July 6, 2020 – Mark Bebout has been selected as a new elder for MC3 Church.

Mark and his wife Susan have been members of MC3 and Mount Carmel Christian Church since 1982. They have been married 46 years and have two sons, Michael and Bryan, and two grandsons.

In addition to his ongoing role as a deacon at MC3, Mark has a long history of service to the church. He has overseen security for various church events, been a key member of the Church Builders group, and taught in our children’s ministry in the past.

Mark, who replaces Jay Wright on the elder board, retired from a 30-year career in computer operations at Georgia State University and is trying to retire from his own home repair business, although job opportunities continue to come his way.

MC3 is blessed to have someone with Mark’s personal integrity and commitment to Christ to come alongside our current elders in ministering to the needs of our congregation. An ordination service will be scheduled once the COVID crisis eases and MC3 returns to a normal operating schedule.

June 18, 2020 – Regretfully, MC3 Church has decided to cancel our plans for in-home gatherings this Sunday during the worship hour.

We understand that many people in our church family are eager to resume normal operations, but the recent uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases in our community makes the need for caution paramount to protect the health and safety of our congregation.

Furthermore, recent data from multiple health organizations suggest the major culprit for COVID transmission is close-up, person-to-person interactions for extended periods. Crowded events, poorly ventilated areas and places where people are talking loudly or even singing maximize the risk.

Therefore, we think it prudent to hold off on our original plans to have in-home gatherings starting this Sunday.

We continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis.

As it stands now, we still hope to resume in-person worship services at Parkview High School on July 19. We have submitted our plan of operations to school officials and are awaiting their decision on whether we will be allowed to meet.

Of course, many factors beyond the school’s decision will influence our plans, especially as we begin to see how the reopening of our state unfolds. As soon as we have new information, we will provide another update.

On another note, our C-Groups for Student Ministry and Young Adults resumed in-person gatherings this week. Because of the relatively low risk for COVID transmission among that group, we will continue these weekly gatherings. An online option also will be available for individuals who prefer to join in from their home.

For the time being, all our other adult C-Groups have opted to continue their weekly sessions via Zoom.

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions, please contact MC3 Administrator Jim Barber by email or by phone at 770-783-2737.

June 17, 2020 – The Covid-19 crisis has forced many people to do things not to their liking, but Wendy Duncan reminds us to remember to be GLAD in today’s 2-Minute Devotion.

G od

L oves

A lways and He

D elights in us.

June 7, 2020 – Today, MC3 is launching a PRAYER campaign to combat the darkness currently engulfing our community, nation and world.

“In the bad and good times, prayers should always be our first and best response,” said Senior Minister Art Stansberry. “So join us over the next nine days as we use Psalms to guide us through a concentrated time of prayer. We hope you also will choose to FAST on one of these days as we ask the Lord to heal our broken land.”

Each day, MC3 will send an email with a specific prayer topic, as well as post it on social media. The email will be a simple image, with the topic and scripture.

Here is a preview of the prayer guide we will use.

• Comfort for those who have tragically lost loved ones like George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor.
• Justice for those who have suffered oppression.
• Protection for both law enforcement and protesters in the current unrest.
• Forgiveness for our own sins.
• Compassion for those unheard and unseen, mistreated and misunderstood.
• Repentance for hearts hardened by hatred or dulled by apathy.
• Wisdom for our government leaders.
• Peace for our nation.
• Acceptance of Christ as our only hope.

TAKE OUR SURVEY TO HELP US PLAN FOR IN-PERSON WORSHIP

June 3, 2020 – Are you eager to return to in-person worship services on Sunday mornings? We hope so, and want to give you a brief update on where MC3 stands and what to expect in the next few weeks.

First, thanks to everyone who participated in our recent congregational survey to gauge thoughts and feelings on returning to in-person worship, as well as the effectiveness of our current ministry efforts and your general well-being. Your responses proved enlightening and will help form our plans for moving forward to more normal operations.

Your responses on the survey indicated that while our church family is eager to resume normal operations, they also want to take a cautious approach, ensuring the necessary safety precautions are available and starting slowly with smaller gatherings. Based on your feedback, here is our current plan:

• Week of June 15 – Resume -in-person C-Group meetings. (We will continue to have a ZOOM component for those who want to participate but are not yet ready to meet in person.)
• June 21 – Implement in-home church services for small groups on Sunday mornings.
• July 19 – Resume 10:30 a.m. worship services at Parkview High School, providing the school is available. (No firm decision has yet been made.)

Sunday, June 21, just happens to be Father’s Day, so we are going to “HONOR THE FATHER” by getting small groups together in church members’ homes to share in worship, singing, prayer and communion. We will limit the gatherings to no more than 10 individuals in any one home. To do this, we will need members who are willing to host people in their homes on Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to noon at the latest. Here is a tentative plan for these worship experiences:

• 10 a.m.-10:25 a.m. – Fellowship – Provide coffee and donuts (MC3 can help with the cost if necessary).
• 10:30 a.m. – Watch the online worship service.
• Conclusion – Spend a few minutes in a group discussion about the day’s message (Questions will be provided to help facilitate the conversation).
• Noon at the latest – Adjourn (most likely before noon).

Obviously, we need people who are willing to host others in their homes on Sunday mornings and we also need people to sign up for the services. Please COMPLETE THIS FOUR-QUESTION SURVEY to help us get this effort organized.

We are excited about the prospect of worshiping with others again on Sunday mornings and hope you will be as well. Please let us know as soon as possible if you will participate.

May 27, 2020 – In this week’s 2-Minute Devotion, Keri Duncan reminds us that in these weird times, connecting with others should be an essential part of our lives. As we learn in 2 Corinthians 13:11, “Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.”

May 20, 2020 – In today’s 2-Minute Devotion, Will Tyler reminds us that God is in control and encourages us to Make sure we stay in the Word of Christ and stay in touch with Him through prayer. Will’s message is especially relative in these days of quarantine. As Isaiah 43:18-19 says, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

May 13, 2020 – Ecclesiastes 7:10 tells us, “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.” In today’s 2-Minute Devotion, Olivia Wright encourages us to look for the unexpected blessings in life during this unprecedented time of quarantine. Take a moment and write down the ways the Lord is blessing your life.

May 6, 2020 – Starting today, we are pleased to bring you “Bedtime Bible Stories” for children by the Skit Guys.

We believe your children will love and laugh at these stories, while also being pointed toward the hope we find in Jesus. The Skit Guys have developed 21 stories so far. They are funny, not extremely polished, but FUN and could not be any sillier! Most importantly, they are packed with meaning.

We will post five new videos each Wednesday on the Footsteps Ministry web page and send the links to you in an email as well. In addition, you can find the complete list of videos on the Skit Guys website. Here is the first batch of videos:

Episode 1 – David and Goliath
Episode 2 – Jesus Calms the Storm
Episode 3 – Daniel and the Lions’ Den
Episode 4 – Jesus Heals the Leper
Episode 5 – Noah and the Ark

Bookmark This Link for easy access to stories

Skit Guys encourage the children to participate by sending in their drawings, videos of them singing, or pictures of them and their families watching! Some of these will be shown online.

Bedtime can be such a sweet time to tuck in your little ones and often they pour out their little hearts to you then. This could be an added step in the building of their spiritual character. Often, bedtime can be a battleground, and perhaps these could help with a structured family tradition.

This series, depicting God’s principles, would be a great way to help wind down the day and end their day with love and laughter and godly thoughts as they drift off to sleep!

May 6, 2020 – In today’s 2-Minute Devotion, Rich Faulkner uses Psalm 49 to consider the cost of life. Rich reminds us that the church is the bride of Christ and the groom, God in the form of Jesus, paid a lavish price by dying on the cross for his bride. Our responsibility in this story is to say, “I do.”