CCF is volunteering at The Beacon on a regular basis. We will participate the last Sunday of each month. Since many members have indicated a strong desire to participate in this effort, you are asked to rotate every other month. To sign up for the January 31 event, please contact Sylvester Washington. He can be reached at 281 437-9907 or sign up on the list at church.

Raul Sifuentes will be briefly updating us on his latest mission trip during the service this coming Sunday, January 17. His next trip will be in February. Following our regular offering, we will be taking up a special love offering to help Raul with his trip expenses.

Most of us are unable to participate personally in this wonderful medical mission to the needy in Mexico. However, we can enable Raul to do so. Let's come prepared to give generously. If you will not be at church this week, you may mail your contribution. Make out the check to United Pursuits, and mail to Raul Sifuentes, 2904 Meridian Bay Ln, Dickinson TX 77539.

Advisory Council elections will take place in March. This year we have four of our seven seats up for election. If you are interested in finding out more about what the council does, please ask any council member. To sign up, please see Terry Quinn (terryquinn5@comcast.net). He will provide you with an application. Visit our website, scroll to the lower left, and click on By-Laws to read more about the purpose of the council and the election process.

Sylvester Washinton sends this report on Herbert Drisdale, "I went by and spent some time with Herb the week of Christmas. He sounded good, his memory is good,and he was in good spirits. He is living at The Quality Personal Care Facility in Fresno, TX located at 703 East Palm 281-431-8418 I'm sure Herbert would be glad to receive cards and letters, and maybe phone calls also."

Hello once again from Community Christian Fellowship, It is very hard to believe that we are almost half way through January of 2010! I'm sure many have considered New Year's resolutions and feel that maybe this time they will finally keep them. Others may be considering what's going on politically. Some may like what's happening in our country, some may feel we're going to "you know where" in a hand basket, and some may feel this current political situation may actually be "the one" that brings all of prophecy to culmination.

Wow, there are so many situations that could happen; so many dynamics to be concerned about, so many possibilities that are unpredictable. What's a Christian to do? The answer may surprise you; in fact, it may anger some. It's found in the Gospels, when Jesus was talking with his disciples about what should be on their minds.

Jesus told them that they had enough to worry about "today" and not to worry about what could possibly happen "tomorrow". Now, does that mean don't plan, don't get involved? NO! But it does mean to keep the overall "reality" of things in perspective.

So, what would that perspective be? When Jesus gave this directive to his disciples, they didn't know that some 40 years later the temple would be destroyed, and many Jews would flee Jerusalem to Masada and eventually die. But before that, many Christians would leave Jerusalem, heading north and eventually west. How could one not worry about that? The answer is simple; they didn't know it was going to happen. When you look at these events from Jesus' perspective, these historical world events that rock our world are stepping stones that we as humans can use to grow closer to the One who already saved us. From this perspective, these events are just a result of man's fallen perspective that will eventually be changed. God knows this. In the mean time, our perspective on these events is really what causes us to have hope or despair.

I encourage all of us to pray that our minds are continually reminded of God's perspective, not ours. History shows us that man has never truly brought peace to the world or reason to the table. God has a plan; it will not fail. As we start this knew year, let us remember that God knows every hair on our heads and every bird in the air. He's got it covered. From his perspective, that's all that really matters. Until next time, Pastor Mark