Tell The Story

“Merry Christmas!” I so wish people were not afraid to say those words these days. Christmas has changed everything for us. Maybe this year you might consider talking to folks about two great people God used in this miracles story?

The two primary heroes in this scintillating saga alone change my life every Christmas. A man and woman (probably in their mid-to-late teens) who suddenly found themselves thrust into starring roles on the stage of history. Mary was a young Hebrew woman chosen by God to bear His Son. Words fail to adequately describe what it must have been like for her when the angel of the Lord appeared to her and made his amazing announcement. She fearlessly asked the angel a very good question, which did not imply doubt, but was simply a request for more information. And when she got the answer, she uttered one of the most faith-filled statements ever spoken: “Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word.” What an awesome woman!

Think of Joseph, who discovered that his bride was pregnant. How heartrending, and what a man of character he was, first not to make public their situation, and then to endure the public ridicule he must have gotten as the father of a child that was not his. Imagine, as Joseph wrestled with this incredibly weighty issue. He had to be a truely amazing man to listen to an angel tell him that the woman he had chosen as his wife and the mother of his children was also the woman God had chosen to be the mother of His Son. And think of his love for her, and his steadfast discipline. Joseph was a man’s man, and a true hero of faith. I love the story. I can only imagine what my life would be about if I had never come to here it.

Christmas is an opportunity to do just what those shepherds of long ago did—spread the word about Jesus Christ. Tell the story! Merry Christmas!

ben pitney
lead pastor

Kid's Night Out: Parents enjoy a date night out together or get your Christmas shopping done while our children's staff plays games, does crafts and eats pizza with your children. The event will be on Friday, December 7 from 5 - 10 p.m. at Empire High School in the gym. Ages 3-11 are welcome! Contact Julie at julie@vailchristian.com for more information.

Winter Camp - February 21 - 24! Middle School and High School students are heading to California for amusement parks, camping and more! You don't want to miss this! You can register and pay online. Contact Julie Biagi at julie@vailchristian.com if you have any questions.

So far we as a community have sponsored over 70 children in the Limpopo Area Development Project. This amounts to more than $36,000 per year that VCC has committed to its partnership with World Vision! It has been very exciting to witness how God has been leading our body to give sacrificially to care for His children. If you already sponsor a child, please remember to communicate with him through letters. Your sponsorship shows your child that he is loved and cared for by God, and God's love gives all children great worth. Your letters are an important way to reinforce that message of hope. If you do not sponsor a child and would like to do so, or if you would like more information on VCC's partnership with World Vision in Limpopo, contact meghan@vailchristian.com.

Trailhead...Begin the Journey February 24during the 10:45 service (BBQ March 2). Trailhead is where the VCC adventure begins. This class will walk you through our core values, our vision, our mission, and perhaps most importantly: opportunities for you to join the journey. Visit the kiosk in the courtyard or email tim@vailchristian.com for more information.

Rocky Point 2007



This year more than 80 people from VCC traveled to Rocky Point, Mexico to build houses in conjunction with Amor Ministries. 


Over the course of three days we constructed three houses for three separate families, and we had the chance to show the love of Christ to an entire neighborhood through our construction projects and our Los Niños program.  It was an awesome time of building relationships and "living the revolution."

Project 168 is a challenge for the VCC community to pray. There are one hundred and sixty eight hours in every week – Project 168 calls the members of the VCC community to pray during one of those one hundred and sixty eight hours every week.

• Pray that you would honor the birth of the One that was sent to redeem us.
  
  
• Ask the Lord for His compassion for the world you live, work and play in. Thank God for the people He has placed in your life.
  
  
• As you wrap gifts this year, pray and thank God for the people who will receive them.
  
  
• If you have to work during Christmas this year pray for those who are at home with loved ones. Pray that your work might have a wondrous sense of service and necessity.
  
  
• Thank God for the many ways He showers us with such lavish and undeserved love.
  

Baptism Event: The next baptism event will be December 9. If you are interested in being baptized, please contact tim@vailchristian.com. Students and children please contact julie@vailchristian.com.

Christmas Eve - Bring your family and friends to join us on Christmas Eve for a family friendly service filled with carols that celebrates the joy of Christmas.  Monday, December 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Empire High School Auditorium. 

Developing a Heart For Teenagers

Society depicts teenagers as miserable, moody and rebellious. Take a look at this slogan: “I have a teenager. I don’t need a broker who doesn’t listen.” What does this say to our kids? We have abandoned valuing them, listening to them and allowing them to question just as we have abandoned them at the dinner table. Teenagers today spend much of their time by themselves or trying to find the intimacy they long for in online chatrooms. Sadly, teenagers have even been abandoned at church. Youth groups are too often a distant segment of the church; rather, the youth group should be intimately connected with the adults in our church. Our teenagers face worldly pressures and negative influences everyday and they need all of the positive mentors they can get.

A system of ethics is operating in the world of midadolescents that is filled with inconsistency, self-centered justice, and relativistic ethical opportunism. Our students often say they know God and love Him, but they seem to struggle bringing Him outside of church. They don’t yet understand how to let Him prevail over every aspect of their life and the raging hypocrisy and corrupted morals of our society confuse them.

Students are wrestling with the process of becoming a unique individual. They are seeking their identity; I want them to find their identity in Christ and to know that it is a valued identity. Too often when I ask students to picture God’s face as He looks at them they respond that His face depicts disappointment. This belief then determines their theology; they believe not that God loves them and is gracious, but rather that God is judgmental and distant. How then can they live their lives to please Him?

Students need to know a stable and secure loving presence. Just below the surface, today’s teenagers feel a sense of isolation and loneliness that betrays the confidence with which they present themselves, even to one another. They embrace busyness to keep themselves from having to reflect on their lives and dreams, and they become defensive to prevent critique or examination. Teenagers put on a mask of confidence, or even arrogance, to avoid being chewed up by those who would find them out.

Discovering who they are is a process and we must show students that we are going to faithfully walk the journey with them. Our role is to consistently model and speak truth into their lives and then allow the Holy Spirit to work. We must partner together to ensure that our students get the message that they are valued! They need adults who love and care for them, but are not fooled. Our students long to hear someone say and demonstrate in action, “You matter to me.”

Could we be a church where our students know they matter? Could we form true partnerships as parents, parents and youth workers, parents and the body of believers who form our family in Christ? Could we change our perspective on teenagers and therefore teenagers’ perspective of themselves from one of disappointment and frustration to encouragement and empowerment? Could we embrace living by the following principle: As Christ is to me, so must I be to my kids.

julie biagi
director of students & children

If you are interested in starting or joining a Community Group, or if you just want some more information, contact Tim Sheaffer at tim@vailchristian.com or Trent Schlecht at tanks@cox.net. You can also visit the Community Group page on our website at www.vailchristian.com.

Strategic Service Teams: SST’s are volunteers gathered together to serve within and outside the church. Volunteers are vital to Vail Christian and we look to them to facilitate environments and potentially lead people in a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Contact tim@vailchristian.com or ben@vailchristian.com for more information. You can also visit the Strategic Service Team page on our website at www.vailchristian.com.

VCC Community Rewards
Coordinator: Donita Vogt ­ 731-0734 or donitavogt
@aol.com
 
Many grocery stores offer fundraising programs to churches, schools, and other youth organizations. When using gift cards or "club cards" stores will contribute a percentage of your purchases to your organization.  VCC just completed registration to participate in these programs. Funds raised will be allocated for use by the children and student ministries.
 
How it works:
• Fry's gift cards are available in $25 and $50 from the coordinator. VCC will receive 4% of each gift card purchase and recharge.  Gift cards can be recharged at any Fry's store.
• Basha's gift cards are also available from the coordinator.  VCC will receive 6% of each gift card purchase and recharge.  Gift cards can be used and recharged at any Basha's, Food City or AJ's store.
• Safeway will contribute up to 2% of all purchases.  Register your club card with the coordinator or through eScrip.com using the code #500016398 or search for "Vail Christian Church". Other on-line purchases through eScrip.com will contribute 2% to VCC.