Eaton News Count Your Blessings As we approach Thanksgiving, I am reminded of a story I read one me about a pastor named Jack Hinton who told about an experience he had while on a short-term missions trip. He was leading worship at a leper colony on the island of Tobago when suddenly, a woman who had been facing away from him throughout the enre service, finally turned around. Hinton recalls it like this… “It was the most hideous face I had ever seen. The woman’s nose and ears were enrely gone. She liſted a fingerless hand in the air and asked, ‘Can we sing, “Count Your Blessings?”’” Overcome with emoon, Hinton leſt the service. He was followed by a team member who said, “I guess you’ll never be able to sing that song again.” “Yes, I will,” he replied, “but I’ll never sing it the same way.” Maybe you’re like me and you have a tendency to dwell more on the things that are wrong rather than the things that are right. Too oſten, I fall into the trap of focusing too much on my problems, my pain, my disappointments. And yet, as this sweet Christ-filled woman reminds us…even in the midst of incredible suffering and pain, we can find reason to give thanks. When we stop complaining, stop feeling sorry for ourselves, and begin to count our blessings, we begin to realize just how blessed we truly are. This season, pause to count your blessings and give thanks to God for all that He has done for you. Pastor Andy When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by. Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. -Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1897 this issue Count Your Blessings P.1 Christmas Shoppe P.2 The Waggoner’s P.3 November Calendar P.4 ISSUE November 18 Services Sunday Morning Coffee & Donuts - 8:30am Worship Service - 10:15am Thursday Night Worship - 6:30pm
Transcript
Eaton News
Count Your Blessings
As we approach Thanksgiving, I am reminded of a story I read one time about a pastor named Jack Hinton who told about an experience he had while on a short-term missions trip. He was leading worship at a leper colony on the island of Tobago when suddenly, a woman who had been facing away from him throughout the entire service, finally turned around. Hinton recalls it like this…
“It was the most hideous face I had ever seen. The woman’s nose and ears were entirely gone. She lifted a fingerless hand in the air and asked, ‘Can we sing, “Count Your Blessings?”’” Overcome with emotion, Hinton left the service. He was followed by a team member who said, “I guess you’ll never be able to sing that song again.” “Yes, I will,” he replied, “but I’ll never sing it the same way.” Maybe you’re like me and you have a tendency to dwell more on the things that are wrong rather than the things that are right. Too often, I fall into the trap of focusing too much on my problems, my pain, my disappointments. And yet, as this sweet Christ-filled woman reminds us…even in the midst of incredible suffering and pain, we can find reason to give thanks. When we stop complaining, stop feeling sorry for ourselves, and begin to count our blessings, we begin to realize just how blessed we truly are.
This season, pause to count your blessings and give thanks to God for all that He has done for you. Pastor Andy When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.
Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, And you will keep singing as the days go by.
Count your blessings, name them one by one, Count your blessings, see what God hath done! Count your blessings, name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done. -Johnson Oatman, Jr., 1897
this issue
Count Your Blessings P.1
Christmas Shoppe P.2
The Waggoner’s P.3
November Calendar P.4
ISSUE
November 18
Services
Sunday Morning Coffee & Donuts - 8:30am
Worship Service - 10:15am
Thursday Night Worship - 6:30pm
As you know by now, we are taking a different approach to our annual Christmas Giving Tree; this year we want to really step it up and assist families in a way that will give them a strong sense of pride in knowing they provided Christmas for their kids and didn’t have it awkwardly handed to them. Research has proven that when a group of strangers walks into a house handing a large bag of wrapped gifts to a mom and dad it is appreciated but also can be insulting to the parents, especially the fathers. Having someone provide for your kids because you were not able too is a feeling none of us wants to experience; however inadvertently we have been doing this to families for years. This year we want to change that.
On December 13th we will be hosting local families in our FLC, however this day it will be transformed to look like a store; complete with decorations, Christmas music, “employees” dressed as elves ready to assist, and of course the smell of warm cookies and hot chocolate. On that morning our FLC will become the Eaton Community Christmas Shop. When families come in they will be greeted and welcomed with a warm smile and tasty treats. The parents (or guardians as it may be) will be given the chance to purchase Christmas gifts for their children at well below
Trunk or Treat
Thanks to all for the candy! We had some great trunks, with Jonah and the
Whale taking the top honor of “Best Trunk.”
We saw over 300 come to the church in the wind, rain, sleet, and snow!
Do you have pictures from a church event? We would
love to see them! Make sure you are tagging us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the hashtag
#eatonchog. Or send pictures to Megan@ eatonfirstchurch.org.
market cost. We will have aisles of toys, clothes and other gift ideas stocked and ready to go. Items will be 90% off retail. Our desire is to see parents be able to provide for their kids but ensure they are doing it in a way that is affordable to them. By charging even a little we are giving them the power of knowing they provided on Christmas morning themselves. If their budget is only $10 or even $50 this will allow them to provide great gifts! We will work to make sure no one goes home empty handed. If a family truly
Christmas Shop for next year. Just imagine this year with your donations and support maybe we are able to help at least 10 families out, next year with your support again and the money collected from this year, we could see that number double or even triple. Here’s how you can get involved. Take a tag or two and purchase the items requested and or make a monetary donation. Beyond that we need hands in making and serving cookies and hot chocolate, decorating the FLC, (decoration donations are
needed too), shopping for the
cannot afford to pay, they will not be turned away. We know Christmas isn’t about gifts, but it is about giving.
You can help to provide a great Christmas for some families in need this year but do it in a way that will allow the families to feel love and not just charity. These families will be ones from both our Little Blessings Daycare & Preschool as well as from Eaton Elementary, local families many of whom do not have a church to call home. This is an opportunity for us to make an impact for the Kingdom within this community in a way bigger than we ever have before during the Christmas season. The money collected from the families will be put back into the
items needed (with the money given), being the elves at the store (assisting and wrapping etc.). We want to personally invite the families to
come to the store, so it would be a great thing to have members of our congregation call them directly to invite them. We will have the family’s information available by mid-month if you are willing to do this too. This is a big project and it needs lots of hands, so don’t hesitate to ask me what you can do. Everyone can be a part of reaching out to our community! Merry Christmas! Pastor Jason
“The morning of
December 13th,
our FLC will
become the Eaton
Community
The Waggoner’s
Leadership Corner
In our World Changers Class on Sunday, we discussed the various lines we repeat for The Lord’s Prayer. It made me realize that I have never had to say, “give us this day our daily bread” with the thought that I might go hungry. I live in a time and place where, I am blessed to have a supply of things so there has never been a time when I did not know when my next meal would come. There may be people in our own community who need to know of God’s goodness. They, in fact, may not know when their next meal will come. Help us to be His light to our community. As we take time this month to thank God for all of the things for which we have to be thankful, please remember to add our church family, our pastors, our daycare workers and families to your list. Also be in prayer as we will be voting on our annual budget and selecting the 5 members of our governance board. Your voice is important. If you cannot be at church for the vote on November 16th, please be sure to fill out an absentee ballot. Thanks for your support. Blessings, Julie
Ministry Spotlight— Serving at the Sleep Room
Christian Ministries of Delaware County who provide emergency food and shelter for those in great need, needs our help November 16th-22nd. Their "Men's Sleeping Room" provides a warm bed and a hot meal to 10-20 guys each night throughout the winter. As a church, we have committed to preparing and serving breakfast (6:00am) and supper (6:00pm) during that week. All of the food has been provided...we are only responsible for the prep, service, and cleanup. Helping with one meal will only take about an hour of your time. Please contact Gary Shonk if you would like to learn more about this opportunity or to sign up for a time.
The past September, the Waggoner family marked their one year anniversary in Albania. Here is an excerpt from their blog: Can it really be? Was it really 1 year ago we were saying goodbyes, stuffing carry-ons and departing for Albania on an unbelievably hot September day? .... Was it one year ago today that Mom Waggoner suffered her first stroke? One year ago when we literally stopped on the side of the interstate, minutes from O'Hare and decided that our depar-ture for Albania would look vastly different than we could have ever imagined as Nathan rushed to Ohio to be at his family's side? I have pondered how to recognize this milestone as I struggle to find words to express my heart. Our desire is to bring glory to God in what he has worked in and through us. To show how he has provided for us and prepared a way for us.
We have had some struggles this past year. .. But we also had some great provisions... We count this past year a gift and look forward to the next. Thank you, Lord, for walking with us and filling us with your joy in service. To read the Waggoner’s full blog post, visit their blog at http://waggoner.blogspot.com. Also, their address as changed. If you would like to send them a Christmas card or thinking of you card, please send to: AEP KP 119 (Attn: Nathan Waggoner, Box 19) Tirana, ALBANIA
700 East Harris St Eaton, IN 47338 765-396-3044 www.eatonfirstchurch.org
