwight Deardorff for Deacon: Approved at 97%
Chad Wynkoop for Deacon: Approved at 94%

Proposed 2011 Budget:
Approved at 92%

Proposed Pursuing of Deed in Lieu Option:
Approved at 95%

It's time to prepare reports of the year 2010 work that has been accomplished through your ministry. You are a chairman, ministry team leader, secretary, or person responsible for preparing a report to be included in our Annual Report.

Please list, at the beginning, the names of the officers, ministry team members, or committee members, alphabetically, if applicable. Make your report concise for easy readability.

Since we plan to have the 2010 Annual Report reproduced for distribution on Sunday January 23, please turn your report in to the church office no later than Sunday January 9th. (Reports may be emailed to office@firstcofc.org)

If you have any questions, or need assistance in any way, please call the church office at 878-1562.