It’s December 31st as I write this and snowflakes are falling beautifully outside my office window. The fresh blanket of snow on the ground serves as God’s object lesson that tomorrow represents a fresh start at a new year. For some, New Year’s is nothing more than an absurd celebration of Earth’s completion of another lap around the sun according to our mutually agreed upon chronological tape measure. But for me, it’s the celebration of a clean slate, an opportunity to step back and think about the life I’m living and the life God has called me to live, and an opportunity to make resolutions about the kind of person God wants me to be for the New Year.

There’s nothing inherently God-honoring about making a resolution. In fact, many people don’t make resolutions because they don’t want to lie to themselves—a good reason not to make one. And others of us love making resolutions because we are easily given to legalistic self-righteousness (of which I am the chief of sinners). But regardless of whether or not you are one who makes resolutions, Scripture teaches that we are to “train unto

godliness” (1 Tim. 4:7). That is, we are called to throw off the sin that entangles us and to discipline ourselves in various ways in order to enjoy the blessing of holy living.

Therefore, whether you have forty-two resolutions for 2013 or none, I want to encourage you with a Scripture as you set out for the goal of spiritual growth, not only in 2013, but as a

lifelong pursuit. In 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul writes, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace

of God that is with me.” Paul understood that it was by the sheer grace of God that he was saved and entrusted with responsibility in the Kingdom of God. In view of God’s grace, Paul worked harder than others, not in order to earn the favor of God, but in order to experience the fullness of joy that comes from laboring in the Lord. Grace was not his license for laziness, it was the motivation and strength for his labor.

May the grace of God revealed to us in Christ, be our source of motivation and perseverance as we train unto godliness in this New Year!Sincerely, Andy

January Church Calendar5 Jr. High Youth Group resumes after Christmas break9 Sr. High Youth Group resumes after Christmas break Women’s Bible Study resumes after Christmas break20 Annual Meeting follows worship service

26 58th Annual Pancake & Sausage Day 7 am - 1 pm

27 Baby Dedications during worship service

Youth GroupsJr. High - Sunday at 5:00 pmSr. High - Wednesday at 7:30 pm

Adult MinistriesWomen’s Bible Study - Wednesday at 6:30 pmMen’s Ministry - every other Saturday at 7 amMonthly Prayer Meeting - first Wednesday at 7 pm

Sunday Worship ServicesMorning Worship 9 am-10 amJ.A.M. (ages 3 - K) 9 am-10 am every SundayChildren’s Church (grades 1-3) 9 am-10 am 1st & 3rd SundaySunday School 10:30 am - 11:15 am

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Pastor Andy’s Letter • Spotlight on Book Studies in Sunday SchoolFirst United News • Milestones • Attendance • Church CalendarJanuary 2013Andy Huette, Sr. Pastor Brett Monge, Youth Director Grant Stauter, Pastor Apprentice

407 W Seventh Street, PO Box 280, Gridley, IL 61744 309-747-2299 www.1stu.org

Dear Church Family,

December Children’s Programs at First U

““. . . we should be, first of all, Christocentric; that is, centered on the cross of Christ. Christ is our identity, our passion, and our hope. And because of this identity, passion, and hope we pray, and evangelize, and do missions. But missions is not the center. Christ is—which shapes, defines, and launches us into mission. —Kevin DeYoung, thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2010/10/22/the-crust-and-the-core-redux

Six children from Lifesong’s school in Zambia presented a special con-cert on December 5. The children toured with Christian group, FFH, in No-vember and December.

Read Kevin DeYoung’s, The Hole in our Holiness in a book group. Details inside

Little Lambs Preschool presented their Christmas program on December 18.

J.A.M. and Children’s Church presented a Christmas program on December 16.

Photo credit: Susan Meiss

Photo credit: Al Hany

Behind-the-scenes before the program.

Lifesong for Orphans, Zambia J.A.M. & Children’s Church

Little Lambs Preschool

“In view of God’s grace, Paul worked harder than others, not in order to earn the favor of God, but in order to experience the fullness of joy that comes from laboring in the Lord.”

Our Core Values Open Bibles One Another Beautiful Feet Spiritual Growth Authentic Worship2 3

Attendance & Offering12/2 336 $ 7,954 12/9 261 $ 7,344 12/16 311 $ 8,660 12/23 328 $ 8,080 12/30 300 $10,408

January MilestonesBirthdays

1 Robert Carr3 Haze Welsch4 Trent Kaupp5 Sloan Gentes9 Sophia Allen10 Damien Keeling11 Harper Deckard11 Jim Neal11 Glen Smith13 Bill Roth14 Carrie Dixon15 Katie Albritton18 Michael Rosenberger19 Caroline Wettstein23 Megan Bridgers25 Mark Ludy26 Edith Wilson28 Aydra Richard29 Trevor Neal29 Jason Porzelius Anniversaries15 Glen & Joan Smith New Births11/23 Colin James Glatz Parents: Alan & Amber GlatzGrandparents: Chuck & Marsha Albritton12/10 Tristyn Frances Mool Parents: Thad & Kelly MoolGrandparents: Ron & Marcia Mool

Sunday School Attend Offering Kids Fed12/2 145 $ 47.46 145 12/9 117 $ 19.25 3912/30 98 $ 28.75 58

Spotlight on . . . Sunday School Book GroupsFirst United’s Book Groups will start in January 27 and will meet for five weeks. The book groups are in lieu of adult Sunday School. Please sign up for a book starting December 30, January 6 and 13. On March 2, First United will host

Missions Revolution, a conference designed to develop and deepen mission vision in the Church. Todd Ahrend with the Traveling Team will be here to teach, encourage, and chal-lenge each of us.

The conference will be held in the Family Center from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2013. The top-ics covered will be: The Biblical Ba-sis of Missions; The Task Remaining; History of Missions; World Christian Habits.

Lunch and childcare from infant through 10 years will be provided. There is no charge for the confer-ence but registration for childcare is required.

Please plan to come and go deeper in your missions understanding. If you have questions, please see Keri Hany in the church office.

Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret, by Dr. & Mrs. Howard TaylorA spiritual biography of the “father of modern missions,” Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret poses the question: What empowered Hudson Taylor’s ministry in China? 

Hudson Taylor’s secret, it turns out, is available to any who call on Christ’s name. “An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power,” Taylor said.

“Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs—an easygoing one for easygoing Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit?”

The Hole in Our Holiness, by Kevin DeYoungWhether we don’t care or don’t understand holiness, the problem is clear: too few Christians look like Christ and too many don’t seem all that concerned about it.

This is a book for everyone who is ready to take holiness seriously, ready to be more like Jesus, ready to live in light of the grace that produces godliness. This is a book about God’s power to help us grow in personal holiness and to enjoy the process of transformation.

Radical Together: Unleashing the People of God for the Purpose of God, by David PlattIn Radical Together, the author broadens his call, after his first book, Radical, challenging us to unite around a gospel-centered

vision. How, he asks, might such a vision reshape our priorities as the body of Christ? How might well-intentioned Christians actually prevent God’s people from accomplishing God’s purpose? And, how can we best unleash the people of God in the church to carry out the purpose of God in the world?

Writing to everyone who desires to make an impact for God’s glory, Dr. Platt shares six foundational ideas that fuel radical obedience among Christians in the church. He will help you apply the revolutionary claims and commands of Christ to your community of faith in fresh, practical ways.

When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor, by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett

Churches and individual Christians typically have faulty assumptions about the causes of poverty, resulting in the use of strategies that do considerable harm to poor people and themselves. When Helping Hurts provides foundational concepts, clearly articulated general principles and relevant applications.  The result is an effective and holistic

ministry to the poor, not a truncated gospel. Short term mission efforts are addressed and microenterprise development (MED) is explored.

First United’s Missions team used this book to help form their strategy for supporting missionaries and sending short-term mission trips.

58th Annual Pancake & Sausage DayJanuary 26, 2013

“To the Hebrews He was the Lamb of God, to the Greeks, the Logos. But to the Sawi, He was the Tarop Tim Kodon, The Perfect Peace Child—the ideal fulfillment of their own redemptive analogy.”

Peace Child is the story of Don and Carol Richardson who, in the early 1960’s, moved to live among the Sawi people in what is now

Papua New Guinea. The Sawi people lived at a stone-age level and were headhunting cannibals who valued treachery through “fattening” victims with friendship before killing them. When the Sawi first heard the story of Christ’s betrayal by Judas, they saw Judas as the hero of the story.

The Richardson’s prayed for a key that would open the gospel to the Sawi people. God answered by revealing the Sawi Peace Child custom: the only way to make peace with another tribe was to give one of your own sons to the tribe to raise as their own. With the Peace Child analogy, the Sawi people began to understand God’s love for all people and His sacrifice in sending His own son so that they could make everlasting peace with Him.

Peace Child is a true story that clearly displays how God prepares a people group to receive missionaries and the gospel. It’s an exciting and moving read that can be enjoyed by anyone from age 13 and older.

Peace Child — Don Richardson, author

The Rag Doll — Stephanie Carmichael, author

Lexie gives The Rag Doll a thumbs up and recommends it to other young readers.

Lexie Kiefer recently read “The Rag Doll, a story about Emily who loved playing with Polly, a rag doll at her aunt’s house. But when it was time to go home, Polly had to stay behind. Emily’s mother surprises her by making her a rag doll named Annabelle.

This is a simple story teaching that God is our creator and makes each of us special.

Lexie read this with her Grand- ma and especially liked Annabelle.

Have you read a good book from our library? Please see Keri Hany about writing a book review.

First U’slibrary corner

Christmas food baskets were distributed on December 20. First United partners with the Gridley Apostolic Christian Church in this ministry. The Christmas Garage sale on Decem-ber 1 raised $346 to help cover the food costs.

Christmas Food Baskets

Missions RevolutionMarch 2, 2013

In 2010, the Church Leadership Coun-cil (CLC) began what is now known as “Surplus Giving.” At the beginning of each year, the CLC designates three re-cipients. When General Fund giving ex-ceeds the budgeted needs, a percentage of the surplus is given equally to the three recipients.

Lifesong for Orphans, Midwest Food Bank were designated in 2012. The re-maining third was designated towards the costs of sending a team in the event of a weather-related national disaster.

Our 2012 Surplus Giving was $65,375.13. Lifesong for Orphans and Midwest Food Bank each received $21,791.71. The remaining third is being held on reserve until a final decision for disbursement is made.

Thank you for giving generously and blessing others.

“Just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness, and in your love for us—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.” 2 Corinthians 8:7 NIV

Surplus Giving 2012“a grace of giving”

Our Annual Pancake & Sausage Day will be held from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, January 26. Women’s Fellowship will hold a bake sale, bazaar, and quilt raffle. It takes many volunteers to serve. Please see Denny Foor or Todd Morrison if you don’t have a job yet.Proceeds from the day will benefit the Car-ing Pregnancy Center in Pontiac.Quilt raffle tickets are available from Wom-en’s Fellowship. Please see Susan Laiming or Barb Ringger for tickets

Don’t forget to buyyour quilt raffle tickets!