Memorial Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Faith Formation TODAY

“He came to serve, not be served.”

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^{Welcome. God gives us interests and talents and when we put them to use, what a difference we can make in our church,}

^{community and world. When we use our gifts and passions to serve others, it honors God and allows Christ’s church to thrive.}

^{There is so much to do to serve others and so many opportunities for hope and action to make a difference in the lives of others}

^{and the world.}

^{God-given Gifts: “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors}

^{and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity in the}

^{faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”}

^{-- Ephesians 4:11-13}

^{Resources are available to help you prayerfully consider the way God has created you and how He has prepared you for works of}

^{service within the Body. The online assessment tool will launch an amazing discovery process, one that will not only reveal what}

^{God intends you to do with your gifts, but how best to use them in order to help others and bring greater glory to God. Try it out,}

^here.

^{Volunteer Opportunities for Individuals and Families: There are a number of opportunities to be involved in and serve MCC’s}

^{ministry of “making disciples.” And when you step up to serve, God can use you in ways you never expected. See where you fit}

^{in – God has a place and plan for you in the care of His world and His people. Please send an email to: aamcc@provide.net if}

^{you are interested in helping out with any of the activities noted below. Thank you!}

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^{What do you like to do? • Facility Care and Operation: I like to help with cleaning and maintenance. I want to be sure that}

^{people and things are safe and secure. I enjoy setting up rooms and equipment.}

^{How You Can Help … Keeping the church building in good shape, inside and outside, takes time and effort. It’s a year-round job}

^{but also a chance to care for a historic building and grounds. During the year, MCC schedules several “workdays” to handle}

^{repairs and upkeep of its facilities and grounds. Check out the website for other notices about upcoming “workdays.” Upcoming}

^{opportunities for service include:}

^{Nov. 8, 2008: Paint a Classroom: We’re planning on painting the Elementary/Middle School classroom which is located off of}

^{Fellowship Hall on Saturday starting at 10:00 a.m. We’ll provide lunch for anyone who volunteers to paint that day.}

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^{What Do You Like to Do? • Care, Compassion and Justice: I like to help those in physical, emotional, or spiritual need. I}

^{desire to see people treated with equality and respect. I want to show generosity, kindness and fairness to others.}

^{How You Can Help … Jesus said, “Love others as he has loved us.” We continue to be interested in supporting and caring for}

^{others who are struggling to meet life challenges. We are a community of Christians who gather around God’s Word and}

^{sacraments. In response to Christ’s love we reach out and care for all people. Regardless of where people are in their lives,}

^{there is a place for them in Christ’s heart. Upcoming opportunities for service include:}

^{Oct. 12, 2008: CROP Walk for Hunger: The Washtenaw/Ann Arbor CROP Hunger Walk is a statement by the interfaith}

^{community that in Washtenaw County and around the world too many of our neighbors are hungry. It’s a walk organized by}

^{the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice. In past years, CROP walkers in over 150 Michigan communities have raised over}

^{$3,000,000. Local organizations in every city across Michigan receive grants from the funds raised by walkers. Sometimes,}

^{we’re blessed to be a blessing to others. We hope you and your children can join us!}

^{Nov. 15-16, 2008 and April -25-26, 2009: Be the Church -- Faith in Action Weekend: Come join volunteers who are interested}

^{in helping a local agency respond to the special needs of our community. We’ll focus on the problems and challenges that the}

^{homeless face by volunteering at Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN). IHN provides food, shelter and comprehensive services}

^{in a caring atmosphere of dignity and safety. More than providing just a bed and a roof for families at Alpha House, the goal is}

^{to support the families in securing and maintaining their own home. We will be serving dinner to the residents at Alpha House}

^{that weekend. We are encouraging parents and children to participate in this effort because sheltering one another is a basic}

^{and powerful act of humanity for families. Upcoming opportunities for service include:}

^{Dec. 10-18, 2008: Children and youth will be creating “care baskets” and delivering them to UM students during the study}

^{period for mid-term exams. We’re hoping to recruit a few volunteers to help with making and stocking the baskets. During}

^{exam week, children and volunteers will deliver the care baskets to students who live in the neighborhood.}

^{Jan. 18, 2009: Children and youth will be honoring and celebrating Grandparents on this day. They will also be visiting senior}

^{citizens to conduct a 30 minute worship service at Hillside Terrace Assisted Living Center in Ann Arbor. We need a volunteers}

^{to drive and escort the students to the centers.}

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^{What Do You Like to Do? • Create, Make, Build or Construct: I like working with my hands to build or create. I want to use}

^{my artistic or creative talents to impact others. I enjoy working outdoors in construction or landscaping.}

^{How You Can Help … Our creativity is an expression of God’s revelation, beauty and glory. Christians around the world have}

^{different ways of seeing the world and everything around them. Those perspectives can give different expressions to what}

^{we do or know. Yet, we worship the same Potter, who through the indwelling Spirit shapes us and enables us to receive God’s}

^{revelation through what we build and create.}

^{Oct. 26, 2008: Please feel free to join us in an effort to make delicious homemade candy. We have one volunteer to help the}

^{children with this activity, but could use another supporter. If you love cooking or eating – this will be a fun activity for you.}

^{Oct. 30, 2008: Church School students in the Elementary/Middle through High School will help to coordinate and participate}

^{in a Halloween party for parents and children at Alpha House. We will need volunteers to help children and youth plan events}

^{and escort them to and from Alpha House.}

^{Dec. 6, 13, & 20, 2008: Church School students in the Elementary/Middle through High School will be performing a Christmas}

^{play on Dec. 21, 2009. We need volunteers to help create sets, make costumes and rehearse the musical selections with}

^students.

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^{What do you like to do? • Guest Service and Hospitality: I like to help people feel welcome. I enjoy greeting people and}

^{answering their questions. I desire to create an atmosphere in which people feel at ease and welcomed.}

^{How You Can Help … “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the House of the Lord.” – Psalm 122:1. Greeting}

^{visitors as they arrive at the church or come to an unfamiliar place is a wonderful ministry. It’s helpful to have people who}

^{serve as the “first responders” to guests as they arrive. At MCC, you can register visitors and help answer any questions.}

^{You will be able to help escort visitors to the destination with a friendly smile and a welcoming heart.}

^{Greet members and visitors at Memorial Christian Church (MCC) each Sunday morning with a Church School student. Be}

^{the reason a visitor returns to MCC! WOW our guests with a warm smile and friendly service.}

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^{What do you like to do? • Guide, Teach or Lead: I like to guide others, individually or in a group setting, toward next steps}

^{on their spiritual journey. I like to share information or knowledge. I can identify goals and determine how to accomplish}

^{them, and I like to lead people toward a common purpose.}

^{How You Can Help … We are committed to helping people develop into fully devoted followers of Christ. The goal is to help}

^{people better understand their faith, learn more about the Bible and discover their areas of service through compelling and}

^{relevant studies and personal life stories.}

^{Church School Volunteer (Teacher or Child Care Worker): Changing the youth world happens one student at a time. A solid}

^{Christian ministry is built on healthy and nurturing relationships between adults and students. The most effective way to}

^{influence students is through the relationships with key people in their lives. If you are interested in helping a student}

^{discover who and what they’re made for, please contact the church office at (734) 662-4245. Whether you serve every week}

^{or as little as once every six weeks, you can make an impact on the life of kids.}

^{Nov. 16 & 23, 2008: Often lost in the hustle and bustle between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the season of Advent.}

^{“Advent” refers to the coming of the nativity of the Christ at Christmas and serves to remind us of the greatest event of}

^{human history – “The Word becoming flesh.” Gathering together to prepare for and celebrate Advent is a perfect}

^{opportunity for students to focus on one another and Christ. We will be making the Advent candles that will be used in}

^{the worship services during this season. We need a volunteer who knows a little bit about “candle-making” to work with}

^{our students on this effort. If you love children and sharing your creative gifts – this is a great way to be of service.}

^{Small Group Facilitators: Volunteers are needed to lead and facilitate small group sessions. Training will be provided so}

^{little to no experience is necessary, but having been a part of a small group before is a plus. Study material is available with}

^{an expectation that facilitators will make arrangements for group meetings and lead discussion with participants. Our small}

^{group studies focus on effective relationships; exploring why it’s important to choose faith; meeting life’s pressures; building}

^{strong families; and what it means to serve others.}

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^{What do you like to do? • Hands-on-Help: I like to show up and do whatever it takes to help. I prefer to work behind the}

^{scenes. I enjoy serving in a variety of ways and settings.}

^{How You Can Help … Do you long to make a difference in another person’s life? Do you want to live more generously so that}

^{others can see God in you? Are you looking for ways to serve something outside yourself? We believe that a desire to serve}

^{is the greatest sign that one is growing more and more like Jesus. God has given each of us gifts to help build the church and}

^{extend his love and compassion to a needy world. We offer a way for you to make a contribution of your time, talents,}

^{resources and heart.}

^{June 26-30, 2009: Be Changed – Make Change (Mission Trip): Disciples Disaster Response assists communities affected by}

^{natural disasters (Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes) and technological disasters (toxic waste dump, transportation}

^{accident releasing toxic chemicals, mining hazards). Immediate and long-term response to disasters provides relief and}

^{assistance for recovery. High School and college students and volunteers will have a chance to live out Jesus’ teaching about}

^{identifying with people in need by going on a 3-5 day mission trip. Students will move out of the classroom and into the world}

^{to act on what they have learned. Teenagers will be accompanied by a group of adult volunteers. Scholarships will be available}

^{for those interested in making the trip but who may not have the necessary funds to pay for all of their expenses. Specific}

^{dates and location for the mission trip will be determined later.}

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^{What do you like to do? • Organize and Plan: I like to support others by handling the detail work and daily routines. I enjoy}

^{office tasks such as answering phones or data entry. I can bring structure and order to any project.}

^{How You Can Help … Sometimes the small tasks or jobs that we do help make the big jobs a reality. Sometimes when seeing the}

^{big picture, the little things that can cause havoc are missed. If you have a knack for thinking about and seeing the details, your}

^{efforts will be appreciated.}

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^{What do you like to do? • Technical and Specific Skills: I have a particular skill that could serve others. I enjoy working with}

^{lighting, sound or video. I am proficient in construction or another specific trade.}

^{How You Can Help … Do you have technical or job specific skills? We can put them to good use here.}

^{Developing a web site for High School students. Students are interested in create a website just for them. Can you help?}

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^{• Memorial Christian Church • 730 Tappan Ave. • Ann Arbor, MI 48104 • (734) 662-4245 • mailto:aamcc@AnnArborDisciples.org •}