Church News

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Calhoun UMC
Welcome to the Good News from Calhoun Community Church. Our church family gathers at 9:00 am for pre-church food and fellowship. We use this special time for visiting with one another and welcoming Guests as they arrive for worship. Tucker McNeely helped ring the church bell this morning at 9:45 am.
We lift up family, neighbors and friends in need of prayer: Jean Dittmer, Tammy George, Pam Fields, Joan Rasmussen, Eddie Roth, Millie Redding, Patty Dump and Dave Burson. We continue to pray for our military men and women and their families, as well as others in service jobs that we depend upon daily. Special prayers were said for those involved in the Middle East and Ukrainian wars. We pray for guidance as we continue forward as a Community Church on the square in Calhoun, MO.
Joys to celebrate: We awoke to cloudy skies which hopefully will bring us much needed rain. We were overjoyed to have Sondra Short back with us. We were blessed to have Cheyenne McNeely with her children: Savannah, Tucker and Mason in church today. Debbie Joy kept her word by having a Sunday School class for them. They made turkeys, which they paraded around with, at the delight of the congregation.
December 2 is fast approaching, which will be Christmas on the Square. The church will feature a movie for the kids of the community.
Should you be looking for a new place to grow your faith, come by for a visit, dress as you are comfortable, bring the whole family and be prepared to receive a blessing for your effort. We are a Concerned and Praying, Nondenominational Church. Should you find yourself in need of prayer, we encourage you to join us any Sunday morning. We will be blessed by your presence.

Drakes Chapel UMC
On this the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Drake’s Chapel was buzzing before worship. Our church family was greeting one another with hugs and laughter. Actually, this is how our Sunday mornings usually begin. We are truly
followers of Christ who share our love for Christ and each other. Pastor Margie walked from our fellowship room into a sanctuary with 40 in attendance. For a small country church the pews were almost full ready to receive our Lord’s word.
For special music we listened to Josh Groban on cd sing the beautiful song “Thankful”. Such an appropriate song to lead us into this Thanksgiving week.
Pastor Margie’s message was entitled “Motivation”. What motivates us to do the things we do every day? Are we drawn to money, tangible things, spiritual things? Pastor Margie pointed out that Jesus wants us to be faithful. He wants us to serve Him. We have many ways to serve. We all have gifts we can share with our Lord. He knows our hearts and wants our devotion. Our motivation should be to serve God and be faithful. To serve him by bringing others to know the love of Jesus Christ. Great is thy faithfulness.
We are planning a cookie exchange Dec. 9th. What a better way to enjoy fellowship and take home a great variety of cookies for the holidays. Sometime soon we will be planning a holiday dinner for our church family.
It looks like a busy time at Drake’s. With Christmas around the corner we know the hustle and bustle can draw our attention to all the joyful activities and family gatherings. With all that being said, on December 25th we turn our hearts to the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday at 9:00 in person or on Facebook Live. Just look for Margie Briggs. We are located 5 miles east of Clinton off Hwy 52. Look for the sign on the highway. On this Thanksgiving remember to be thankful for the love of family and friends and the one who has given us everything Jesus Christ.

First Baptist
On Sunday, Pastor Pat Findley delivered the 10th message of his fall sermon series, ‘Weakness is Greater than Strength’ titled “Dashboard Warning Lights”. Like the dashboard in a car, we can sometimes have our own warning lights, indicating issues in our hearts. Speaking from Judges 8:4-21, Pastor Pat offered three warning lights of spiritual drift:
1. Compassion Disappears – when empathy is set aside, our ability to place others’ needs ahead of our own diminishes. We must remember that Jesus had compassion and He calls us to do the same, even when sin makes it difficult for our hearts to make Godly decisions.
2. Anger Escalates – In Judges 8, Gideon becomes angry and his loss of control escalates. This ‘warning light’ occurs as he crosses the Jordan, and, at the same time, he crosses a line in his heart. Anger is a universal emotion. Beneath anger is often fear or loss of control. We should try to think of our anger as a warning light.
3. Revenge Feels Right – Rather than pursuing justice, Gideon seeks revenge. The Bible calls us to forgiveness, not bitterness. We must remember to leave vengeance to the Lord.
Addressing our own warning lights may be tough, but necessary to avoid a breakdown. When we are struggling, we should H.A.L.T. and repent. We are most vulnerable to sin when we are Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired (H.A.L.T.). When we repent and confess, we can receive His forgiveness and purification. Are there warning lights in your life? Only He can fix our dashboard lights if we go to Him. Simply pause and ask God to examine your heart. Stay in the word and connected to other believers. God offers healing to those who come to Him!
Celebrate Recovery is on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 pm at the Vansant location for anyone with hurts, habits, or hangups. Worship service times are 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and Sunday School is offered at 8:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Youth and Children’s Ministries also align with these times. On Thursdays at 6 pm, GriefShare provides help and encouragement after the death of a spouse, child, family member, or friend. For more information and upcoming events, please visit www.firstbaptistclinton.church or find us on Facebook at ‘First Baptist Church – Clinton, MO’.
We invite those without a church home to join us in worship of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. First Baptist Church exists to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20) by loving people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ.

First Presbyterian
Have you stopped recently to count your blessings? Family, friends, a home in which to live, food to eat, good health; these are all things we can agree are our blessings. If we really took the time to ponder on it we would be able to identify so many more things for which we need to give thanks. During this Thanksgiving season and every day, take the time to thank our God for your many blessings.
Sunday morning was another opportunity for Rev. Nancy Gillard to deliver a sermon from the series “Love and Faith” titled Beyond Macy’s and Walmart.
The scripture reference was Colossians 1: 11 – 20. Our handchimes choir blessed us with a well known hymn “Come, Ye Thankful People, Come”.
The collection of cake mixes in a variety of flavors is growing steadily on the foyer shelves. This effort sponsored by the Presbyterian Women is for Project Christmas Cheer for the Samaritan Center. The collection ends on Sunday, November 26th so don’t forget to pick up a few boxes, bring them to church with you on Sunday and contribute to this worthwhile effort.
Our annual Thanksgiving Potluck held on Sunday was well received. Not only good food but also good fellowship was enjoyed by all in attendance.
The church office will be closed on Thursday and Friday of this week due to the holiday. We wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
Tai Chi classes continue to meet here each Monday and Wednesday at 10:00 am. If you’re looking for something to help strengthen your core and improve balance then Tai Chi is the right fit. There’s plenty of room in the fellowship hall so plan on joining in the fun.
Are you looking for a church home? Please come join us. We would love to have you be a part of our friendly congregation. If you are unable to attend in person, our broadcasts are also available online at our website: fpcclintonmo.net or Facebook First Presbyterian Clinton MO. Stay updated on happenings at First Presbyterian by visiting our website. Our monthly newsletter, calendar, pictures and other interesting items about the church can be found there.

Mt. Calvary Apostolic Pentecostal
Scriptures: Deuteronomy 8:10-11, 6-20, Daniel 2:12, 6:16, 2Kings 20:1-6, Isaiah 38
“Beware That Thou Forget Not the Lord thy God and Give Him Praise and Thanks.”
Deuteronomy 8:11 Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day.
We must give God thanks above everyone else. Our goal is to please him. It took 40 years for God to humble the Israelites. In those 40 years in the desert, they did not wear out their clothes and their feet did not swell.
Thank God for everything because he does things we aren’t aware of. Think about all he has brought us through, sometimes we forget all he has done for us. God is reminding us not to forget where our blessings come from.
Daniel 2:12 God can find a way for you to escape. We never know when our life is in danger, but God can shield us.
In 2 Kings 20:1-6 Hezekiah was extremely ill, but he humbled himself before God and God healed him and gave him 15 more years.
God hears our humble prayers and he will respond. We should come to the house of God when he brings us through something. The devil will use other people to trap you and cause you harm.
When the men set Daniel up and tricked the king, he couldn’t go back on the decree that he made, but he told Daniel that his God would be with him when they placed him in the Lion’s den. God was with him and Daniel survived.
We must remember to give thanks all the time, not only for Thanksgiving, God Bless.

Trinity Lutheran
The flowers on the altar on Sunday were provided to recognize and celebrate Dale and Edith Lawler’s 43rd wedding anniversary. Congratulations, Edith and Dale!
There are many people today who proudly proclaim they don’t believe in Jesus, and openly ridicule those who do. They have allowed their hearts to be hardened to the Gospel message: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Those of us who believe and trust in Jesus Christ as our savior, know better. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is the heart and core of the Christian faith. As Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins” (I Cor. 15:17). For those whom God has given faith, there is no doubt that Jesus did rise from the dead. It is not a lie. It is not a fairy tale.It is true.
Shortly after Jesus’ ascension into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father, the Apostle Peter preached a sermon to thousands of Jews in Jerusalem that focused on the certain fact, that no one present could dispute, that Jesus rose from the dead. “This Jesust,” said Peter, “ God raised up, and of that we are all witnesses...Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts: 2:32, 37).
Jesus was crucified, died and was buried. He did rise from the dead. He is alive today. There is no doubt. He is our Savior, worthy of all honor and praise. There is no doubt. HE IS RISEN!
Divine Service 1 pm; Sunday School 11:45 am; Church phone 660.885.4728.

Valley Center United
How can we ever say enough thanks to his gifts of love, salvation, grace and the peace that passes all understanding? We pray that we may see those wonderful blessings we have been given and share that joy and love with everyone we meet.
We are an open and affirming church and welcome all to come and worship with us next Sunday morning.
We thank David Maggi for bringing the message this morning in Rev, Dane’s absence.
We send our love and prayers to our dear Mary as she heals from a fall. We continue praying for the people of the Ukraine. We pray for OUR world.
The Bible tells us that some people came to Jesus and asked to be healed after they had been suffering from leprosy for many years. Jesus tested each of them before he healed them. But afterwards, only one returned to thank him.
Did the others complain and only remember the years of suffering and hunger before they were healed? Instead of looking ahead and for the positive, they were focused on their past suffering. The one thankful healed man had focused on the positive, it was his best day! His faith brought him to this wonderful day!
Today, when we focus on the positive, we get rid of the small things that have weighed us down. Letting go makes us see more clearly. It is a time to change and look forward in living our best life.
There are so many ways that we can use the gifts and opportunities that God gave to us. Do not choose to dwell on the past, go forward and give thanks everyday for the blessings given to us! Make every day Thanksgiving Day!