Christians and Halloween

The Christian response to Halloween is varied, and that is OK. I grew up not allowed to celebrate in any way, shape or form, however, my wife, whose dad was a pastor, went trick-or-treating. Basically, it comes down to personal conviction.

The origins of Halloween are dark and wicked, and certainly much about today's celebration is similarly evil. However, you would be hard pressed to find anyone in our modern day preparing to sacrifice in honor of the Fall harvest season. Much of the origins of Halloween are lost and irrelevant. Instead, modern celebration of Halloween is about getting dressed up and getting candy; not Satan worship.

My official position is: Halloween is what you make it. I choose to use the day to glorify God by being with my family and having fun getting candy and dressing up like farm animals. If a fellow Christian is incapable of doing such, then that is OK too. Each should do what his measure of faith permits him to do (I Cor. 8 and Romans 14).

Missions Update

We are overwhelmed by the response we have received concerning FHCC’s missionary support. Prior to this month’s missions convention, the church’s mission budget was $3,200.00. This meager amount enabled us to support 8 different church planters at a rate of $400.00/year each. While this number isn’t bad, it certainly wasn’t great. If Forest Hills Community Church was to be the church of power and influence for Jesus globally, then we needed to be a church of greater faith and encouragement.

We are delighted to report that the members of Forest Hills Community Church have now pledged over $1,800.00 per month to missionary activity!!! This number is more than quadruple our previous commitments, and is nothing less than a miraculous move of the Holy Spirit.

Of course, this additional ministry of the church will require sustained emphasis through prayer and encouragement; and new strategies are already being developed and implemented. We are so humbled by your response to God’s mission of reflecting His glory to the ends of the earth!!

Missionary Care Boxes

Every year FHCC sends care packages to the missionaries who will be serving oversees during the holidays. These practical gifts of love let the missionary know that they are not only appreciated for their ministry, but also for being members of our church family.

Please help us fill a big box with a touch of home and a lot of love....

Please donate any of the following items* by Sunday, Nov. 7th:

Books:

• Current events, sports, parenting, or fashion magazines
• ENGLISH children’s books, coloring books, DVDs, or CDs

Medicine:

• Children’s Tylenol

Food Items:

• hard, non-meltable candy
• individual serving-sized boxes of cereal
• pudding or jello boxes
• peanut butter
• macaroni and cheese boxes
• other “side items”, such as rice, noodle, potato, or pasta boxes
• Oreos
• individual serving-sized bags of Doritoes, pretzels, or chips
• popcorn
• non-meltable cookies or crackers
• dried fruit or nut mixes
• seasoning packets or “American” spices
• Kool-Aid, iced tea, or other powdered drink packets
• quart-sized freezer bags for packaging

Monetary Donations

• money to cover shipping costs

All items can be delivered to the Campus during office or service hours, or brought to the Midway Theater during our Sunday worship service.

*Due to various restrictions, only items listed below can be accepted, and boxed items must be small in size.

Baby Dedication

As you know, Forest Hills Community Church loves children! It is simply amazing to know that God would trust you and I with the incredible challenge and privilege of raising another life to know and serve Jesus. While other churches and faiths celebrate children in their unique way, at FHCC we strive to remain as biblical as possible. As a result, we practice what is commonly called, BABY/CHILD DEDICATION.

Throughout the Scriptures the people of God routinely bring their child before the Lord and dedicate their child to His service. This act of prayer and faith signifies that the child has come from the Lord, belongs to the Lord, and give recognition to both the parents and the faith community for being responsible for the child's upbringing in both spiritual and communal fellowship. The ceremony does not make the child a Christian or offer any other salvational effects, but it does present the child as a prominent responsibility inside the local church.

If you would like to participate in our next BABY/CHILD DEDICATION service, we would be honored! The service will take place during our Sunday morning worship on November 7. All you need to do is sign up and invite your friends. As the date draws closer, more information will come your way regarding the order of service and expectations.

Child Dedication Service
Sunday, November 7th during the AM Worship Service
INSIDE the Midway Movie Theater
www.fhcchurch.com

Sunday Preview

This week we continue our Missions emphasis at Forest Hills Community Church. Last week we discovered what the mission was, but what about the application? What does it really look like to actually live on mission for God?

On Sunday we will share HOW to live on mission for God. Regardless of where you live or how old you are, there are certain aspects of missional living that apply to all of us. Plus, our good buddy Jed will be tag-team preaching with Pastor Jeremy. You know it is going to be good!!

Bottom line: If we really want our lives to matter, then we must begin living every moment for the glory of God.

See you this weekend for church!

Missions 101: Missions Emphasis
Sunday AM INSIDE the Midway Movie Theater
Monday PM INSIDE the FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram St)
www.fhcchurch.com

Missions 101

So much of the Christian world is not "Christian"...

This week we kicked off our Missions Emphasis at Forest Hills Community Church. It is always special to be a missionary of a missions endeavor, and then replicate the mandate of missions into new lives and ministries through that endeavor. It's just really cool to see the whole process go full circle.

However, as I approached the topic this year, I felt the LORD call us back to a fundamental definition of the word "missions." Missions is not something that the church created, nor is it something that Jesus began in the New Testament. Missions begins before the page of Genesis chapter 1. Missions is what God does.

All of creation exists for the mission of God: His glory. Man was not created by chance or without purpose; instead, he was created with the highest purpose of mimicking God and revealing His glory. Tragically, man fell from his glorious position through sin, but this tragedy did not eradicate his mission, or jeopardize the mission of God. God's mission remained intact and made evident despite man's sin, and in reality became an agent in God's glory. While God hates sin and its effect, His glory is beyond its effect.

The mission of God continued through Creation making itself truly manifest in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the redeemer of God's glory to man. Through His glorious life, death and resurrection, Jesus not only proclaims the glory of God, but redeems men through faith to the position lost and abandoned by Adam. He restores us to our mission: reflecting and communicating God's glory.

When this truth becomes realized, however, a great pain rips my heart. If the mission of man is to proclaim the glory of God, then why is it that so much of what we do is masked in humanism or obscurity? Knowing that Jesus alone is the image and glory of God, then why do we do "good things" instead of the "best" thing: preach Jesus with clarity?

Missions is not open to interpretation...its always and only about Jesus.

Paintball

Ever watch Rambo and think, I could do that? Ever wonder what it feels like to shoot someone? Think you got the moves to crawl through a battlefield unscathed? Here's your chance to prove it!

Date: Saturday, November 6

Time: 9 AM

Location: Meeting up outside FHCC Campus

Cost: $50 per person, it includes gun, gear, and 500 paint balls each,
plus a private field for 3 hours

What to wear: jeans, sneakers, t-shirt, sweatshirt, gloves. Layering up will help take away the sting. If you're not on my team, you might as well wear a bulls eye on your back too. ;-)

www.cousinspaintball.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=events.prices

This event is open to everyone, so feel free to invite guests. It's a 2 hour drive. Please reply back to me if you are coming and let me know if you can drive and how many guests are attending. I need to have a firm headcount ASAP.

Prayer Alert

It is no wonder that this prayer request comes during the week of FHCC's missionary emphasis.

We have just recieved word that our missionaries to south-east Asia have a family emergency on their hands. Their youngest son has been bitten by a poisonous snake and is fighting for his life. The father is driving through the night to get to the closest hospital to care for his son.

We know no other details than these.

Please pray for God's servants!

Accommodating Families

A biblical pattern for ministry has always revolved around families. While we rejoice over the expansion of our single-adult ministry, we understand that single people do not stay “single” forever. Currently our Sunday pre-school ministry is running at capacity, and the nursery and elementary groups are increasing steadily. As a church, it is imperative that FHCC be able to accommodate and equip families to know and serve Jesus effectively. Unfortunately, the logistics of both the Midway and Campus locations do not allow for adequate Children’s ministry at our current attendance.

As we head into our third year of ministry, the leadership of the church will continue its search for a more accommodating meeting facility for Sunday services. While a permanent facility would be ideal, what is most important is that the location serves the immediate needs of the congregation. It must be easily accessible by the community, provide ample room and security for children, and comply with the style and length of worship to which FHCC adheres.

Please pray with us for God's wisdom and provision to be spelled out for all to witness. We desperately want/need to be in the center of the Lord's will on every matter of the church; especially regarding matters that involve the location and function of our primary worship service. Great days are ahead!!

Light the Night

Every year FHCC reclaims the day typically associated with evil and mischief.

Throughout the entire month of October, the church will be collecting candy and bibles to give to trick-or-treaters and their families. The campus will be converted into a place of games, entertainment, and information on the church. Our theme will be the "Wild West," so bring your bandannas and cowboy hats!

In order to make this exciting day a success, we need your help! While there is sure to be a lot of fun and laughter surrounding the day, we want everything to be about about Jesus. Please commit to not only donating materials and time, but please join us in prayer that many will come to know the LIGHT of the World!

You can drop off your candy at any service or at the campus during office hours. To volunteer, please email JOHANNA.

Light the Night: Halloween Alternative
Sunday, October 31st from 2-6pm
FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram)
www.fhcchurch.com

You Need this Book

FHCC is committed to seeing the mission and glory of God come to NYC. We love reading and sharing God's Word with others because it is the chief means to this end. However, every now and again a Christian book comes along that compliments the biblical story and serves as a powerful witness to its timely truth and our inherent weakness. Leonard Ravenhill's "Why Revival Tarries" is that kind of book.

"Ravenhill's call to revival is as timely now as it was when first published over forty years ago. The message is fearless and often radical as he expounds on the disparity between the New Testament church and the church today. This book contains the heart of his message." - From Online Review

FHCC has ordered a dozen copies and is currently selling them for only $10 each. If you have not yet secured your copy, you need to do so ASAP.

Flag Football

We love to PLAY together at FHCC!

Guys and girls are invited to participate in an inter-church flag football series. Games take place through November and there is NO cost to join. Whether you are a jock or a benchwarmer, we would love to have you a part of the team. Games take place in Queens, and transportation is available.

Have a friend who does not go to church, but would love to play ball with us??? BRING him/her along! Don't miss out on a fun and meaningful opportunity to get to know the church.

We simply need your commitment by October 15th. Email Chi or Henry for more information or to sign up.

Flag Football
Saturdays, Oct 30 - Nov 27
info@fhcchurch.com

Missions Dinner and Movie

Throughout the month of October, FHCC will be honoring the biblical command to share Jesus with the World (Matt. 20:19-20).

This Sunday (Oct. 10) we will host a special dinner with food from around the world. Each guest will bring a food item from a different continent to share and experience. The meal begins at 5pm and you must PREREGISTER in order to participate.

Following the meal, we will show a special professional-quality movie about missionaries who risked it all to tell the people of Ecuador about Jesus. The title of the movie is "End of the Spear" and is based on a true story. Due to some intense scenes, the movie bears a PG-13 rating. ALL are welcome to participate and bring their friends for this special movie.*

*Even if you are unable to attend the dinner, we highly encourage to participate in the showing of the movie, "End of the Spear."

Missions Dinner and a Movie - Sunday, October 10th
Dinner at 5pm
Movie at 7pm
FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram St)
www.fhcchurch.com

Joseph and Potiphar

This week our attention shifts back to poor Joe in Egypt. Being purchased by Egypt's "chief of butchers," our story takes an interesting twist as Joseph enters service into this prominent family. Unlike his own family, the Egyptians love Joseph's divine blessing and approval...especially the lady of the house, Mrs. Potiphar.

Join us this Sunday as we examine the biblical definition of "divine favor." God's blessing never goes unrecognized, but it does not always draw a unanimous response either. Learn how to read the signs this Sunday at FHCC.

Joseph: From Death to Life
Sunday Morning @ 10am INSIDE the Midway Movie Theater
Monday Nights @ 8pm INSIDE the FHCC Campus (6708 Ingram)
www.fhcchurch.com