April Issue
Last month we learned all about the Holy Spirit. We studied His role in our lives as our Helper, Guide and Teacher. We heard how He came at Pentecost to give the disciples and now us today, power and boldness to share the gospel to the world. And we learned that when we listen to and yield to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, He produces the fruit of love, joy, peace and so much more in our lives.
We will start the month growing our understanding on how the Holy Spirit operates in and through us. On Resurrection Sunday we will rejoice in all that Jesus did for us when He died on the cross then rose from the grave. Even though we took a deep dive into who Jesus is back in February, this is a topic we will never grow bored of celebrating!
In the last two weeks we will be looking at how amazingly God created us. Each of us is wonderfully made in the image of our Amazing God. We are going back to the beginning to Creation and discovering how God made us with a body, soul, and spirit. We’ll plunge into the conflict between our flesh and our spirit and talk about how sin entered the world and its effects on us today.
Finally, we’ll finish strong by learning how we can “stir up” our spirits with prayer and worship, “eat healthy” by feasting on God’s Word, and “renew our minds” by making sure we are daily refreshing our minds with good things of God.
Our power verse for the month comes from Psalm 139:14 and it says, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works and my soul knows it very well.”
“I wIll praIse you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works and my soul knows It very well.” Psalm 139:14
Let’s Set Sail
“Go into all the world…”
All aboard the HKS Courage! On Saturday July 8th we’re setting sail for an adventure that will last a lifetime. We’re joining the Great Commission Expedition!
Come along as we learn what the great commission is and how we can BE BOLD and share our faith with others. We’ll hear exciting stories from some early expeditioners in the Bible named Paul, Silas, and Phillip who boldly carried the gospel all over the world.
Along the way we’ll learn some “sea shanties”, enjoy some yummy food from the galley, play a life-size game of Battleship and more!
Come along as we learn what the great commission is and how we can BE BOLD and share our faith with others. We’ll hear exciting stories from some early expeditioners in the Bible named Paul, Silas, and Phillip who boldly carried the gospel all over the world.
Along the way we’ll learn some “sea shanties”, enjoy some yummy food from the galley, play a life-size game of Battleship and more!
Here’s What’s Happening
Be in the know!
Hallelujah He is RISEN! On Sunday April 9th, we will be having a special Kingdom Kids service. The kids will enjoy a fun craft and yummy treat along with live worship as we honor Jesus’ death on the cross and celebrate His resurrection.
DATE CHANGE!! The start date of our “Music and Movement” class has been moved to April 19th. Between celebrating Passover, Resurrection Sunday, and spring break, we felt it best to not begin a class for one week only to have a three- week gap between classes. This session of classes will run Wednesday’s 7pm – 8pm, April 19th until June 7th. We will be performing “Lion” on Sunday June 11th.
April 30th is our first family Sunday of the year which means there will be no Kingdom Kids service. When we have a month that has five Sunday’s, we try to make sure that we honor our teachers giving them a pause from serving and giving them the opportunity to be upstairs. As well, this is a chance for our kids to learn what it means to be in “big church”. There is still nursery available for our littlest members.
We are so excited to see what God is doing with our Kingdom Kids. We are growing closer to our King and growing in numbers! With all this growth comes the need for more workers.
Don’t want to teach? That’s okay! We need helpers who will bring a ready smile and an extra set of hands, no teaching skills necessary. We have tons of fun, and there is always something going on. Please contact Teresa Barker at children@fccbristol.net if you would like to join the team.
Rachel Burden
Meet The Teacher
Rachel grew up here in Bristol and attended First Christian Church until she graduated high school. After graduating from Toccoa Falls College, she moved to New York City for ministry. While there she met her husband Jeremy and together, they served the NYC metro area for 12 years before feeling the Lord prompting them to move to South Carolina to be with Rachel’s family. In 2019 Rachel, Jeremy, and their four children moved back to Bristol where they accepted the position as Childrens Pastors.
Though no longer serving as Childrens Director, Rachel still brings her bright smile and energy to our Kingdom Kids as a substitute teacher. She has a passionate love for the Lord and for leading others into healthy marriage and family relationships. We are so thankful for God’s call on her life to love and serve our body of believers here at First Christian Church.
