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DESSERT FEST "Insider News"
It's this coming Thursday and Friday.
Which means it's time for our:
TOP TEN DESSERT FEST REMINDERS FOR
THE
CCC FAMILY
10. All seats are reserved
(you can help
minimize confusion by making sure you sit in
your assigned seat).
9. Set an example for our guests
by NOT
bringing any food or drinks into the Worship
Center.
8. THREE words: "BE A SERVANT "
Let's remember to put the needs and desires
of OUR GUESTS above our own! Consider them
first. Give them preference. Specifically
this means...
7. Park at Hillcrest School or in the
remote lot up the hill, and take the
shuttle, leaving the closest,
most convenient spots for non-CCCers.
6. During intermission, let's be
sure to
let our "company" be first in the restroom
lines and in line at the various dessert
stations. (NOTE: There will be plenty of
desserts; but let's allow our guests the
courtesy of being served first.)
5. Since we will not have enough
chairs
for everyone to have a "seat while they eat,"
please allow our guests--especially elderly
patrons and those with handicaps--first dibs
on the chairs.
4. We will have almost as many
visitors
in our building on these two nights as we
have the rest of the year combined. So
...smile. Turn on the charm. Be warm.
Introduce yourself to folks you don't know.
We are hosts! As a church family, let's be
welcoming and leave a positive impression.
(We'd love any guests who don't already have
a church home, to leave with the desire to
come back . . . on SUNDAY MORNING!)
3. Make sure you thank a worker, a
coordinator, and/or a performer!
2. Have a blast! Laugh.
Sing along. Rock
to the beat of those AMAZING "animal" tunes.
1. Pray--really pray--that
God will use
silly, but fun music, cool decorations,
delicious cupcakes and all the efforts of so
many to build relational bridges toward
friends, neighbors, classmates, co-workers, etc.
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SUNDAY Preview
Tragedies. Blessings. Pain. Pleasure. Sad
stories. Happy endings. Where is God in all
this? (IS He in all this?)
Join us Sunday for another
fascinating "Snapshot of God." We'll ponder
the amazing story of Esther and come away
with some very powerful and practical truths
for our lives.
NOTE: Our special prayer focus will be for
Twin Cities Bible Church ( located at
603 N. 4th St., W. Monroe) and new
pastor Bo Towns. (See picture below,
of Bo, wife Laurie, and the couple's
four children at the peak of Driskill
Mountain).
Here's a bit of background:
In the early 90s, a number of folks
living in the Monroe area were driving to
Ruston every Sunday to be part of the CCC
family and ministry. In time, God nudged both
our elders and these families with a thought:
Why not plant a Bible church in West
Monroe?
The result was (and is) Twin Cities Bible
Church (TCBC). (Did you even know
we have a sister church that we helped
establish, less than 30 miles away?!)
Since Sunday will be Bo's first "official"
Sunday as pastor at TCBC, we want to pray for
him and them. FYI, Bo graduated from Cedar
Creek ('81), La. Tech ('86) and DTS ('00).
The CCC leadership is thrilled to have Bo and
his crew back in the area, and we look
forward to re-connecting with TCBC and
partnering with them in ministry in the years
to come.
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COMMUNITY Stuff
> Dessert Fest is this coming Thursday
and Friday,
March 11 and 12! Dessert Fest is a
fundraiser for youth missions (and local
missions). It's an amazing musical event
with delicious desserts, great coffee and
free childcare (through grade 5). Purchase
your $15 ticket today or Sunday after the
Worship Service. Invite your friends and
family, but hurry tickets are selling
quickly! We've sprinkled in pictures from
previous Dessert Fests and a few previews of
things to come in today's News and Notes.
> CCC Volunteer Appreciation Dinner &
Awards Night is March 26! If you
volunteer on Sunday mornings, in the Learning
Center, with our youth, or are a small group
leader, check your mail for an invitation!
Be ready for a big night hosted by the staff
and elders (and their wives)!
> Sunday, April 4 is our spring
Baptism and also
Easter
Sunday! What a great day to make a public
declaration of your
new life in Jesus Christ. If you are
interested in being
baptized sign up on Sunday's communication
card or
contact the CCC office at 251-1951. And if
have questions about why we baptize, check
out the column to the left.
> Ladies don't miss out; the 2010
Women's
Refreshment and
Renewal
Conference will be Saturday, March 20th at
Temple Baptist
Church. Register online at
www.womensrandrconference.com or at 255-1318.
Let us know (elizabeth@cccruston.com) if
you're attending the conference; a group of
CCC ladies will be attending together!
> Friendly Reminder: Divorce Care and
Divorce Care for
Kids will NOT
meet March 11th. New sessions
for each
class will begin on Thursday, March 18th.
> Did you hear about the upcoming
Discovery Dinner on Monday, March
22? We'll be addressing questions like: Why
does Christ Community exist as a
church? How did we start? What kind of church
does God want us to become? What do we believe?
What's involved in becoming a member of CCC?
This "Discovery Dinner" will
provide the answers to these questions and
give you an opportunity to ask other
questions and get to know our pastor and one
of our Elders. If you want to know more
about becoming a member of CCC or want to
know more what CCC is all about,
you are invited! Only 12 slots are
available...so sign up on Sunday's Communication
Card! (childcare is available).
> Married couples, listen up!The
Weekend
to Remember is a Marriage Conference for
any and all married couples, and FamilyLife
has a special offer for CCC Staff and
Supporters to attend a Weekend to Remember
conference for only $69/person. There are
over 70 conferences this spring across the
U.S. Click here
for more information and remember to use the
code CCCSupport to receive the special rate.
> Join us on Route 66 (our One-Year
Bible
reading blog). Come on; we want to know what
you think about what you're reading!
Go to www.cccruston.com/blog/.
> Forgot how to view our online directory?
Just go to https://webview.shelbyinc.com/app/07895/def
ault.aspx.
If you already have a password
enter your email address and password. If you
don't yet have a password; click on forgot my
password and follow the prompts.
> Join us in trusting God to work his good
and perfect will in the following lives and
situations:
For Jerry Dingler and his family
in the recent death of his cousin Steven
Dingler.
For Victor Cardenas, Henry
Cardenas' father, who has lung cancer.
For Marty Tom's brother who lost
his home in a fire this week.
For Renee Smith's father,
Harold "Goose" Ferguson, who is battling
pancreatic cancer.
For Sally Modacure, Beverly
Hercules'
sister, who has cancer.
For Bob Milton (two broken
vertebrae) following his recent truck accident
For Jerry Seilhan who will have
surgery this month to remove a tumor from his
lung and chest cavity.
For Stacy Prescott who is
recovering from surgeries for a torn tendon
and broken leg.
For Ray Sanderson, Steve
Sanderson's dad, whose cancer has
returned and is beginning chemotherapy.
For Kim Love as she continues in a
clinical trial being offered by M.D. Anderson.
Regarding Publication of Prayer Requests:
Unless instructed otherwise, prayer requests
received from the CCC congregation are
included in the weekly News & Notes. If you
do NOT want your prayer request included in
this publication, please indicate so on the
Communication Card or notify Elizabeth
Turpin, CCC's Office Coordinator, at
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LEARNING CENTER Jazz
Pictured at left is a mouth-watering
preview of
some of the delicious, succulent, and
tantalizing cupcakes that will be
served at Dessert Fest this year.
> There will be NO M&M's or Club
56 on
Wednesday, March 10 for Dessert Fest and on
Wednesday, March 31 due to Spring Break.
> Break out the Easter Bonnets! On
Sunday, March 28th from 3-4:30 p.m., we will
have a
Preschool
Easter Egg Hunt for all preschoolers. Watch
for details!
Sign up on Sunday's Communication Card!
If you would like to donate plastic
Easter Eggs or individually wrapped Easter
candy collection baskets will be in the LC
foyer and the breezeway on Sunday.
> Calling all DADS! YOU, Dad, are more
important
in the lives of your children than you may
realize! Come
join us Sunday, March 21st, as we explore the
"Importance
of a Dad in the Lives of His Children".
The workshop will
be at 9 a.m. in the 5th-6th grade room. Please
sign up on
the Communication Card.
>We ask you to please keep our CCC
expectant mothers (and their babies) in
your prayers--
Tracy Bennett, Brittany Griep,
Gwen
Swanbom, Bethany Rush and
Jessica Stephenson!!
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COLLEGE Corner
Know any college students? Well, make sure
you tell 'em about these FUN plans for
the month of March.
- You're invited to Tolliver Hall on Monday
morning, March 8 to meet & greet some new
International students on the Tech
campus. Call Dan Erickson for more
info (257-4321)
- On Wednesday, March 10 (the first day of
the Spring Quarter at Tech), we'll be
gathering at 5 p.m. SHARP at the hacienda of
Craig & Bethany Rush, 2412 Old
Creek Road, for hamburguesa con queso (check
my spelling there, Margarita!) cooked by the
one, the only Matt Stone.
- Then, at about 6:15 (same day), we'll
head up the hill to CCC, to be special
guests at the closed-to-the-public dress
rehearsal of Dessert Fest 2010.
- On Tuesday, March 23, we'll all be
gathering at J.C. Love Field to watch GSU and
La. Tech toss around the old horsehide. Join
us for baseball, hotdogs and pop!
Watch this space for more details!
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MINISTRY Opportunities
> Spring Cleaning time is here! We're
having a CCC clean up day from 9-noon tomorrow.
Come and help us get CCC spruced up! If you
(your small
group, family
etc.) can't be at CCC tomorrow, but still
want to help,
email Elizabeth Turpin at the church
office;
elizabeth@cccruston.com.
> We're looking for a few friendly,
gregarious, outgoing, warm, smiley
people (can you tell Elizabeth just got a new
thesaurus?) who would like to be Sunday morning
greeters
during the summer (June-August). Sign up on
Sunday's
communication card if you would like to
volunteer in this
area.
> Woohoo! A little over $700 was
raised last
Sunday at the Cookies for Christ bake
sale.
WOW! Talk about a win, win situation; the treats
were delicious (red velvet cupcakes--YUM) and
$700 is being sent to Haiti (to the same
ministry that Mark Boersma and
Shaun McIntire worked with on their
recent relief trips)!
> If you like to bake we've got a job
tailor-made for you! Steve
and Janet
Wilson need help providing snacks for 10-15
people for
DivorceCare on Thursday nights. If
you are
interested,
sign
up on the Communication Card! Not much for
cooking?
Financial support is needed to help provide
childcare for
those attending DivorceCare as well.
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BIG DAYS!
"Happy Anniversary!" wishes to
the following folks:
- March 8 - John Jay & Corrie Alvaro (2003)
...and "Happy Birthday!" greetings to
these
celebrating CCCers:
March 5 - Chris Gaston
March 6 - Andi Rose Kilpatrick, Chris Cavin
March 7 - Alex Overby, Branton Burns,
Erin Lasyone
March 8 - Dillon Trauth, Stacey Morse,
Taylor
Andrews, Ellie Puckett
March 9 - Hannah Morton, Isaac Richardson
March 11 - Hannah Claire Baker, Tyler
Osborne,
Brittany McCray
March 12 - Leslie Causey, Gary McKenney,
Dawn
Whitman, Rachel Kleinpeter
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Important DATES
Sat, Mar 6 - CCC Clean-up Day
Th, Mar 11 & Fri, March 12 - DESSERT FEST
Sun, Mar 21 - Parenting Course
Mon, Marc 22 - Discovery Dinner
Fri, March 26 - Volunteer Appreciation
Celebration
Sun, Mar 28 - LC Preschool Easter Egg Hunt
Mon, Mar 29-Fri, April 2 - SPRING BREAK
Sun, April 4 - Easter Sunday & BAPTISM
Sun, April 11 - NEWCOMER LUNCH
Sun, April 18 - Parenting Class
Sun, May 2 - Baby Shower for Life Choices
Sun, May 9 - MOTHER'S DAY & Baby Dedication
Sun, May 16 - SENIOR SUNDAY!
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WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL ABOUT BAPTISM?
Believer's Baptism @ CCC is a very
important
and meaningful step to take in your new life
with Christ after you have trusted
in Christ to forgive your sins and make you
right with God.
What is baptism?
Baptism is an outward and physical sign
of the inward and spiritual reality new life
in Jesus Christ. Baptism pictures our
identity or union with Jesus. It symbolizes
our old life being crucified and buried with
Him, as well as our resurrection with Christ
into a brand new life. Baptism publicly
proclaims to others our association with
Jesus. It expresses one's desire to be known
as a follower of Jesus.
Does baptism save us?
No. We are saved by God's grace through
faith alone in Christ alone. No religious
rituals or works can ever make anyone right
with God (Ephesians 2:8-9). Baptism is to
salvation what a wedding ceremony is to a
marriage. Participating in a wedding doesn't
technically make a couple married. What
legally binds a husband and wife is the
making of promises and the signing of a
marriage license in the presence of
witnesses. Baptism, like a wedding ceremony,
is merely a public expression of love and
commitment to another, in this case, to the
Lord Jesus Christ.
If baptism is not essential to salvation,
why bother?
Jesus made believer's baptism a central
part of the Church's mission (Matthew
28:19-20). Thus, it is an issue of obedience.
When we undergo baptism, we are following
Christ's own example (Mark 1:9).
Why does CCC baptize by immersion?
Some churches pour. Others
sprinkle. But the primary meaning of the
Greek word baptizo means to immerse.
Immersion best pictures being buried and
raised to new life (Romans 6:4). This is not
a major doctrinal issue with us, at CCC we are
less concerned with the mode of baptism, and
more concerned that participants and
spectators understand the meaning of this
ancient and beautiful rite.
Who can baptize?
In the New Testament, we see church
leaders e.g., apostles, pastors,
missionaries, deacons baptizing (John 4:1-2,
Acts 10:47-48, 16:33). Therefore, CCC's
pastors and elders lead in baptism, often
with the help of fathers or grandfathers.
When should I be baptized?
The New Testament norm is for believers
to undergo baptism immediately after putting
faith in Christ (Acts 2:41; 8:38-39;
10:47-48). It was normally practiced as a
first step of obedience to Jesus. We
encourage you to be baptized as soon as
possible after trusting in Christ. Once a
believer understands the importance of
baptism, there is no scriptural reason for
putting it off.
Where does CCC do its baptism services?
In the past we have baptized in lakes and
swimming pools. Now, we have a portable
baptistery that we can set up indoors or
outdoors.
Why is baptism a public thing?
In the Bible, baptism was never a secret
or private act (Acts 2 :41) because a true
disciple is not ashamed of Jesus. Rather, we
want to share our joyous decision to follow
Christ with family, friends, and fellow
church members.
What if I was baptized before I understood
the gospel?
Many folks were baptized as infants, a
decision made by parents, and to which they
were oblivious. Others were baptized as
children, teens, or even adults (while still
not understanding the gospel). Believer's
baptism is for those who have heard the
gospel, understood it, and chosen to believe
in Christ and follow Him. If you were
baptized prior to understanding and believing
the gospel, we encourage you to consider
participating in believer's baptism.
How often should I be baptized?
The New Testament presents baptism as
one-time act, a first-step in a lifetime of
following Christ. The act of going under the
baptismal waters doesn't save us or bring us
closer to God, so multiple baptisms do not
serve a useful purpose.
Should infants be baptized?
The gospels depict Jesus welcoming and
blessing children. But there are no New
Testament passages that either describe or
prescribe infant baptism. We believe baptism
is a step of obedience after one puts his/her
trust in Jesus Christ, and since infants are
unable to exercise saving faith, we do not
baptize babies. We do, however, dedicate
babies to the Lord (in the spirit of 1 Samuel
1:27-28). This special commitment ceremony
(usually held once a year at CCC, alternating
between Mother's Day and Father's Day) is, in
a real sense, more of a parent dedication. A
child's parent(s) and the church body pledge
together to spiritually nurture the child as
he or she grows up, and we pray for his/her
eventual salvation.
Should children be baptized?
If a child understands and has accepted God's
gracious offer of forgiveness and new life
through Christ, then there is no reason that
he or she should not be baptized. We have
Discipleship Classes available for children
in grades 1-6. This four-week class is
designed to make sure that a child
understands the gospel, what baptism is (and
is not), what the Lord's Supper signifies,
what the church is, and how to grow in one's
new relationship with Christ.
What happens during baptism?
All baptismal candidates need to meet
with a CCC staff member or elder to make sure
they understand what it means to put one's
faith in Christ and have a relationship with
God. Just before the baptismal ceremony,
participants meet for final instructions and
a brief prayer. The participants then line up
by the baptismal pool, and one at a time,
step into the pool. Each one is asked two or
three simple "yes/no" questions about his/her
salvation experience. Then the individual is
dipped back into the water and quickly raised
back up, symbolizing identification with
Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Some candidates are often given the chance
(many relish the opportunity) to give a brief
testimony of how they came to put their faith
in Jesus Christ.
What should I wear for baptism?
The appropriate attire for baptism at CCC
is a dark t-shirt and modest shorts. You will
also want to bring a change of clothes and a
towel.
When is the next CCC baptism?
Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010
What if I'm interested?
Great! Call the church office (251-1951).
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