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Christian
Challenger
Vol. 69 January 5, 2022 No. 1
This Saturday, January 8, 2022
Fellowship Hall
This year we have a couple of volunteer shifts
for you to choose from:
9:00—10:00 am Set Up
10:00 am—12:00 pm 1st Meal Packing Shift
12:30—2:00 pm 2nd Meal Packing Shift
2:30—3:00 pm Clean Up
Register online at: Hey Youth (students in Grades 6-12)! Come meet
www.firstchristianwf.com/RAH Brooke Reid, our new Minister to Youth and Young
Adults, as she kicks off the Spring semester of Sunday
Night Youth Fellowship this Sunday night, December 9,
from 5:00 – 7:00 pm in the Youth Room. There will be
food, fellowship, fun, and more as a new season of youth
ministry begins. Text your friends and tell them to meet
you there!
Join in this new series Brooke is a native Texan, growing up in Waxahachie.
beginning January 5 at In high school, she played on both the volleyball team and
6:00 pm at the golf team, and she continues to play both sports for
The Neighborhood. fun. Brooke then went to Baylor where she received a
Bachelor of Social Work degree with a minor in Corporate
Communication. As her time at Baylor drew to a close,
she began to feel a calling towards family ministry, which
led her to Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor. Over the
years, Brooke has served as a counselor and lifeguard at
Pine Cove Silverado, as an intern at the Methodist
First Friday at First Children’s Home in Waco, and as a youth leader with
Journey Christian Community in China Spring. Brooke is
The January edition of First Friday in her final year at Truett Seminary and will earn her
at First Christian Church will be this Masters of Divinity Degree, with a concentration in Family
Friday, January 7th, at 6:00 pm. You Ministry, this August.
are invited to the Fellowship Hall for P.S. If you want to get a jumpstart on getting to know
the movie “Encanto” and snacks! Brooke, she’ll be at our Rise Against Hunger event on
Saturday. Come pack meals with Brooke and learn more
about her there!
Through the New Testament in a Year
It’s Not Too Late Manners Matter Etiquette Class
Join in an opportunity to grow your Manners Matter is an
faith by joining Dr. Bender for a year-long etiquette program for 5th and 6th
Bible Study called Through the New graders taught by the fun and
Testament in a Year. Participants in this energetic Dee King. During this
study will receive a book which divides the program students will learn
New Testament into 365 daily readings. simple etiquette like
Additionally, participants will have the handshakes, introductions, small
opportunity to regularly gather with Dr. talk, table manners, and cell phone/technology etiquette.
Bender to go deeper into what you are What to know: Dates: Thursdays, January 20-
reading. Our first meeting will be this February 17. Times: 6:30-8:00pm except February 17th
Sunday, January 9, at 6:00 pm in Room 310. If you are which is 6:00-8:00pm. Location: First Christian Church.
interested in participating in this study and ordering the Cost: $75. Registration is open to all. Slots are filling up!
book, call the church office or text NT to 940-310-5673 to Register online at:
register. www.firstchristianwf.com/MannersMatter
I share this story and counsel from Timothy Jones
Make Your Mark because I think it provides a great starting point for
thinking about prayer. When many of us think about
Dr. Mark R. Bender praying, or improving our prayer life, or learning more
Senior Minister about prayer, our tendency is to think about eloquence.
We think
enhancement to
Praying in 2022 our prayers will
It started as an innocent comment. In a planning come in the form
session last year, one of our staff members talked about of articulation and
maybe using the Lenten season to talk about prayer. That verbosity. We
comment got me thinking about how to talk about, preach believe this is
about, teach about, and experience prayer. And while we critical either
won’t be able to cover every aspect of prayer or exhaust because we don’t
all of the resources related to prayer, we will be talking want to seemingly
about prayer this year, and not just at Lent. embarrass ourselves when we offer a prayer in public or
Pastor and author Timothy Jones opens his book on because we believe it takes just the right formula of words
the art of prayer with this story: strung together to make prayer powerful and effective. But
both of these thoughts miss the point.
Never will I forget the terror of one night Our own Sheri Sutton, in her book 40 Days: A
several years ago. Journey of Prayer, neatly expands our thinking about
My wife and family and I were living in a prayer. While noting that the reasons for prayer are
second-story apartment in a suburb in the limitless, she suggests that the action of prayer is
Midwest. It would have been a typical bedtime, important because:
except my sons couldn’t seem to get settled. As Prayer is an extraordinary connective force. It
they jumped out of their bunk bed to use the binds us to a higher power, nature, and each
bathroom one more time, the thudding sound of other. It also changes our perspective.
their small feet on the floor infuriated our Throughout the ages, many have survived
downstairs neighbor, whose bedroom, we varying difficult and unthinkable circumstances
suppose, was directly below theirs. He flew into because of prayer. Prayer gives us courage
a rage, ran up the stairs in our building, and when we are fearful, hope when we are
began pounding on our door. hopeless, and strength when we are weak. It is
“Open this door,” he screamed, “or I’ll kill the part of life’s journey that allows us to find
you!” answers to puzzling questions and solutions to
With images of a fist (or worse) in my face, I difficult situations. Prayer empowers us to do the
refused. He ran back down the steps and out unexpected and raises our consciousness to be
into the parking lot, where he stood below our more in tune with ourselves, the world around
window, yelling and bellowing his threats. us, and, most importantly, a power greater than
With shaky hands, I dialed 911 for help. But ourselves.
just as intently and instinctively, I prayed. I don’t My hope for this year is that our discussions and
recall what I said, but my words surely made up teachings on prayer (beginning in Lent) will help you
in urgency what they lacked in eloquence. By understand the connective, perspective-changing power
the time the police came and settled our of prayer that starts not with flowery language and
neighbor down, we had already gathered as a incredible sentence construction, but with where we are
family to pray aloud. Through trembling words, and who we are. Because as the great theologian and
the kids uttered prayers beautiful in directness author D. Elton Trueblood said it, “At the profoundest
and simplicity: “Keep us safe! Help us!” depths of life, people talk not about God but with [God].”
Need often prompts me to turn to God; many It was Abraham Lincoln who said:
of my prayers over the years have arisen in I have been driven many times upon my knees
similarly needy times… But occasionally I by the overwhelming conviction that I had
wonder, Shouldn’t prayer have to do with loftier nowhere else to go. My own wisdom, and that of
things? I notice how often my praying chronically
all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.
grows out of daily concerns – my vocation and
work, our family budget, my children’s health. We, too, know the limits of our own abilities and
Does God mind if I come to him with my wisdom. But this year as we spend some time
anxieties and everyday misfortunes?... Years of intentionally thinking about prayer, perhaps it is this prayer
praying have convinced me of the validity of from Franḉois Fénelon that you need to pray:
prayers born of desperation. My needy moments
drive me to prayer, and I believe God is happy to Lord, I do not know what to ask of you;
have me come to him. Not that I want such cries only you know what I need.
for help to be the only form of prayer I turn to; I simply present myself to you;
still…prayer begins where we are, not where we I open my heart to you.
think we should be. Perhaps no other conviction I have no other desire than to accomplish your will.
has done more to free me to turn to God. I come Teach me to pray.
“just as I am,” as an old gospel hymn has it. How Amen.
could any of us pray otherwise? Mark
FCC MINISTRY NEWS AND CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS
Welcome New Members!
It was a joy to welcome
Duane & Dixie Williams into
our fellowship by transfer of
membership from First
Christian Church of Atchison
KS, on Sunday, December
26th, which was their 50th Jesus had a family. So, are there lessons to be learned
Wedding Anniversary! We are from Jesus’ family that speak to our modern families?
thrilled that Dixie has joined Join us for this new Worship Series beginning
the Chancel Choir! Their Sunday, January 8.
contact information is 5110 Jamaica Dr., 76310, 913-426-
4954. Welcome, Duane & Dixie!
Stretch Class
The Challenger is biweekly, with the next publication on Wednesdays,
Jan. 19! FCC Ministry News is sent by email every Tuesday. at 1:00 pm in the Parlor
$5.00 donation per session
Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study! Bring a
friend and attend the FCC Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study
this Friday morning, January 14th, from 7:00-8:00 am, at 2022 Stewardship Update
the Hwy Café, 2808 Jacksboro Hwy. We’ve still got some previous pledgers to follow up
Pantry Sunday for Interfaith Outreach with, but so far – here’s what we’ve received toward our
Services: The January collected items will be: 2022 budget in estimates-of-giving (thru 12/27/2021)…
pineapple, peanut butter and macaroni & cheese. You This year’s totals – 108 estimates = $699,848.46 or
can continue to help keep the pantry shelves filled by: $6,480.08 average estimate
Donating the monthly items or any type of food items
directly anytime into the large box on the porch by the Last year’s final totals – 119 estimates = $716,377 or
Chapel entrance. If you would like to support Interfaith $6,020 average estimate
with a financial gift, you may mail your donation to That’s a 7.64% increase in our average estimate-of-
Interfaith (1101 11th St., Wichita Falls, TX 76301), or giving…and there are about 15-previous pledgers we’ve
donate on their website. not yet heard back from who estimated their 2021 gifts at
Save The Date: Vacation Bible School 46,580.00.
2022 has been set for July 11-14, from 9:00 am to Noon THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT !!!
with a Food Truck theme.
Member News:
Military Deployed: Lieutenant Andrew Long, son of
Randy & Jane Long and grandson of Sara Anderson &
Donna Long, is now deployed until March 2022 as a
helicopter pilot for the United States Navy.
Hospitalized: at Zale Lipshy is Margaret Scales; at
Midwestern Health Care Center is Jimmy Smriglio.
Our sympathies are extended to Kimberly Judge &
Alisa Ratzlaff and Families on learning of the death of
their mother, Lela Burross, on December 22nd. Services
will be held on January 6th at 2:00 pm at Lunn’s Colonial
Funeral Home Chapel.
Our condolences are extended to LaVeta Kaiser &
Family on learning of the death of her brother-in-law, Jim
Beers, on December 22nd. Services were held on January
4th in Owasso OK.
We extend our sympathies to Diane Spiller & Linda
Gipson and Families on learning of the death of their
mother, Dorothy “Dot” Montgomery, on December 26th.
Services were held on December 31st.
We extend our condolences to Stephanie Mitchell
Lindsay & Kellianne Frazier and Families on learning of Registration for Midwinter Retreats
the death of their mother and former FCC member, is Open!
JoBeth Mitchell, on December 26th. Services were held on
January 5that University United Methodist Church. 1st-5th grades: January 28-30
Congratulations to Ben Reynolds and Abby Jessell, 6th-8th grades: February 4-6
who were married on January 1st in Stillwater OK. Ben is 9 -12th grades: February 18-20
th
the son of Sheila & Craig Reynolds. disciplescrossing.campbrainregistration.com
SERVING SUNDAY
This Sunday: ELDERS
1/9: Kim Ballard, Scot Hafley; Jerry Johnson, Presiding
1/16: Ann Hunter, Alan Freeman; Richard Phillips, Presiding
“Jesus As A Child” JANUARY DIACONATE SERVERS
Luke 2:21-40 Maggy Anderson, Marc Cannedy, Leann Elder, Robert Hastings, Stacey Lingbeek,
Julia Ward, Debi Ballard, Larry Ballard, Linda Gipson, bob Hayes, LyDora Martin,
Dr. Mark Bender Nancy Smith, Hailey Wineinger.
DIACONATE SCHEDULED FOR COMMUNION PREPARATION
1/9: Leann Elder & Robert Hastings 1/16: Stacey Lingbeek & Julia Ward
DIACONATE SCHEDULED FOR COMMUNION VISITATION
1/9: Debi Ballard, Larry Ballard, Linda Gipson
OPPORTUNITIES 1/16: Lydora Martin, Nancy Smith, Bob Hayes
Saturday, January 8, 2022
10:00-12:00 Rise Against Hunger Shift 1 (Fellowship Hall) THE CHURCH STAFF. . .
12:30-2:30 Rise Against Hunger Shift 2 (Fellowship Hall) Church Number 940-692-2282 FAX Number 940-696-3085
Sunday, January 9, 2022 Web Page: www.firstchristianwf.com Church e-mail: susan@firstchristianwf.com
8:40 Worship (Chapel) Dr. Mark Bender, Senior Minister 692-2282
9:30 Sunday School / Journey Through Scripture Brooke Reid, Director of Youth & Young Adults 692-2282
10:45 Worship (Sanctuary or Watch the Livestream on YouTube or Claire Baer, Director of Children’s Ministries 692-2282
Facebook.com/FCCWF) Jeanette Showalter, Director of Music Ministries 763-8515
3:45 Chancel Ringers (High School-Adults) (Stratten Hall) Cheryl Appling, Business Administrator 691-7265
5:00 Young Disciples Choir (Grades K-5) (Stratten Hall) Ashli Fischer, Director of Children Come First 687-2231
5:00 Youth Activities (Grades 6-12) (Rm 403/Gym) Alisa Gardner, Director of Young Ages School 692-3640
6:00 Young Disciples (Grades K-5) (Rm 402/405) Rev. Margaret Scales, Common Ground Recovery Ministries 337-1712
6:00 New Testament in a Year Meeting (Rm 310) Susan Marrs, Executive Secretary Tina Williams, Financial Secretary
Monday, January 10, 2022 Karen Watson, Administrative Assistant Debbie Watson, Organist
7:30-6:00 Children Come First “CCF” (M-F) Tim Williamson, Director of Digital Media
9:00-12:00 Young Ages Preschool “YAS” (M-F)
9:00-10:00 CCF Chapel (Chapel) FOR THE RECORD. . .
11:00 FCC Staff Mtg / Worship Planning (Rm 310) CGRM: (Tues., Dec. 28) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Did not meet
6:00 ComTech Ministry Mtg (Rm 310) Neighborhood (Wed., Dec. 29) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Did not meet
7:30 Boy Scouts Troop 15 (Fellowship Hall)
Tuesday, January 11, 2022 Sunday School (Sun. Jan. 2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10:00 YAS Music (Rm 300) Worship (Jan. 2): 8:40am Worship Service. . . . . . 15
6:00 Membership Ministry Mtg (Parlor) 10:45am Worship Service . . . . . 195
6:00 Property Ministry Mtg (Rm 310) Total Worship. . . . . . . 210
6:00 Outreach Ministry Mtg (Fellowship Hall) Sunday Receipts Needed Per Week $19,336.85
6:30 Common Ground Recovery Ministries “CGRM” Support Groups Sunday Receipts for 1/2/22 $10,471.00
7:00 Worship Ministry Mtg (Rm 200) Through Dec. 27: Income $959,965.50 Expenses $992,979.98
Wednesday, January 12, 2022
7:00 Elders’ Breakfast (Rm 405)
9:00 CCF Spanish (Rm 300) Don’t Forget Or “Follow
10:00 YAS Music (Rm 300) to “Like Us” Or “Subscribe Us” on
1:00 Stretch Class (Gym) on to Us” on
5:30 Brown Bag Fellowship (Fellowship Hall)
6:00 Neighborhood Worship Service (Fellowship Hall)
6:00 First Kidz (PreK-5th Grade) (Rm 402)
7:00 Youth Activities (Grades 6-12) (Rm 403/Gym)
7:00 Chancel Choir (High School-Adults) (Stratten Hall)
Friday, January 14, 2022
7:00 Men’s Breakfast & Bible Study (Hwy Café, 2808 Jacksboro Hwy)
9:00 CCF Music (Rm 300)
Sunday, January 16, 2022
8:40 Worship (Chapel)
9:30 Sunday School / Journey Through Scripture
3701 Taft Boulevard | Wichita Falls TX 76308
CHRISTIAN CHALLENGER
10:45 Worship (Sanctuary or Watch the Livestream on YouTube or
Facebook.com/FCCWF)
3:45 Chancel Ringers (High School-Adults) (Stratten Hall)
5:00 Young Disciples Choir (Grades K-5) (Stratten Hall)
5:00 Youth Activities (Grades 6-12) (Rm 403/Gym)
6:00 Young Disciples (Grades K-5) (Rm 402/405)
6:00 New Testament in a Year Meeting (Rm 310)
Monday, January 17, 2022
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY
Children Come First & Young Ages Preschool Closed
11:00 FCC Staff Mtg / Worship Planning (Rm 310)
1:30 CWF Group 1 (Rm 310)
7:30 Boy Scouts Troop 15 (Fellowship Hall)
Tuesday, January 18, 2022
7:30-6:00 Children Come First “CCF” (M-F)
9:00-12:00 Young Ages Preschool “YAS” (M-F)
10:00 YAS Music (Rm 300)
11:30 Whirlwind Cluster Ministers’ Mtg (Bricktown, 3111 Midwestern Pkwy)
6:00 Faith Formation Ministry Mtg (Rm 405)
6:00 Stewardship Ministry Mtg (Rm 310)
6:30 Common Ground Recovery Ministries “CGRM” Support Groups
Taft Blvd., Wichita Falls, TX 76308-2315.
Changes to Christian Challenger, 3701
TX. – POSTMASTER: Send Address
Periodical postage paid at Wichita Falls
Taft Blvd., Wichita Falls TX 76308-2315.
biweekly by First Christian Church, 3701
Pub. No. (USPS 559-820). Published
THE CHRISTIAN CHALLENGER
Wednesday, January 19, 2022
7:00 Elders’ Breakfast (Rm 405)
9:00 CCF Spanish (Rm 300)
10:00 YAS Music (Rm 300)
1:00 Stretch Class (Gym)
5:30 Brown Bag Fellowship (Fellowship Hall)
6:00 Neighborhood Worship Service (Fellowship Hall)
6:00 First Kidz (PreK-5th Grade) (Rm 402)
7:00 Youth Activities (Grades 6-12) (Rm 403/Gym)
7:00 Chancel Choir (High School-Adults) (Stratten Hall)
Thursday, January 20, 2022
6:30-8:00 Manners Matter (Fellowship Hall)
Friday, January 21, 2022
9:00 CCF Music (Rm 300)
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