Pastor Care

As we celebrate the holidays, we do not want to forget our pastors and their families. This year has brought a lot of change for some of our pastors. We have had two weddings, a new pastor, and a pastor with 3 additional children. Each year, we try to do something special for each pastor and his family. This year, we are starting with collecting phone cards for Stephen Andrews, son of Scott and Tana Andrews, who is stationed in Kuwait. It is rather expensive to call home so we thought we would surprise him with a box of phone cards and some treats. If you would like to donate a phone card, please purchase and turn in by November 30th to Nancy Landry or Marci Parker or leave at the Welcome Center. For gifts for the other pastors and their families, please watch your e-mail for an update on when we will be putting together their baskets. The phone cards may be AT&T, Sprint or any major company, but the most important thing is they must be an INTERNATIONAL phone card.

Missions Opportunity

Kirsten Eckstam (one of the ballet dancers on Sunday) is heading to Ecuador to intern for IncaLink. She is having “Ecuador Missions Benefit” this Saturday, November 22nd at 8pm at the Son’s Light Coffee House. Laura Kaufman and Harrison Lane will be sharing in music and Kirsten will be sharing how you can be involved through prayer and financial support.

Upcoming Events at Alliance

OCC Collection Sunday: Don’t forget to pack your shoeboxes and bring them on Sunday to the service. They will be collected during the worship time. Boxes can be picked up at the ABF office or at Samaritan’s Purse. For labels for your boxes, you may go to www.samaritanspurse.org

Thanksgiving Dinners: This Sunday, we will host our annual ABF Family Thanksgiving Dinners at 4pm and 7pm. If you haven’t turned in your response card, please e-mail me and let me know which dinner you will be attending. If you would like to host a table, we still have a few tables that need a host. For more information on hosting you may e-mail me or Shirley Beske at the church office sbeske@abfboone.org .

Hanging of the Greens: On Monday November, 24th we will be decorating the church for Christmas. If you would be interested in helping put up the Christmas trees, stringing lights, fluffing poinsettias, etc., please meet us at the church at 6pm. (Men are welcome to help too.)

An Alliance Christmas: This year, our Christmas dramas will be on December 12th and 13th at Alliance. It is a wonderful time to invite your friends and family. Pick up your tickets at the Event Booth on Sundays.

A Missions Opportunity

If you went on the women’s retreat this year, you may remember meeting Kirsten Eckstam and Laura Kaufman. These two lovely ladies are hosting a benefit concert to help raise awareness and support for Kirsten’s internship in Ecuador.

It is this Friday night, November 7th at Son’s Light Ministries (located next to Los Arcoiris) in Boone. It begins at 7:30 pm so come and listen as Kirsten shares about her upcoming trip and live music by Laura Kaufman.

Kirsten is interning with a missionary organization called Inca Link in Quito, Ecuador for six months beginning in January of 2009. She will have the opportunity to:

~Receive training in cross-cultural ministry
~Spiritually connect with the Ecuadorian people
~Working with children in orphanages, various church ministries, and homes
~Participate in worship services and small group meetings
~Coordinate and administer different short term teams from the U.S. and Canada
~Take language and culture classes

She needs both prayer and financial support, so come out to join in fellowship and help raise funds AND enjoy live music with Laura Kaufman!!

Marci's Moments

Our God is a good God! I stand amazed at how wonderful He is. He is faithful, holy and sovereign. This morning as I was driving to work, I was meditating on the scripture found in Psalm 103:8 where it says: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love.” As I thought about it, I realized that I’m made in the likeness of Christ so I should also be compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. My first thought is that “slow to anger” is probably the hardest thing for me to do but as I think on it more, do I really abound in love? Is love overflowing in my life? My prayer today is that the women of ABF would abound in love as we talk with our friends, meet women in the store, or as we are driving down the road with our kids in the car. Lord, help us to be compassionate and gracious every where we go. Let people see your love as it overflows in every area of our lives.

Women's 12 Step Study

Are you looking for a safe place to take off your mask?

Sometimes we are powerless because of our stations in life. We may be in a situation where other people have power over us. We may feel that we are trapped by the demands of others and that there’s no way to please them all. It’s a double bind: To please one is to disappoint another. Sometimes when we feel stuck and frustrated with our relationships, we look for a way to gain control or escape through our addictions or by trying to fix things ourselves. What if your life didn’t have to be this way?

Some of us were reluctant to come to the women’s step study. We weren’t about to reveal our deep hurts, compulsive habits or the painful secrets in our lives. Plus, we didn’t know where to begin. As we each shared our stories through the weeks, we began to feel that our group was a safe place. And when we finally had the courage to share, no one flinched, disapproved, or tried to fix us. No one forced us or guilted us to do anything. The group just encouraged us to keep coming back and keep working our program. Over time, we surprised ourselves by openly telling our story to other women as we realized that it is ok to be broken because sometimes God waits until we realize just how broken we are before he restores us. We worked the steps together, asking God to give us the power to face our resentments, to help us forgive and to make our amends.

The Women’s 12 Step Study is not a fill-in-the-blank Bible study. It is a safe place of sharing where you can face your hurts, habits and hang-ups using God’s principles to guide you in your recovery. This study is about learning to take life one day at a time and trusting God to make all things right. The next Women’s Step Study will begin on October 22, at 6:30 pm, at Alliance. For more information, call Michelle at 828-898-6456 or Tonya at 828-964-5049. All inquiries will be kept confidential.

Mug and Muffin

This Saturday, Oct. 25 at 10am, Joan Royle will share with us about life and ministry in Burkino Faso. We have an unexpected surprise as our Adopted Missionary Child, Rachel Fisher and her mother, Terri Fisher will join us and share about life and ministry in Moscow Russia. If you would like to bless Rachel with an early Christmas gift, she is 14 and loves crafts, reading, Christian music and horseback riding. They currently are on furlough in Cary NC so even gift cards to Wal-mart, Old Navy, or a bookstore would be fine.

Refreshments will be served and we will have an opportunity to pray for these women that are called in to serve in other countries.

Childcare is available for children up to age 5. Please leave a comment or e-mail me to reserve a spot.