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Prairie Avenue
Christian Church
To be learning, loving, and serving disciples of Christ from the depths of our being to the ends of the earth.
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Worship Each Week & Daily Prayer |
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Did you miss a sermon or can't remember the good statement made by Pastor Jason recently?
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"Show me the money" was the tag line in a popular movie a while back, Jerry Maguire. The character saying that line was looking for the biggest paycheck he could get, but it is a telling statement. Show me the money--show me where it is, show me where it is going--and I will be able to tell a whole lot more about you than you might want me to!
Our checkbooks and our budgets--personal and institutional, local and national--are moral documents, indicative of our priorities, indicating not just what we say we care about, but what we really do value.
But when it comes to giving, we tend to give in to our society's insistence on scarcity. Giving is good and important, of course, but not at the expense of my personal security! When it comes to thinking about how much we give, we begin to ask questions based on scarcity, questions like these: How much is everyone else giving? What is my fair share? What am I getting in return? Fair's fair, after all.
Questions like these reflect limitations in our understanding of resources, of God's generosity creating enough space for all of us. The biblical model for giving, by contrast, is 10 percent of our income--10 percent off the top, regularly--a spiritual practice that reflects a stubborn dependence on God's faithful provision. It requires faith that you have enough to give!
Speaking of tithing, it is important to remember that if God's given you 100 percent of what you have, then honoring God by returning just 10 percent of that goodness to support financially God's work in the world is not too much to ask. Of course, how much you give depends on your individual circumstances, but even if it's just a few dollars a week, for the time being, for those with such limited, restricted discretionary funds, you need that habit. you need that discipline. You need that exercise. you need that commitment. you need that expression of your priorities.
Our idea of what is "enough" to live on will always keep ballooning if we let it. The current of our culture will sweep you away. It will take you where it wants to go--unless you fight it, unless you intentionally, mindfully resist it. That's where a tithing priority, or some sense of a regular generosity, comes in: to give us a tool in our resistance to the scarcity of the world around us. When we manage to give like the widow, not the scribes, we will soon realize that we have more than enough to give.
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Remembering The Saints
Sunday, November 7, 8 & 9:30 AM
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In church tradition, November 1 has been called "All Saints Day." On the first Sunday of November, we will honor our saints who have died since November 1, 2020, and those honored with memorial gifts.
This year we will honor:
- Ina Woodworth, 2/20/2021
- Kathleen Hubbell, 5/16/2021
- Helen Kater, 6/17/2021
- Marion Gardner, 6/28/2021
- Barbara Kater, 9/7/2021
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One of the joys of having live broadcasts is that from time to time we experience either a piece of equipment or network failure. Sometimes we can resolve it; other times it is a service providers' issue out of our hands.
The other issue facing our live stream production is staffing. A good run for our live stream involves at least 3 persons: one to monitor the Facebook live feed, one to monitor slides, one to monitor audio/video issues. For the last couple of weeks, this has been only reliably covered by one person, making it next to impossible to broadcast. We also have been broadcasting both at 8 am and 9:30 am. 3 people minimum, each service.
For these reasons, we have had pre-recorded videos "ready-to-go" to broadcast rather than scramble because there are not enough people at the broadcast equipment to broadcast live effectively.
Since we are currently without a contemporary praise team to lead a worship service, we have made both 8 am and 9:30 am in-person services identical and traditional. We have been offering a Modern service that is broadcast (and pre-recorded) at 9:30 am, rather than a "second take" of the same service as 8 am.
A pre-recorded contemporary service will be provided on the prairieavenuechristianchurch.org website since it is less likely to be "muted" for good legal copyright restrictions and permissions.
Our goal is to resume full live stream production with a consistent, committed, and responsive live stream crew. If you might be interested or want to know more about what is needed to be a live stream crew member, please contact Patrick Butterick at 217-853-6945. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
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Grow in Faith
through listening, paying attention, and reading 5 verses a day
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Morning Devotion
Each weekday (Monday - Friday), Pastor Jason shares a brief 4-7 minute scripture reading, reflection, response, and prayer. The associated devotion is posted to Prairie Avenue's Facebook page.
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The Cost of Discipleship
Book Study Group Resumes
Sunday, November 7, 10:30 AM
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When our discussion group gathers on November 7, it will review and discuss chapters 2-5 (they are short chapters). What does it mean to be called into discipleship? It means leaving a life of relative security into a life of absolute insecurity (but a relationship with Jesus). It will require single-minded obedience, connecting oneself closely with the suffering and rejection Jesus himself experiences. Discipleship is a complete attachment to Christ's person. |
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Use Your Gifts by sharing five acts of love and kindness each week |
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Pray with Germany, November 7, 2021 - Global Ministries
Lectionary Selection: Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17 Prayers for Germany On October 3, as the Bergkirche - the Evangelical Church in Wiesbaden - celebrated Erntedankfest (Harvest Thanksgiving), it also recognized the final day of an art installation...
Read more
www.globalministries.org
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Give Regularly through five acts of generosity each month |
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A Future With Hope
2022 Stewardship Campaign
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Over the past year, we have experienced separation and togetherness, exile and return. At our core, Prairie Avenue Christian Church is a community of reunion, homecoming, and return. Now more than ever, in a world full of exile, our congregation stands as a beacon of hope, welcome, and radical hospitality.
With all this in mind, we invite you to join us in giving thanks for all the resources--spiritual, theological, physical, and financial--that support this indispensable work. You will shortly receive your statement of giving for this year, a special prayer written by a member of the congregation, and pledge cards for 2022.
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General Fund
Donations given to the Prairie Avenue Christian Church General Fund support the year-round ministries of the church. Your generous support keeps our building, staff, and operations working for the mission of the church. The mission of Prairie...
Read more
www.continuetogive.com
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Fundraising Project - reFresh Capital Campaign
Announced at the State of the Church address on June 30, 2015, the reFresh capital campaign has two improvement/update priorities: updating HVAC equipment and internet/network accessibility.
Read more
www.continuetogive.com
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For instructions in registering your Kroger Rewards Card, Click Here.
The Organization code for Prairie Avenue Christian Church is: BY235.
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Kroger Community Rewards Program News |
$32.73 was raised by 13 households who have linked their Kroger customer reward cards to support Prairie Avenue Christian Church. The quarterly contribution is for shopping at Kroger during July-September, 2021
Joining to support the ministries of Prairie Avenue Christian Church is FREE. Any transactions moving forward using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you. Kroger donates annually to participating organizations based on your percentage of spending as it relates to the total spending associated with all participating Kroger Community Rewards organizations.
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Get Your Disciples Apparel and Gear Here!
Get your Disciples polos, hats, and hoodies in a variety of colors. Order by the 15th to be included in this month's production! 10% of the proceeds benefits the Disciples Mission Fund!
Read more
store.disciples.org
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"When you shop for items or gifts at smile.amazon.com/ch/37-6056944, AmazonSmile will donate a portion of your eligible purchases to Prairie Avenue Christian Church at no cost to you!"
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Prairie Avenue Christian Church is a listed charity with the Smile.Amazon program. Please use smile.amazon.com, and choose Prairie Avenue Christian Church for your generous support. We received a $5.33 donation from the AmazonSmile Foundation as a result of AmazonSmile program activity between January 1 and March 31, 2021.
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Share Your Faith by inviting 5 people to church this year |
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Church Thanksgiving Dinner |
Please join us on Sunday, November 21, at Noon in the Fellowship Hall for our annual Thanksgiving dinner. |
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Imagine With Me:
Moderator Elect Clyde Hunt
There’s only so much we can do in terms of our intellect, but when the Spirit of God moves, and when we can recognize that, and we walk in that path of righteousness, and when that decision was made peace, peace was given. Yeah, you know we moved forward. There were financial concerns and all of that. At some point, as in all of our lives, we have to release and allow God to be God, and that’s what we did. – Moderator Elect Clyde Hunt speaking of the work of the moderator team and administrative committee
Rev. Terri Hord Owens has a conversation with Clyde Hunt, moderator elect of the General Assembly, about the work of the moderator team and administrative committee as it stewards the work of the church.
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