First Church of God, Little Paint
Creekside Connection
“Even now,” declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart
and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in
love, and he relents from sending calamity. Who knows? He may turn and relent and leave behind a blessing…”
Creekside Connection is a bi-
monthly publication of First
Church of God at Little Paint.
Through this newsletter, it is
our desire to keep you in-
formed about upcoming
events, highlight special past
events, and present some
challenging thoughts that will
help you feel more closely
connected to the church and
to the Lord.
Welcome to the
Creekside Connection!
Inside this issue:
March/April @ KFC
Easter Events
Children’s Egg-stravaganza
Love Was in the Air
Because We Care
Celebrating You!
Pastor’s Upcoming
Sermons
Spring Forward
Mad Hungry?
March/April 2011
Pastor’s Points to Ponder
The Church of God is being
called to unite in a time of
prayer and fasting during
the 40 days leading up to
Easter (March 16–April 24).
Imagine the transformative
power that could be
unleashed if the church
united in a time of
deliberate
prayer and
fasting. How
many lives
could be
changed? How
many
congregations
could be healed
and empowered
for the sharing
of the Good News of
Christ? Imagine what could
happen if we Christians
2 humbled ourselves in
submission, sacrifice and
prayer? Focus 40 is a call
2 for the church to join
together for just such a
2 period of worship and
obedience.
3 absolute fast. This is where
We at Little Paint Church
have joined with this national
3 effort to seek God’s
transforming power not only
within the Church of God at
3 large but here in our local
congregation.
3 As I have shared about this
fast with the church, I
realized that many of you
4 have never experienced a
spiritual time of prayer and
fasting. Fasting simply is to
4 or particular foods you enjoy
abstain from food for a
designated period of time. As
—Joel 2:13-14
we focus on a spiritual time
of fasting, we are focusing on
matters that are more
important than food. We are
setting aside food in order to
concentrate on God and his
direction in a matter.
Someone said, “Fasting is a
disciplined abstinence from all
that gratifies or satisfies the
flesh in order
to give one’s
self totally to
seeking the
Lord in the
Spirit.” True
fasting
means to
put aside any
pleasurable
or necessary activity for a
period of time in order to
intensely pursue God and
know His mind.
The Bible speaks of two types
of fasts. The first is a partial
fast as seen in Daniel where
the prophet abstained for the
“delicacies,” or meat and
wine. The second type is the
no food is eaten. We see this
in the lives of Moses in
Deuteronomy 9:9, Elijah in 1
Kings 19:8, and Jesus in
Matthew 4. Since this
discipline of fasting is new to
many of you, I am asking you
to consider submitting to a
partial fast for the Focus 40
days. You can choose to give
up a meal a day or one day of
meals. You could give up TV,
your favorite sports activity,
and eat often. The purpose is
Volume 2, Issue 2
to take the time you would
spend in these activities and
use it to pray for the ministry
of the church. To paraphrase
the late Bill Bright, “Fasting is
about the condition of the
heart,” not the time element
or what we give up.
During this 40-day period I
will be sharing on Spiritual
Disciplines that can transform
your life. These sermons will
help you begin the greatest
time of spiritual insight and
growth that you have ever
experienced. We will also
be posting a daily prayer
emphasis calendar on the
blog and in the bulletin. As I
think about this 40 day focus
on prayer and fasting, I get
excited to think what Easter
Sunday could be like as we
end this time. Just imagine
how God will move among
us. Lives will be radically
changed. Will you join us on
this spiritual journey?
—Pastor Jeff
Click here for a
40-day prayer guide
during the 40 days
of fasting or pick up a
copy on the table in
the narthex.
Cont’d. on Page 2
 Creekside Connection

March/April @ Creekside Kids for Christ

There is nothing we can do to earn
it—and we certainly don’t deserve
it. Because God loves us, it is his
free gift to anyone who asks.
“The Ultimate Transformer”
nal life.” John 3:15
We invite children ages 3-5th
grade to join us each week at
9:45 for active, fun, and memora-
ble lessons.

April is all about transformers— If you think of Sunday school

the Ultimate being boring,
Trans- quiet, and dry,
“Free Prize Inside”
former— you haven’t
Free? What is really free? If you Jesus Christ. experienced
buy, one you get one free—but I April is Creekside KFC.
had to buy one, so it’s really not Easter Come and check
free, is it? To get the prize inside a month and us out!
cereal box, you have to buy the box we will be
of cereal which means the prize focusing on
wasn’t free either. So what IS free? the resur-
The children at KFC are learning rection of our savior. “Everyone
this month that God’s grace is free. who believes in him will have eter-

Easter Events Children’s Easter Egg-stravaganza

Wednesday, Easter—what a great time to reach
April 20—No out to our community, to uncharted
evening service friends and relatives!
Thursday, April Our church is planning an event to do
21—Communion & just that. Beginning at 11:00 on Sat-
Foot Washing service, 7:00 urday, April 23, we will host an Easter
p.m. Egg-stravaganza for all children. Cur-
rently, plans include an egg hunt,
Saturday, April 23—
lunch, a photo opportunity for chil-
Children’s Egg-stravaganza,
dren and families, and an inflatable
11:00 a.m.
game or two.
Sunday, April 24—Easter
Begin praying now about who you
Sunday
could invite!
Donations of individually-wrapped candy would be appreciated!

Page 2
 Volume 2, Issue 2

Love Was in the Air

The J.O.Y. (Just Older Youth) group tables of delicious fried chicken and familiar with the antics of “Munroe”
enjoyed another home-cooked and prepared side and the musical ability of Keith. They
great event in Feb- dishes and desserts. Following sang, performed magic, shared humor-
ruary. J.O.Y. group dinner, enter- ous stories, and warmed
leaders, Barb & tainment was the hearts of all.
Jerry Meek, hosted provided by
Thanks to all who at-
a special Valentine’s Keith Caudill
tended, to those who
dinner at the and Freddie
provided food, helped
church. All 71 who “Munroe”
set up or clean up, and
attended enjoyed a Goble from the
to Barb and Jerry for a
very pleasant and Mountain Arts
wonderful evening.
fun evening. Center. Anyone who
has attended an event at the MAC is Be watching the an-
Those in attendance enjoyed bulging
nouncements for future J.O.Y. events.

Because We Care
We care deeply about the safety of all volunteer, a criminal background check
children and youth who come through will be processed. This report will be Pastor’s Upcoming
our doors. We want to assure parents kept confidential and will be kept on file in
Sermons:
that we have the church office.
taken every By implementing this 3-13 Learn to Be
measure to procedure, Content
ensure that their  Parents will be
child will be safe
3-20 Truth or
put at ease.
in the care of  Visitors will be
those who will more apt to return if they know their 3-27 Spiritual
be teaching/leading them. children are well-cared for.
For these reasons, the board of elders  We will avoid serious legal expenses
has implemented a background check
caused by sexual misconduct charges. 4-3 Spiritual
procedure for all children and youth
 Volunteers will feel more secure.
leaders.
Thank you in advance for your coopera- 4-10 Spiritual
Using Shepherd’s Watch/Lexis Nexus
tion and help in this new procedure. It is
Risk and Information Analytics Group,
truly because we care—and we know you
Inc., upon the signed consent of each
do too. 4-17 Palm Sunday

Celebrating You! 4-24 Easter Sunday

The February birthday celebration was filled with chocolate and was all about
Bob Johnson, Patty Spradlin and Jerry Meek. These have been sweet times of
fellowship (literally and otherwise) and an opportunity to get to know one an-
other better.
If you or someone in your family has a birthday in March birthday, please join
us at the parsonage Saturday, March 19, at 7:00 p.m. for a special celebration of
YOU! (Please sign up on the board in the narthex if you can join us.)
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful. Psalm 139:14
Page 3
671 Little Paint Road
East Point, KY 41216
Phone: 606-886-3699
E-mail: lpfcog@yahoo.com

S TAY CONNECTED ALL MONTH!

http://fcoglittlepaint.blogspot.com/

Mad Hungry??
Join us immediately follow-
ing the morning worship
service Sunday, March 27,
for a delicious youth-
sponsored dinner for $5!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens . . . “
Ecclesiastes 3:1