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 Finding the Meaning IN Life
Pastor Dave Conrads
The first 7 Sundays before the Lenten season, we will be exploring anew what it means to be human. In other words, we will explore the questions:
"What does it mean to be created in the image and likeness of God? And, how are we to live this out in our lives today, both together and individually, both within the Church and outside of Her, both locally and globally?"
The "answer", in simplicity, is that we are created to reflect God's glory by growing in Christ-likeness and to give him preeminence in every aspect of our lives. Let's start the year anew with our eyes fixed on our Lord Jesus Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith! Every other pursuit is trivial. Let's be meaningful!
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 Food Bank Update
Pastor Gail Mitchell
These are hard times for a lot of people. Our food bank has been very active. The small space that we have allocated is serving us well. The freezer is full-mostly bread, frozen soup and turkey (leftovers from thanksgiving.). We try to keep some hamburger and hot dogs in there also. There is a large turnover of food. We are able to get some stuff very cheap from HACAP in Hiawatha. We buy other stuff from Aldi, so we can offer some meats, etc.
Here is what we DON'T need: Tomato Soup and canned vegetables.
Here is what we NEED! Money, frozen or canned meats, soups with meat, rice, canned fruits. We need catsup, salad dressing, mayo, etc. We are now looking for a larger refrigerator. We need your plastic grocery bags.
About 2 years ago we decided that our mission involved serving the local community. Now we have as many as a dozen families a week using our food bank, and several mothers with young children at a Wednesday morning training class. We have a group from Narcotics Anonymous here every Friday evening. Through you, our community is being impacted.
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Other News
 Evening worship begins at The BWH
Saturday, January 23rd
The Big White House will begin to hold worship services on Saturday evenings on Saturdays starting in January. The messages will be the same as Sunday mornings at The River and at Genesis, but the music and experience will be slightly different. Come check it out on the 23rd!
 Baby Shower
2:00 pm, Sunday January 10th
Come celebrate with Erin Griebahn as she gets ready to deliver twins! Double the fun. Talk to Sharon Good about items or food for this event.
 New Sunday Class Offered
Following Jesus: Spiritual Formation
Are you interested in digging deeper spiritually? Want to grow closer in your relationship with God?
Through this class we hope to encourage you to grow in your spiritual maturity through understanding what it means to follow Jesus as described in the New Testament writings. We will read through the books of Hebrews, Colossians, the Gospels, Revelation. Please contact Pastor Steve if you are interested in participating in the class.
 Great Publications
Have you seen all the great publications diplayed by the resource center in the River foyer by the resource center lately? Today's Christian is larger now and still a great read. This month's cover story is about Jennifer Rothschild and her lessons she's learned from her blindness. Also for your taking are Our Daily Bread, activites for older people, print version of our newsletter and prayer concerns, and information about ministries and businesses in our community. Take another look!
Online Schedules
The schedules for 2010 are now online under Volunteer Schedule in the lower right corner of the website home page or the volunteer link to the left here. You'll have to log in with your account info to access the schedule. If you need help, let us know! There is also included general directions for your job as well as a list of volunteers in case you need a substitute and need to switch.
 A Year in Pictures
Click on the pictures at the left to go to The River Community Church website to see a few pictures of our past year! Lots of things happened this year at The River, so enjoy the pictures that we have. There were many more in various newsletters throughout the year, this is just a sampling. Enjoy. Please send pictures you get over the coming year to include in next year's newsletters and end of the year albumn, we hope to make this an annual expanded publication.
Go and Share...
the love of Christ here and around the world!
 Kolczyk's at Urbana 2009
Urbana has now started and we have us a crowd of supper charged students on our hands searching the Lord what HE has for them.
Please pray that we can play a role in those commands these students are getting to going into all the world to proclaim the Gospel! We are seeking God ordained appointments with students.
As you know my mom passed away Thanksgiving morning and this will free us up to do more ministry in April when we return to Europe. Since we will be in Poland anyway, the country of Czech Republic requested for us to "drop" in also. So we will be traveling from Bavaria in Germany first to Poland and cross over to Czech Republic and in both countries we will not only meet with our missionaries to encourage them and get to know their ministries but will also meet with national church leaders to hear about their vision for future ministries that we will recruit for. I am very excited about that and we are looking forward to that new development. We will also visit our sister church in Chemnitz former East Germany and south of that location with our ministry team from 1988.
Until the whole world heard,
Martin & Judy from Urbana 2009 in St. Louis
www.kolczyk.org
sendmidwest.blogspot.com
For our missionary reports through Converge Worldwide click on the link at the left. All of our reports can be obtained from The River office.
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