Vital Signs of a Healthy Church

Tates Creek
Current
FEBRUARY 2017
He who has an ear, let him hear
what the Spirit says to
the churches.
Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22

Tates Creek Christian Church 3150 Tates Creek Road
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Contact
Tates Creek Christian
3150 Tates Creek Road
Lexington, KY 40502
(859) 266-1621
office@tatescreek.org
Visit Online
www.tatescreek.org
facebook.com/tatescreekcc
Worship
Sunday
Traditional - 9:30 am
The Vine - 11:00 am
Sunday School -
8:30, 9:30, 11:00 am
Swahili Service - 3:00 pm
Evening - 6:30 pm
Wednesday
Oasis Classes - 6:30 pm
Staff
Tommy Simpson
Kim Beckwith
Billy Bishop
John Davis
David Eversole
Geoff Lawson
Matt Lee
Don Seevers
Lesley Tipton
Office Staff
Jenni Gregg
Kim Jones
Jan Sproul (Monday)
Vicki Wesley (Friday)
Contents
Feature Article
10-11 “Preaching Plan for 2017”
In Every Issue
3-9 Minister Articles
12 Prayer Ministry
12 Guided Prayer Topics
13 Elder/Deacon Serving Schedule
19-21 Devotional thoughts each week
22 December Statistics
23 New Members
24 Calendar
Ministry News
14 Mission Trip opportunity
15 Missions Moment
Events
16-18 February Events
Mission
Tates Creek Christian Church exists
to win people to Christ (evangelism),
build up believers in faith, knowledge, and
service (encouragement), to help those in
need (benevolence), and to stand up for
Christian values in the community (witness).

Toward the end of February we will transition our sermon
series to the book of Ephesians. This book of the Bible is rich in
sound doctrine and practical principles for our everyday lives.
Our lives consist of transitions. Some we like; others we
dislike. In school, we transition from one grade to the next.
We transition from high school to college and from college to employment.
While we are making these transitions, we are also transitioning from
dependence on our parents to independence from our parents. We may
transition from being single to being married and then having children. After
we have children, it is difficult to imagine life without them. Then comes the
transition most parents do not look forward to; becoming empty nesters.
Zella and I did not like the transition to becoming empty
nesters. We had to learn how to use the TV remote again.
Now, we are transitioning to becoming grandparents. We
really like this transition. We love on the grandchildren when
they are with us, we spoil them, and then we send them
home with their parents. I now understand what one lady
in one our congregations said,“It is a shame that you have
to go through your children to get to your grandchildren!”
Another grandmother said“Your grandchildren are your
reward for not killing your children!”
A transition of pain that Zella and I are enduring is the passing of our
parents. Of our four parents, my Mom is the only one left with us. We know
that our parents who have passed away are with the Lord! We are very
grateful for the Gospel of Jesus that makes that transition bearable. Of
course, a transition that we are not looking forward to at all is when one of
us passes. Many of you are experiencing that transition, and you are doing it
with such faith, faithfulness, grace, and even joy.
Actually, it is our relationship with Jesus that makes all transitions possible.
Our relationship with Him is constant; it never changes. He is always faithful.
One of the phrases in chapter one in Ephesians is“In Him,”meaning in Christ.
The key to handling life is to walk in relationship with Jesus Christ. I am
looking forward to our experience of preaching and study as we go through
the book of Ephesians!
I am also looking forward to Spring!
~ Tommy
tommy@tatescreek.org
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Lexington, KY 40502 www.tatescreek.org
Transitions

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Vital Signs of Healthy Church Ministry
Have you spent time in a hospital? If so, you will remember
that it is difficult to get any sleep at night as the nurse or nurse’s
assistant keeps coming into your room and waking you up
with that nasty bright light over your bed and says,“it is time to
get your vital signs.” You think or say,“ugh, again”and wait for
them to get the necessary readings so that you can go back to sleep. Even
worse, you are awakened by the clammy, cold-handed phlebotomist saying,
“it is time to draw more blood.” But, at least you know you are still alive and
hopefully getting better. Often, we learn that one can get better rest at home
rather than in a hospital.
Taking“vital signs”may not be much fun, but it is
necessary! It is a measurement of health and if the
vital signs are weak, then we can be in big trouble.
Checking vital signs in our home or in the
workplace is also necessary. But what about the
church? A lot of churches are in real trouble but
do not realize it, as they are comfortable and in
some ways perhaps members are so satisfied with
the way things are, that they do not realize that they are slowly, but surely
dying. One of the statements in our current sermon series really shocked
me. Tommy reminded us that all seven churches addressed in the book of
Revelation no longer exist! Each one has died and they are all churches given
specific attention in God’s Word!
When I travel, I often pick out a church that meets in a large, beautiful
building in a downtown area. Those buildings sometimes seat 1,500 or more
people, but there may be only 150 to 300 people in attendance. Sometimes,
it is due to people moving to the suburbs. Sometimes, it is due to the
focusing on a social gospel and not preaching the Word. But, often, the
congregation has waned because of not realizing and addressing the needs
of those attending and as people have died, the membership continues to
decline. They are only alive because of endowment funds.
I think about that as I lead ministry in our church. Each ministry needs to
have its vital signs checked frequently. I pray that we can all look at Tates
Creek Christian Church and know that many years from now, we will still be a
strong, vital congregation in the greater Lexington area.
~ Don
don@tatescreek.org

As I think about the subject of Vital Signs of a Healthy Church
I find myself reflecting back on my 40 years spent in 4 different
churches. Each of these churches had its own setting, ranging
from the city church here at Tates Creek to the country church
in a farming community, and from a West Virginia coal mining
community to a Southern Illinois factory-supported community. They
were also set among vastly differing socio-economic situations, from the
humblest mountain folks and country folks to the most professional such as
the president of a syndicate of corporations located in New York City.
Each one of these congregations was firmly rooted
in the principles and doctrines of the Restoration
Movement, but as I look back, each one of them was the
strongest and healthiest when one thing was present.
Now as effective as the music program was, that was
not the one thing. As competent and capable as the
staff was, that was not the one thing. As strong as the
children’s and youth programs might have been, that
was not the one thing, and as true and sound as the
doctrine might have been, that, too, was not the one
thing. All these things are certainly present in a healthy church, but their
presence without the one thing will not result in a church being healthy.
So what is that one thing? Certainly you have figured it out by now. It
is Love. Don’t you remember what the Apostle Paul said? “If I speak in the
tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong
or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries
and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not
love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to
the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.” (I Corinthians 13:1-3) I have
seen, as I’m sure you have seen, love’s presence strengthening and saving
churches even as I have seen churches torn apart and destroyed when love
was absent. Love conquers the greatest weaknesses in a church and love’s
absence destroys its greatest strengths. I consider myself so very fortunate
to have served four healthy churches, and I can say without a doubt that the
one thing that made them healthy was love. That, brothers and sisters is
what Paul told us as he said“the greatest of these is Love.”
~ Bro. Kim
kimbeckwith@tatescreek.org
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Love is Vital

When I was 15 years old I made an extremely poor decision
that caused me to shatter my elbow. The x-ray that was
taken didn’t have any semblance of bones, it was mangled
so badly. I was sent to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and
had to wait for the morning to come for surgery. It was a
very long night. As I was about to go in, my surgery was delayed due to
the appearance of an infant with a perforated bowel. My mother and I
were obviously ok with this, as my pain was nothing compared to saving
a life, especially a baby. I ended up having 6 screws and a wire placed in
my arm, and to this day I don’t have full range of motion.
I think moments like this in our life help to put certain things in
perspective. While my health was poor at the moment, my problem was
miniscule in the larger picture of the others
in the hospital. I’ve said before that the Tates
Creek congregation is wonderful at making
sure those around them are taken care of
when something unexpected is thrown into
the path of a family or individual. But are we
also making sure our fellow members are
doing well on a spiritual level? An emotional
level? While I know that I am not perfect in
my walk with God, I know that there are those
who haven’t even begun the journey, or are
tripping each step of the way. There are times when these issues will
always need to come first, even if I may be in pain or struggling. Are you
able to look over your own problems and look at the bigger picture of the
church?
~ Lesley
lesley@tatescreek.org
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Spiritual Health

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Change Your Spiritual Health
What defines your health? Is it entirely based on your
physical appearance? If so, I have met a lot of people that look
very healthy on the outside, but I can’t imagine how torn up
their insides are? Their habits are beyond terrible as they eat
junk food all day, drinking pop non-stop, and are constantly
consuming things that can’t possibly make you a healthy person. On the
reverse side, I know people that count their calories, drink healthy liquids, and
exercise constantly but it doesn’t seem that way by their appearance. So, if
outside appearance doesn’t determine your health what does?
For years I have determined my health in how I feel. Watching the numbers
go up on my scale at home hasn’t always helped me determine if I am
unhealthy. However, when I do feel sluggish and tired, not motivated to play
with my kids or enjoy other hobbies, I go on a crash course diet. One physical
therapist actually told me that my system makes me one of the worst kind of
athletes to work with. I took that as a good sign- she still considered me an
athlete.
All joking aside it seems the beginning of every year we
make a determination to change our physical health. From
my experience you can’t change your physical health without
changing your exercise and eating habits. Another element
though that we most often forget is our spiritual health. For
me they all go hand in hand! If my spiritual tank isn’t full then
I am less likely to workout, eat healthy, and be active.
Each time after doing a teaching call, I try to bring the
person and family with whom I am meeting back to a simple‘to do’plan for
after their baptism. My encouragement to them is to take a look at what Jesus
says in Matthew 22:37-40. I believe what Jesus says in these short verses is
an incredible guide to knowing if we are healthy. In fact, by Jesus’definition
these two elements wrap up all the law and the words of the prophets. It is to
these two things that I come back when I know I am not healthy physically or
spiritually. So what are they… And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the
great and first commandments. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.”
What if we used these two elements in our daily walk to guide us in becoming
a healthier Christian? What if we used them to guide our church to
being healthier as well?
~ Matt
matt@tatescreek.org

Going to the doctor was never one of my favorite things
to do, but I was unfortunately reminded how important it
is to regularly go for checkups. Back in 2012 I was having
what I thought were back spasms. I tried to self-medicate
for a long time and it never worked. I continued to have
serious health problems with no relief. I never went to the doctor though
to have them help me figure out what was going on in my body. In
March of 2012, I was on a trip with some students when something bad
happened. I was rushed to the hospital with a serious health condition.
Amy said she knew it was serious when the doctor walked in the room,
turned the TV off, and asked her to sit down so he could talk to her. I
spent the next ten days in a hospital waiting for my body to recover
enough so that I could have surgery. I learned a lot through that life
event and it has changed my awareness of how important it is monitor
your health.
I think the same can be said in regards to church
health and how important it is to be aware of our
spiritual health. Far too often, we as churches ignore
the warning signs and do not come in for spiritual
checkups. Unfortunately, what happens is that
you end up like me, in need of emergency surgery
because the warning signs were ignored. It seems we frequently hear
about churches that lose sight of the importance of spiritual healthiness.
I am reminded of this strong warning out of Revelation 3.
“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Sardis. This is the message
from the one who has the sevenfold Spirit of God and the seven stars: “I know
all the things you do, and that you have a reputation for being alive—but
you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what little remains, for even what is
left is almost dead. I find that your actions do not meet the requirements
of my God. Go back to what you heard and believed at first; hold to it
firmly. Repent and turn to me again. If you don’t wake up, I will come to you
suddenly, as unexpected as a thief.” Revelation 3:1-3
I think Tommy’s series right now is a great reminder that it’s time for a
checkup!
~ Geoff
geoff@tatescreek.org
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Time for a Check-up

Small Groups
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Here at Tates Creek we encourage every one of our
members to be involved in 1 hour or worship, 1 hour of
group study, and 1 hour of service every week. That 1 hour
of group study is best done in a Sunday School class or in
one of our Small Groups.
Do you ever feel like you’re just not connecting at church? Do you feel
like it’s hard to get plugged in? Do you feel like you don’t really know
where you fit in this community of Christ-followers? Committing to a
Small Group for an extended period of time is a great way to help you get
past those feelings.
We realize it’s hard to open your life up to people you
don’t know very well. But there are many people in
our church, including myself, who can witness to the
fact that when you do... when you consistently involve
yourself in the same small group of believers over the
course of a long period of time... those people become
your closest friends and they help you to grow in your
relationship with the Lord.
I can attest to this personally. About a year after we were married, my
wife and I began searching for a church. We attended so many, but what
kept us at Tates Creek long-term, more than anything else, was getting
involved in a Small Group. Church went from being the place we went
on Sundays to attend worship, to becoming a tight-knit community that
cared for us and needed us to care for them. We felt like we were finally
living the way God created us to live.
“Bear one another’s burdens...” Galations 6:2
“Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other...” James 5:16
“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Romans 12:15
How can we expect to obey those commandments if we’re not deeply
connected with some other members of our church?
In January we began two new Small Groups. I would encouage you to
visit our Small Groups page on our website to see what we have to offer. If
a Sunday School class would suit you best, there are many to choose from
and committing to one of those is also an excellent way to weave yourself
into community with other believers here at the church. You can find
those on our website as well.
~ John
john@tatescreek.org

Multiply
As we prepared the plan for Sunday mornings for 2017, we considered
many ideas. We kept coming back to the idea of“Multiply”. This is a major
part of our role as disciples of Christ. Not that we are responsible for the
increase, but we are responsible for planting seeds and looking for ways
to introduce groups and individuals around us to the love of God. This
thought is well summarized in Paul’s instruction to the young preacher
Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, “and what you have heard from me in the
presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach
others also.” (ESV)
The plan for the year begins with a call to examine
what makes a healthy church. For this we will use
the examples of the letters to the seven churches
from Revelation chapters two and three. We will
strive to glean one positive characteristic that we can
implement from each church, but we will also find
some warnings as well!
After this self-examination to begin the year, we
have chosen to use one of Paul’s most important letters to help us prepare
further for“Multiply”. The first three chapters of Ephesians are comprised
of doctrinal instruction, so we have entitled this series‘Foundation for
Multiplication – Grace!’. The second half of Ephesians is filled with practical
instruction for us. This study is titled,‘Multiplying Christ in Me’.
This will take us to about the middle of May when we will undertake a
study of the book of Nehemiah. This book is made up of great leadership
material and examples. There is much for us to learn here, but we will
focus on the idea of‘Multiplying Workers’. Learning from Nehemiah how
to enlist a large number of workers, how to help them find motivation and
direction, and how to delegate portions of the work so that more gets
accomplished.
As we move into summer, we will also move into the idea of multiplying
through some of the other arithmetic functions. First will be
‘Multiplying through Subtraction’. This series, coming from
several different scriptures, will help us to look at ourselves
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Preaching Plan for 2017

so that we can subtract (remove) sin and sinful attitudes. These sins and
sinful attitudes often keep us from being our most effective, multiplying
witnesses for Jesus.
As school starts, we will need to fill some holes that were left by the
things we just removed from our
lives, so we will look at‘Multiplying
through Addition’. This will be
an in-depth study of Matthew 5,
the Beatitudes, as we look at the
qualities to add to our lives so that
we can be‘salt and light’to the world
around us.
This will be followed by another type of‘Multiplying through Addition’,
specifically Stewardship. We will spend a few weeks discussing how to
add the joy of giving to life and spiritual disciplines. This will be important
as we anticipate paying off all of Tates Creek Christian Church’s debt by
the end of 2017 and being freed to pursue some greater“What If…”type
projects.
November will bring us to a series we have called‘Multiply through
Dividing’. This sounds impossible, but the idea is that we must divide the
labor among the workers to accomplish our great task – seeing the world
come to a saving relationship with Jesus! This is too much for any person
or any small group of people, it will take everyone working together,
doing their part.
As we conclude the year and observe Christmas, we have titled this
series‘Multiply Joy’. This will be a reminder of the great joy brought to us
at Christmas, through God, in the person of Jesus Christ!
Please commit to use 2017 and these sermons and series as an
opportunity of which you will take full advantage. Use them to help
‘multiply’Christ in your own life as well as‘multiplying’your witness to
those around you each day.
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Preaching Plan continued

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Recently I saw with my own eyes the
answer to a prayer I have been diligently
praying for at least 15 years. My sister
suffered a life threatening depression.
When the immediate crisis was over she
continued to suffer with depression in
spite of a multiplicity of help.
Now she no longer complains with her
job, she is not languishing in the bed every
morning, she is not droopy and downcast
in appearance, and she is managing a
complex life.
Revelation 5:8 speaks of the golden bowl
in heaven which holds the prayers of the
saints. The bowl got so full of prayers for
my sister it tipped over and the answer
came pouring forth in the right time.
I believe the secret is to continue to pray,
praising Him that He has heard you and is
undertaking the situation. Then have faith
that the answer will come.
~ Peggy Park
Persistence in PrayerDaily Guided
Prayer Topics
If you are interested in knowing more about our team
or serving with us, please contact Peggy Crawford at
psnow2020@aol.com, 859-269-5902, or any other team
member.
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Romans 8:37-39
John 3:16
Romans 5:8
Galatians 2:20
Ephesians 2:4-5
I John 4:9-11
Zephaniah 3:17
I John 4:7-8
I Peter 5:6-7
Job 34:19
Psalm 86:15
I John 3:1
Deuteronomy 7:9
Proverbs 8:17
Jeremiah 29:11
John 13:34-35
Matthew 5:43-48
Matthew 6:24-25
Mark 12:28-30
John 14:21-24
John 15:9-17
Psalm 136:26
Romans 5:2-5
Colossians 2:6-7
Hebrews 12:28-29
Romans 13:8
Ephesians 4:2-3
I John 1:3-18
“The Prayer Ministry shall provide opportunities to help equip others to grow more in
their prayer lives by promoting prayer studies and praying collectively together, causing
unity in prayer throughout our congregation and our Prayer ministry team. By our
prayers, we will serve, grow, and give excellence to our Lord”
February 2017
Knowing God’s Love

Communion Serving Schedule
February 5
Elders: Stan Stack, Craig Martin
Offertory: Ray Albensi, Steve Mullins
Ashland Terrace: Jonathan Clifton
Home Comm: Allan Faber, Lucas Moore,
David Feltner
Sat Comm Prep: Mike & Barb Nevius
Clean-up 1st Srv: Mary Robey
Clean-up 2nd Srv: Michelle Marshall
Prayer Room: Jerry Brooking, Gina Runyon
Ushers: Doug I., Boyd J., David F.
February 12
Elders: Craig Martin, Russell Brown
Offertory: Terry Morrison, Greg Kasten
Ashland Terrace: Keith Wertz
Home Comm: Jonathan Clifton, Ken Banks,
Brian Hogston
Sat Comm Prep: Marvis & Pam White
Clean-up 1st Srv: Shannon & Jenni Gregg
Clean-up 2nd Srv: Farrah Weleski
Prayer Room: Beth Kessler, Kevin Hickey
Ushers: Stan S., Dennis M., Cory & Sarah W.
February 19
Elders: Russell Brown, David Martin
Offertory: Brad Byington, Russell Brown
Ashland Terrace: Steve Mullins
Home Comm: Ray Albensi, Ed Hall,
Keith Wertz
Sat Comm Prep: Tom & Waynetta Myers
Clean-up 1st Srv: Randall Young
Clean-up 2nd Srv: Allan Faber
Prayer Room: Caroline Lewis, Laura Mullins
Ushers: Jack W., David M., Stuart K.
February 26
Elders: David Martin, Danny Branham
Offertory: David Straub, Allan Faber
Ashland Terrace: Greg Kasten
Home Comm: Greg Kasten, Steve Mullins,
Terry Morrison
Sat Comm Prep: Jim Everman
Clean-up 1st Srv: Chris & Debbie Dennison
Clean-up 2nd Srv: Stuart Kearns
Prayer Room: Mary Robey, Larry Bugg
Ushers: David M., Boyd J., Gary C.
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From the Church Office
This year we will be offering the option to stop receiving the paper
copy of the Current newsletter. If you would like to be taken off
the mailing list (at an annual savings of
approximately $6.50 per copy), please call
the church office or email
jenni@tatescreek.org.
Everyone will continue receive the email
version.

Myanmar Mission Trip
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Mission Trip to Myanmar Christian Village
This project under the direction of Bob and Kathy Drane from the
Hopeful Hearts Foundation includes a ten-acre village designed for 10
cottages. Currently, there are 4 cottages occupied with 2 more homes
under construction. Each cottage provides a Christian home for 20--25
children and house parents. A church for the village is under construction,
and each family is developing an agricultural project. The goal is to teach
the children how to become sustainable by living in a healthy family
environment immersed in Christian values.
The team will also visit Samuel and Mercy Thang and their 92 children.
We will conduct VBS classes and teach life lessons for the older children
who are currently in the Transitional Living
Program. We will assist the families with
construction and farming projects.
TCCC became a partner in the village in
2015 when missions funds in the amount
of $10,000 were provided to build one of
the cottages at the Village. TCCC’s cottage
has been built and is occupied, and the
possibility of a short-term mission trip to the village in Yangon is being
explored for the month of October under the direction of Bob Drane.
Trips are usually between 10 and 14 days, with several work project
opportunities. Much more information will be provided at an
informational meeting on February 5 at 3:00 p.m. in Room 106. Bob and
Kathy Drane will be at the meeting with lots of details. Plan to join us. If
you have questions prior to the meeting, contact Patsy Stice, Chairman of
the Missions Ministry Team.
~ Mission Team

“the people living in darkness
have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
a light has dawned.” - Matthew 4:16
We are grateful that we get to serve here in
Ethiopia on the“front lines”where, in some
places, only one or two generations have
had access to the Gospel. By turning toward
Jesus and his church, people find forgiveness, hope, peace, and life-giving
community.
The light of Jesus is chasing away the darkness and making clear the way to
full life, the life God intends for us. In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes
only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have
it to the full.” This is our churches’work – to lead people to Jesus and, in him,
toward whole-life Gospel transformation.
And our churches are doing this. Emily and I are here to set up income
generating projects that support the Ethiopian pastors who lead our
churches. We started our most recent project in a village called Soge. Soge
is dry and dusty, and the people there scrape by. It’s an area that has been
identified as a point of focus by Food for the Hungry International, an aid
organization working in Ethiopia. We just set up a cow fattening program in
Soge. It will generate income for the local church as well as contribute to the
area’s need for nutrient rich food.
This is fruit of your diligent sowing. We are here because you sent us. And
we are able to keep doing this ministry because you give to it generously.
Your faithfulness makes this ministry possible. Thank you so much.
~ Travis, Emily, Clare, and Charlie
Missions Moment
Lubei is the daughter of
one of our church leaders.
Her father used one of our
“Evangelist Empowerment
Loans” to start a small shop.
Lubei also works for us. She
didn’t buy new shoes with
her Christmas bonus, she
bought chickens and plans
to sell the eggs for income.
She’s a hard worker with a
bright future.
Delivering feed to
Pastor Ummatta’s
house in Soge.

February Events
Teaching
Revelation 2 & 3
January 29 - Pure
February 5 - Vibrant
February 12 - Steadfast
February 19 - Focused
Sermon Series
ends
February 19
Better With Age Club
Monthly on the third Thursday
February 16, 10:30 am
Fellowship Hall
Bring side dishes, salad, or dessert to
share. All Senior adults are welcome!
Adult Bible Study
Wednesdays, 10:30 am,
Room 200CD
Pairs and Spares Banquet
February 10, 5:45 pm
Entertainment:
Paul Miller Interactive Comedy Show
Registration forms will be available at the information desk.
Seating is limited so register early.
Registration deadline is January 31.

RightNow Media
We want you to know that we have cancelled our church-wide
subscription to RightNow Media. This change was effective as of
January 15. This was a difficult decision for our leaders, but in the end,
because we were unable to determine how many of our people were
making use of this service, we thought it best to use the money for
other purposes. Thank you
for your understanding and
support in this decision.
February Events
New Small Groups
Two new small groups began in January. Now is a great time to get
involved and grow together!
John & Jennifer Davis are hosting a small group in their home
at 6 pm on Sunday evenings.
Brad & Marty Byington are hosting a small group here at the
church in Room 200CD at 4 pm on Sunday afternoons.
Be sure to get connected with these or any of our other small groups.
Visit our website or contact John Davis for more details.
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have the option to set it up as a
recurring gift.
Contact the office with any
questions.

Winter Oasis
January 11 - March 29
“Spiritual Disciplines: Habits for Going Deeper with God”
Led by John Davis, Room 200CD
“The Amazing Collection” Hebrews - Revelation
Women’s Study Led by Phyllis Eversole, Room 200E
“Hands and Feet Ministry” Matthew 25:35-40
Led by Vickie Cole, Room 200AB
It is not to late to join one of these classes!
Wednesday evenings, 6:30 pm
Bluegrass Christian Fellowship
(Formerly Bluegrass Christian Men’s Fellowship)
Join us in the official launch of The Fellowship, a completely
redesigned, quarterly gathering of churches and ministers – to build a
strong community of leaders with the purpose of spreading the Gospel
in Kentucky, and the world.
February 13, 2017, 5– 8 pm, at Tates Creek Christian Church
Schedule of Events
5:00pm – Arrival and Networking
5:15pm – Dinner Available – City Barbeque
5:45pm – Welcome, Prayer, and Fellowship Business Update
6:00pm – Headline Speaker, Dann Spader
6:45pm – Breakout Sessions
7:30pm – Breakout Sessions End (at digression of group – no later than
8:00pm)
Visit their website and register to save your spot at the first quarterly
gathering of The Fellowship. Bring your team, and leaders of your
church as we build each other up, learn to better spread the Gospel,
and move toward positively impacting lives in Kentucky and abroad.
http://bcmfky.com/the-fellowship/
18

19
Devotional Thought Week 1
VIBRANT - REVELATION 3:1-6
In early December our UK men’s basketball team played UCLA. We
were the consensus #1 team in the nation while UCLA was listed as #11,
but when the final buzzer sounded, the score was 97-92 and we had
suffered our season’s first defeat. We lost because we were outplayed.
UCLA beat us with better rebounding and better defense. We missed
several easy lay-up shots, some because players were more concerned
with displaying their athletic prowess than simply putting the ball in
the basket. We made many mistakes – too many. Had we concentrated
more on the purpose and basics of basketball, we might have won.
The Church in Sardis is described in Revelation 3 as about to be
upended with a crushing defeat. It had a #1 rating and a reputation for
being alive and vibrant but the church was all talk and no action – and
it was dying. Its warning was: “Remember what you have received and
heard; obey it and repent.”
It is so easy for churches to forget the basics of
the faith and the reason for their existence. When
asked to identify the greatest commandment, Jesus
said, “Love the Lord, your God with all your heart, soul,
mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Certainly commitment to and worship of God is
central to every healthy church. Too many church
members rate a worship service according to what
they get out of it. They have it backwards. Worship
is for praise and adoration of God, not one’s own
entertainment.
Secondly, a healthy congregation focuses on other people. It is like
a big family of brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, nieces, nephews,
and cousins, all of whom love one another. More than that, it loves
people who are not part of the congregation, may have never attended,
and may even live somewhere else in the world. It has a burning desire
to bring them to Jesus, because, if you truly love your neighbors, how
can you possible withhold the Good News from them.
~ John Craycraft
Elder

20
Devotional Thought Week 2
STEADFAST - REVELATION 3:7-13
“Hang In There!”. . . we’ve all heard that from time to time. While we
appreciate the encouragement it’s not always as easy as it sounds when
life’s storms come passing by. Some of these storms are big ones like
many in our church family are experiencing right now.
In this passage, God is telling the church in
Philadelphia to hang in there. He knows their trials and
he knows they are getting weak, but he is coming soon
if they will just endure.
He made us the same promise, yet we still can sway
back and forth in our faith when times get tough. I
think that’s because, as humans, we naturally see
things from only our earthly perspective whereas God
keeps trying to get us to see things from his heavenly
point of view.
What makes this more difficult is the world today is also working hard to
distract us and separate us from our faith. They use things that happen
in this world to convince us God must not care or why would he let
these things happen.
But we know he told us this life is the journey not the destination.
This is not the perfect world - that world awaits. He made no secret that
trials will come but they will not last and our reward is coming if we will
just endure. He said, “I am coming soon, hold on to what you have so that
no one will take your crown – I have opened a door for you that no one can
shut”. This is not just a hope, it’s a PROMISE!
Because of this promise, as Christians, isn’t every day here on earth
really just another day in the eternal life we’ve already started? If so, we
just need to make it through this beginning journey with a strong faith
and we WILL reach our destination together. All he asks of us is to trust
him, remain steadfast, and help each other along the way. Keeping a
heavenly perspective is one way to do just that.
~ Chris Lee
Men’s Ministry Leader

21
FOCUSED - REVELATION 3:14-22
We are officially in the second month of 2017. This means that 80% of
all New Year’s resolutions have already been abandoned, according to
U.S. News. These individuals who created all this hope and aspiration
for the future, have already lost their focus and have returned to the
regularity they previously had.
Sadly, this is the same mentality that some churches can take. The
church in Laodicea is a prime example of this. Laodicea was a very
well known town in the ancient world, due to their profound wealth.
Unfortunately, the worldly influences had persuaded the congregation
to abandon their mission of growing the Kingdom, in order to return to
their previous, worldly, goals of being rich and self-satisfied. The people
lacked the zeal needed to help the church grow. They were described
as“lukewarm”or in laymen’s terms complacent
and indifferent about faith and discipleship. They
allowed their focus to be moved away from that of
Christ and towards that of the world.
Just as those who have given up on their New
Year’s resolutions still have ten months to achieve
them, the church in Laodicea still had time to turn
their focus around. Even though they were so focused on the world that
their entire ministry was becoming a disaster, we are still reminded that
through Christ, there is still hope for those who are willing to accept His
“loving”rebuke. The key for the Laodiceans was to turn away from the
world and put their focus back on Christ. “If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me”
(Revelation 3:19).
Christ has unconditional love for all. Even when we lose our focus on
Him, He still has His focus on us. If we continue to keep our focus on
Christ and His mission for the church, we too will be able to receive the
promise of victory.
~ Phillip Broaddus
Devotional thought Week 3

Sunday School
Average Attendance
December 2016
Youth
Infants 6
Walkers 5
3 - 5 Year Old 8
Elementary 37
Middle School 20
High School 22
Adult
Christians in Action 18
Crusaders 48
Faith 16
FOCUS 18
Generations of Faith 21
Good News 24
Grace & Truth 69
Grass Roots 16
Heaven Bound 13
In The Word 20
Open Bible 52
Seekers 7
Servants for Christ 26
Upper Room 11
Willing Workers 23
Young Adult Class 10
Ashland Terrace 5
Miscellaneous 2
Officers 10
Total 507
December Worship
Attendance & Giving
Total General Fund
4th 718 $37,397.
11th 752 $39,740.
18th 565 $36,982.
25th 472 $34,391.
Indebtedness
Mortgage Balance, Dec. 31 $399,484.
Monthly Payment (January) $31,876.
Principal $10,794.
Interest $1,082.
Add’l Principal $20,000.
To give online anytime or setup
a recurring online gift, visit our
website at www.tatescreek.org
and click on“Donate”. You may
also simply scan the QR code.
% of Dollars Given Online
19%
General Fund Report
2016 Budgeted Need per week $31,440.
2016 Average per week $28,720.
December Total Income $148,510.
December Total Expenses $119,998.
Moved to Savings $5,517.
Net Above Expenses & Savings $22,995.
22
Funds Totals for December
Deacons’Fund $3,355.
“What If...” $64,624.
Victory for Life $1,454.

23
New Members
Lloyd & Kim Wemyss
Transfer December 25
Harold & Betty Hopper
Transfer January 15
Chris Burch
Transfer January 15

TatesCreekCurrent
TatesCreekChristianChurch Office:(859)266-1621
3150TatesCreekRoadWeb:www.tatescreek.org
Lexington,KY40502 Email:office@tatescreek.org
Calendar ~ February 2017
2 Mary Circle, 10:30 am, Fh
2 Deborah Circle, 6:30 pm
2 Rachel Circle, 6:30 pm, Fh
3-4 MS Believe Conference, 4 pm
3-4 Men’s Conference
4 Card Ministry, 8:30 am, 106
5 Monthly Ministry meetings
6 Elders’Meeting, 6 pm, 200E
9 Room in the Inn, 5 pm, FH
10 Pairs & Spares Banquet, 5:45 pm
13 Bluegrass Christian Fellowship,
5 pm, FH
13 Faith Circle, 6:30 pm, 104
13 J.O.Y. Circle, 6:30 pm, Fh
14 Tabitha Circle, 7 pm
16 BWAC, 10:30 am, FH
18 Card Ministry, 8:30 am, 106
23 Room in the Inn, 5 pm, FH
24 Grace & Truth Fellowship,
5 pm, FH
Weekly Activities
Sunday:
Swahili Worship, 3 pm, FH
Rejoicing Ringers, 4 pm, CR
High School Worship, 6-8 pm, 303
Adult Small Groups, various times
Monday:
Orchestra rehearsal, 6 pm, WC
Tuesday:
We Care Store, 1:30 & 4 pm
Pit Crew, 3 pm, MMC & UP
Victory for Life, 6 pm, FH
Wednesday:
Adult Bible Study, 10:30 am, 200CD
Oasis Classes, 6:30 pm, various rooms
Worship Choir rehearsal, 6:30 pm
Elem. Truth Travelers, 6:30 pm, UP
Middle School Worship, 6:30 pm
Thursday:
We Care Store, 1:30 pm
Volume5No.2
CR-ChoirRoom/FH-FellowshipHall/Fh-FriendshipHall/HR-HearthRoom/MMC-MultiMinistryCenter/UP-Uptown/WC-WorshipCenter

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