Copyright © 2008 UCC
  The Official Newsletter Of  First Congregational United Church Of Christ
   Nampa, Idaho
December
 2008  
First Congregational Church United Church of Christ
 An Open and Affirming Congregation
           Visit Our Website  
      At www.uccnampa.org
              
  God Has Been good to us!       
 
We have truly been blessed.
For the 1st time in a number of
years we will be voting to
appove a balanced budget.
We are actually meeting our
expenses each month, and we
have a nice, new roof which is
completey paid in full!
God has been good to us.  We have truly been blessed…..  but it did take some effort on our part as well.  The Nampa UCC has been through a lot.  We have faced TOUGH challenges, challenges that made many of us want to give up.  Why didn't we?

I feel that can be answered by one simple word.  Faith.  We had the faith to turn things over to God.  We had the faith to not give up.  We had the faith to persevere and to keep trying.  I believe we have been rewarded because of our faith.
Does this mean our challenges are over?  Does this mean we can now rest and let God handle the details?  No.  We must work even harder then before.  We must show God that we are worthy of the blessing that he has given to us.  We must continue to have faith.
Each member of the Nampa UCC need to look inside themselves to see how God has blessed their lives.  We need to look at how the Church has blessed our lives.  


We need to then give our talents accordingly.  Not just monetarily, but offer up our other gifts as well. There are many things that still need to be done, such as painting, raising money for a badly needed sound system, offering to be lay reader or join a praise team to lead music.


I know we often times feel we have given all that we can, or there is no way we can fit any more time into our already busy lives… but we have to have faith. God has shown that when we put forth a little effort, it is returned three fold.
From The
Trustees Desk 
            
 Nampa UCC is needed here in Nampa.  We need to ensure that we are a presence in the community.  We have seen many exciting things in our lifetime, including the election of the first black President. 


We may consider this a turning point in our country, but we cannot sit back and rest.  There is still work to be done.  There is still hate in our country. 


There is still bigotry, there is still discrimination.  We must continue to fight, we must continue to work, we must continue to have faith.                          
 
2008 Current Giving Budget Update For November 
$3,108 is the amount needed monthly for the church loan and operating expenses. This was the amount that was given so far this month.     
 
 November 2nd,  General Giving …. $1331.00    
 November 9th ,  General Giving …. $680.00
 November 16th ,  General Giving …. $609.00
 November 23rd ,  General Giving …. $490.25       
                                                    
Total of $3110.25  

     Monthly Expense  $3108.00       
 Difference of …... + $ 2.25          
 We made our monthly expense this month  
       HEART BEAT                                                                                      DECEMBER  2008                                                                                            PAGE  1
  & etc. for December
 
Communion Servers:
 December 07  -  Win Kircher & Glen Dittman & Chi Morgan
Greeters:
 December 07   -  Phyllis Redifer & Ellen Fretz
 December 14   -  Janet Weise & Andrea Wilson
 December 21   -  June Robertson  & Ed Robertson
 December 28   -  Nikkie Mayberry & Dawn Gaitan
       

      Ushers:
 December 07   -  The DeGiorgio's
 December 14   -  The Robertson's
 December 21   -  Win Kircher & Glen Dittman
December 28   -  Ciera Gaitan & Tajsia Gaitan 
       
Lay Readers:
 December 07   -  Ken Feaster-Eytchison Isa 40 :1-11
 December 14   -  Win Kircher Ps 126:1-6
December 21   -  Chi Morgan  Luke 1:26-38
 December 28   -  Nate Feaster-Eytchison  Luke 2:22-40             
 
Meetings  
It has been decided to combine the    Trustees & Deacons meeting to one night a month.  We will meet on the third Thursday of each month.

 
   Trustees Meeting
 Canceled for December.
Deacons Meeting
Canceled for December.
          HEART BEAT                                                                                   DECEMBER  2008                                                                                            PAGE  2
  Youth Meets:

November 29th, 2008
December 6th, 2008
December 13th, 2008

From 5:00 pm to  7:00pm
   Come Join The Fun!!!    
For December 
  2nd Billy McBride
6th Ken & Steve Eytchison
 20th Art & Orel Gregory 
 22nd Paul & Bonnie Kloster
27th Dino Degiorgio
30th Janet Swopes
                                                 
 
Please Remember
Our Members and Friends   
Who are living in retirement homes and those who just do not get out much anymore .
  Sunbridge Retirement 
 Ann Birket -466-1588
Mary Harman - 895-6594 RM 108 Meridian
Ashley Manor 
 Bud Velvick
 Hillcrest in Boise 345- 4464
 Art Gregory
 Hillcrest Retirement & assisted living .
Oral Gregory 
   In Their Home
  Irene Moore -466-1090
Mary & Mary Jane Ferrera - 467-6015
 Blythe & Helen Perry - 466-1294
"Pete" Miller - 467-4207
Please uphold them in your prayers and help them stay connected by visiting them either in person or by phone. Their addresses are in your directory. If you know of a member or friend that should be included on this list please email or call the office with the information.
  In Our Prayers
Mary Harman
Kay March
 Bud Velvick
Diane Morgan
Virginia Kircher
Chi Morgan Brother in law-doctor running test
 The Snopes Family - Death of Todd 
Our Troops and a prayer for peace in the world
 Tom Hunter -Terminal Illness
  Nikkie Mayberry
 Our Church Family
           HEART BEAT                                                                                 DECEMBER  2008                                                                                            PAGE  3
 
United Church of Christ
 Nampa, Idaho
We welcome all people regardless of age, gender, race, sexual
orientation, ethnicity, socio-economic status or physical/mental
abilities
 
Up Coming Events.....
 Church Office 
  A Heart Of Stillness  
 
In Christ,

Ken Eytchison

Chair of Trustees 
 Newsletter Deadline 
Presents
  November 30th, 2008
On Youth Sunday
10:45am

  The Youth will be putting on the Christmas holiday program "Hanging  Of The Greens"  Please plan on attending and support the youth of our church.  You don't want to miss this.

  Please Come Out And Support Our Youth.. .

 
If you have anything you would like to have put into the Newsletter please have it into the office no later then  Dec, 15th 2008.
          December 13th, 2008  9:00am –4:00pm
 Registration fee $25.00 Nampa UCC Members $10.00
      Includes a manuscript copy of Heart Homecoming
The Church office will be closed December 17th  -  22nd   Steve, Ken and family will be on vacation.  If there is a emergency or if someone is in need of something,  please call Laura Creech 467-3448, Chi Morgan 467-2932 or Ellen Fritz 466-1147.
 Christmas Eve Candle Light Service
 December 24th, 2008
7:00pm 

It will be a time of celebration and remembrance of Christ birth.  Plan on coming out and joining in on the celebration.
 Church Office