Christmas Weekend

Crooked Creek Baptist will offer 2 worship services this weekend.

Christmas Eve Service 7:00 p.m.

Christmas Day Worship 10:45 a.m.

Please note that regular Sunday School classes will not meet this Sunday, December 25.

Manna

Our monthly Manna breakfast will be served this Saturday morning, December 17 from 9:30-11 a.m. The meal will be eggs, English muffins, sausage or bacon, hash browns, fruit, -- dry cereal is always available too!This meal is free and open to the public. Additionally, visitors will be able to shop through a small food pantry.

Hope to see you this Saturday!

Christmas Dinner Theater

In a collaboration with Lynhurst Baptist and the Journey Church Crooked Creek Baptist will be hosting a special dinner theater on Saturday, December 10 at 6:00 p.m. Chefs Darrell and Amanda Berry will be serving Beef Stroganoff, veggies, and dinner rolls at this time. Following dinner three brief skits, one from each church will be shared. Dessert will be served, followed by "The Journal" a play designed to help us think about this Christmas season, and the arrival of Jesus in our hearts.

Donations will be accepted for the cost of the meal, and any additional proceeds will be used to support the Edna Martin Christian Center.

This is a great event to include a friend or neighbor, as it promises to be an evening of great food and great entertainment.

A Star is Born Children's Musical

This Sunday, December 18 our children will be presenting the musical, "A Star is Born" during our regular 10:45 a.m. worship service. We hope not only that you will attend this event, but that you also might invite a friend or family member to join you!

Breakfast will be served at 9:30 a.m. There will be no charge for this meal, but a donation basket will be available. Proceeds will be used to help with current and future youth events. Breakfast will be served from 9:30-10:30

At 10:45 in our regular worship service our children will present "A Star is Born"

A Star is Born follows a group of children preparing for a big Christmas television production. When Sophia the actress comes to play the role of Mary, the director and the other actors try to help her understand that the "star" of any Christmas production is Jesus Christ. The main lesson is to be humble and allow God to use you for His glory.

Awakening

http://abc-indiana.org/awakening/

Check out this website for an exciting opportunity for area American Baptist Churches. The requirements are not too daunting and the benefits appear great! Anyone interested in participating in this endeavor should speak with pastor Tom soon!

A link is now up on this site on the right side of your page to go directly to this page.

Volunteer Opportunity

Just a note to remind you that this Sunday immediately following worship will be an opportunity to decorate the church building for Advent/Christmas. Lunch will be provided. Please contact the church at 251-7804 and let us know if you are planning on joining us!

Edna Martin Christian Center Volunteer Opportunity

On Monday November 14th, CCBC volunteers will be hosting an after-school LOAVES meal at 6:30 PM for approximately40 children at the Edna Martin Christian Center. Six volunteers are needed to assist with preparing and serving food at the center. Monetary donations and prepared food donations are also needed. A sign-up sheet is available in Rainbow Hall, and transportation will be available starting around 5 PM on the 14th for those wishing to car pool.

Crooked Creek Elementary School

Recently we met with the principal from the elementary school located around the corner from the church about supporting the school as part of our ministry. Together we developed a list of needs/opportunities that interested people could fill at the school:


Volunteer Opportunities at Crooked Creek Elementary

Thank you for looking into the opportunity to volunteer at Crooked Creek. There are many different jobs that can be done to assist our students and staff.

During the School Day:
• Helping in the office
• Assisting in classrooms with clerical jobs (cutting, copying)
• Meeting with small groups of students
• Working on math facts with students
• Reading with students
• Having lunch with students who may need a mentor
• Helping to shelve books in the library
• Help with lunch duty

Supplies to Donate for Community Closet:
• Non perishable food items for meals in a bag
• Hats, mittens, gloves
• Alarm clocks
• School supplies
• New underwear and socks
• New or gently used children’s books
• Children’s shoes for clinic
• Wal-Mart gift cards ($15-$20) for emergency situations

Evening Activities to Assist:
• Chinese New Year Celebration – Feb. 23
• Market Day distribution – monthly
• Math and Science Night – once a year, math and science games and experiments
• Open House dinner in April

If you would like to volunteer/contribute, please contact the church office!

October Sermon Series: Jesus and the Undead

In the month of October we will feature a special series of sermons that will focus on the undead. Americans fascination with the undead is well documented with the popularity of the Twilight series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and a series of spinoffs from classical literature such as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Not to mention classical movies such as Zombieland, and Night of the Living Dead.

While some of these stories seek to redeem the walking undead, others detail the need to overcome and defeat these beings as inherently evil. While these monsters are creations of fiction, each one of them has a source that lies deep within the heart of our own humanity. It is this source that we will focus on in this series. What does the creation of such evil beings tell us about ourselves as individuals? As a community? What does the quest for redemption reveal about our own fragile human ego? These questions and more will be examined through this series.

We hope you will join us for topics such as Spiritual Vampirism, The Walking (Un)Dead, and Jesus the Friendly Ghost.

The Well for Fall 2011

The Well Fall 2011- 7 weeks of courses
Wednesday evenings
Dinner: 5:45-6:30
Class: 6:30-7:30

Dates: September 7, 14, 21, 28 and October 5, 12, 26


Courses available:

Adults:

1. Walk Through the Old Testament- with John Amick

2. Knitting/Crocheting- to be led by Cathy Brinkman and Missy Adams

Youth and Adults:

1. Dramatic Worship- with Tom Bartley and Nancy King

Children:

1. Christmas Musical- A Star is Born- these rehearsals will run through the performance on Sunday, December 18


The Well- Wednesday evening Well meetings will begin on Wednesday, September 7 and run through October (no meeting October 19) for children, youth, and adults. Dinner will run from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m. with the recommended donation being $2.50 for adults and $1.00 for children with a family maximum of $6. Children will be preparing for our Christmas musical, “A Star is Born”, Youth will be involved in a workshop for dramatic worship, and adults will have a choice of a Bible study (to be announced) or a class on knitting/crocheting with Cathy Brinkman and Missy Adams.

Children's Musical Rehearsal

Rehearsals for our Children Christmas Musical will begin on Wednesday, September 7 at :30 p.m. "A Star is Born" will be presented on Sunday, December 18 at the 10:45 a.m. worship service.

There are lots of speaking parts, solos, and even room for one young adult/youth (either male of female) in this show as well. Children from preschool to 5th grade are welcome to join us for rehearsals every Wednesday evening! Please contact Chris Finley, and Tom or Jessica Bartley if you are interested.


A Star is Born follows a group of children preparing for a big Christmas television production. When Sophia the actress comes to play the role of Mary, the director and the other actors try to help her understand that the "star" of any Christmas production is Jesus Christ. The main lesson is to be humble and allow God to use you for His glory

Continuing Sermon Series

This Sunday, July 31, we move into the second triad of plagues that affect Egypt. Specifically, an invasion of flies come and destroy parts of Egypt that are not directly under God's protection. This means that the land of Goshen, occupied by the Israelites, is spared the invading hordes of pesky and destructive insects. Pharoah temporarily relents but tries to control the exiting Israelites, but to no avail as Moses carefully and artfully outmaneuvers the Egyptian monarch. This is a great series that details extensively God's passion for the Chosen People and the length God will go to to rescue and release these people from the bonds of slavery.

James McGrath's Israel Trip

Here's a link to a round-up of the posts on his blog, Exploring Our Matrix, which Dr. James McGrath shared during his recent trip to Israel.

New Sermon series

Starting this Sunday we will be studying and thinking about the Exodus story with a specific focus on the plagues that God brought to Egypt as part of the Divine plan to free the descendants of Israel from bondage. From the first plague when the life giving waters of the Nile turn against the Egyptians to the final plague of the death of the firstborns males we will review these plagues as part of God's plans to fulfill a promise made to the patriarchs.

Baptism this Sunday

This Sunday in our regular worship service we will be baptizing Isaiah Appleget who came forward on Palm Sunday to publicly declare his decision for Jesus Christ. Isaiah is the son of Jennifer Appleget and the nephew of Tom and Jessica Bartley. Congratulations Isaiah, and welcome to the family!

Welcome New Member

Palm Sunday Isaiah Appleget came forward to make a public decision for Christ and to request baptism. Isaiah is the son of Jennifer Applget and the nephew of Tom and Jessica Bartley. Welcome to the family Isaiah! The ordinance of believers baptism is now scheduled for Sunday, May 15.

Welcome New Member

Crooked Creek Baptist rejoices with Shaun Whitlow at his decision to come forward and accept Christ as his personal Savior and request baptism at this past Sundays service (April 10). Shaun is the son of Amanda (Eilert) Berry and will be baptized on Resurrection Sunday, April 24 int he regular worship service! Welcome to the Kingdom!

Spring Break

Just a reminder that with most of the schools in our area being on Spring Break there will be no weekly meetings of the Well, Worship Team, or Children's musical rehearsal. We are still meeting on Sunday mornings with education starting at 9:30 and worship at 10:45!

Celebrate?

What if our church was more about celebrating people than it was about helping, reaching out, or feeding people's needs?

What if we took the time to sit down and talk to the people that live in the community around our church and listened to them as they shared their desires, hopes, and passions as well as the challenges they face?

What would happen to them if we encouraged them to act on those passions? If we could be a place where people could share their gifts and allow us to celebrate in that sharing?

I believe that we can be this kind of a church. Not a church that passes judgment, looks down upon, or condescends to help the "less fortunate." But a community where grace is freely shared and practiced. Where everyone has value as a part of God's created order and a function in this world. Where the gifts, talents, and resources of EVERYONE would be lifted up and celebrated as they are shared.

What are those gifts you possess right now? What makes you feel so alive that when you do it, you don't want to stop?

What are you good at? Prove it! Share it! Let others celebrate it with you!

Church is OPEN!!

Thanks to our snow removal crew we are able to open the office this week with clear parking lots! Beginning, Tuesday, February 8 the office will resume its normal schedule (future weather permitting). Thanks for your patience!

Childrens Resurrection Musical

Rehearsals for our Spring Children's Musical will begin on Wednesday, February 9 at 6:00 p.m and run on Wednesday evenings through April 13. There will be an additional Saturday practice on March 19 from 10 a.m. til 12 noon and one MANDATORY dress rehearsal on Saturday April 16 from 10 a.m. until 12 noon. Showtime will be in our regular worship service on Sunday, April 17 at 10:45 a.m. (We ask that the children be here this S...unday at 9:30 a.m. for warm ups)

This musical relates the events from Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday in the very setting where the resurrection occurred - a graveyard! For their "Saturday Service," kids are helping the caretaker at Good News Gardens prepare for the annual Easter sunrise service. As they rake, sweep, scrub and clip, the children recall the highlights of the Passion Week with joyous, high-energy songs, ranging from Broadway to hip hop to salsa and thoughtful compositions detailing Jesus' suffering and sacrifice for our sins. This highly evangelistic musical details Jesus' last days and will help children fully appreciate the gospel, the Good News from a Grave!

Baptismal Sundays

This Sunday Crooked Creek Baptist will be celebrating the baptismal of David Peacock in our regular worship service! David came to accept Christ right before Christmas this year and this Sunday we will immerse him in the baptismal waters. On January 30 we will baptize Colin Webler, who also recently came forward to accept Christ as his personal Savior. Colin is in our youth group and made this decision after attending the Youth Winter Blast in Greenlake, WI. Welcome new members!