Shrove Tuesday set to be observed

St. Andrew's Episcopal Church will hold a Shrove Tuesday pancake supper from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at First and Marin streets, in the parish hall.

Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, is the last day of Marti Gras, the pre-Lenten festival.

Lent is the period of fasting and penitence observed by Episcopal and other churches, preceding Easter. The Wednesday following Shove Tuesday is Ash Wednesday.

Pancakes, fruit juice and coffee will be served.
The public is invited.

Information is available from Terri Jamison, recently elected senior warden, at 385-1115.

The Ash Wednesday service will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Season of Lent to begin Wednesday

The Cone United Methodist Community Church will observe Ash Wednesday at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 21, the first day of the Season of Lent.
The name comes from the ancient practice of imposing ashes on worshippers' foreheads as a sign of humility before God.

This service will be joined with the Los Molinos United Methodist Church.

At 6 p.m. every Wednesday after Ash Wednesday until Easter Sunday when we conclude the Vigil.

The church sanctuary will be open to those who wish to come and spend some time in prayer and meditation.
There will be music and some readings from the scripture. The sanctuary will be open for an hour.

Palm Sunday will be remembered at 9 a.m. on Sunday, April 1.

Worshippers will experience the procession with Palm branches while shouting our loudest Hosannas!

Holy Thursday will be observed at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 5, with a communion worship service. The sharing of the Eucharist or the sacrament of thanksgiving on Maundy Thursday is the way some Christians observe this day.

Easter Sunday will be celebrated at 9 a.m. on Sunday, April 8. The Lenten vigil concludes with Easter Worship Service with a Paschal Candle Lighting Ceremony.

New tool available to help proclaim the Scriptures

New Hope Foursquare Church is participating in You've got the Time, a 40 day plan for listening to the New Testament.

A demonstration of a ministry tool the Proclaimer will be presented at 10 a.m. this Sunday at 925 Walnut St. Info 528-0642.

An organization, called Faith Comes by Hearing has made it their mission to get the audio Bible translated into as many languages as there are people without Bibles.Their goal is to bring the Bible to life in the 20th Century.

They translate the whole New Testament into an audio version, into la
nguages that have no access to Scriptures (because nothing has been translated into that language). It is similar to what Wycliffe Bible translators do, but this is an audio version.

Some statistics about the Proclaimer:
The Scriptures are programmed on a microchip already installed and will not erase or wear out from frequent playing.

The battery will play 15 hours and can be recharged enough times to play the entire New Testament over 600 times.

The Proclaimer has a built in generator and solar charger to charge the battery.
The solar charger, in addition to charging the battery, will run the Proclaimer even without battery power as long as there is sunlight. In other words, as long as there is a sun in the sky the Proclaimer will play the Son's Words.

The sound is digital quality and loud enough to be heard clearly by groups of 300.

There are approximately 6,600 unreached people groups. No one knows for sure how many people that is, but this organization figures it at 1.7 billion people.

An unreached people group can be defined as:
"a group of people among which there is no viable indigenous church movement with sufficient strength, resources, and commitment to sustain and ensure the continuous multiplication of churches." Most of these groups have no Bible in their own language.

The average American can drive 10 minutes to the local Christian bookstore and choose from hundreds of different Bibles: in a multitude of translations, colors, with various maps, devotionals, and other helpful resources.

Faith comes by Hearing (www.fcbh.org) allows churches the opportunity to sponsor a whole audio NT in a particular language, or they can sponsor one book of the Bible (which is roughly $950. That includes the translation, technology, and getting it to the people).

Information is available at 527-0642.

New Baptist Church in Red Bluff

The Rev. Robert M. Wheatley, former associate pastor of First Southern Baptist Church of Red Bluff, is inviting the community to be a part of a new Baptist Church.

They will be meeting on Sundays at 542 Union St., inside the Russell and Co. Building at the corner of Madison and Union streets, Red Bluff.

The church will be a kingdom-focused Bible driven church. The focus will be on glorifying the Lord God, making disciples, maturing believers and multiplying ministries.

Bible study will start at 9:30 a.m., followed by worship at 11 a.m. Wheatley is available at 209-0695.

Discussion starter:

"Abraham had faith ten years before he was reckoned righteous; do the 'unsaved' have faith?"

Signs of Life

If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Discussion starter:

"Abraham obeyed the voice of God to leave Haran; Hebrews 11:8 states that Abraham obeyed y faith. Abraham had faith ten years before he was reckoned righteous, hew was reckoned righteous in Genesis 15, and then James states that his faith was perfected in the offering of Isaac. Romans 4:20 states that his faith grew. What is the "size" of Faith that results imputed righteousness?"

Bethel Youth Yard Sale

Bethel Youth will be having a yard sale, Saturday, Feb. 17th, from 8:00 a.m. to noon.
All proceeds from the yard sale will go towards the youth snow camp.
For more information, call Kendall Eickmeyer, 527-0445, or e-mail bethelrb@yahoo.com

Red Bluff mission team helping needy in Haiti

Eleven Red Bluff volunteers to Haiti with Lifeline Christian Mission. The team will take medical personnel, medicines, and other needed help to Haiti. They will return Feb. 18.

One out of eight children die before the age of 5 as a result of diseases on the Island such as malaria, HIV AIDS, tuberculosis, hepatitis and infections resulting from injury.

The team consists of one physician, five nurses, a general contractor, and five handy persons. They are: Bob McFarlen, Bill Greer, Vickie Greer, Mark and Margaret Franklin, Ruth Ann Rowen, Alex Bennet, Dr. Pat Quintal, Dyrk and Laurel Posey and Michelle Siemens. The team will meet 15 other lifeline members that are coming from North Carolina.

Those administering health care will spend the majority of the weekdays in a medical clinic.

The non-medical people will spend the majority of the week building a home and doing general labor tasks. Each team member will distribute baby layettes in the community, food to the nutrition program, and also distribute clothing and shoes.

Dyrk Posey said, “We packed the donated medical supplies at the Community Baptist Church. Each person carried a suitcase with medical supplies, toys and food that the community has donated for our trip. We could use some help sending the extra medical supplies. Each member of the team already raised the money for their own expenses. The more supplies we have, the more people we can treat. It costs $80 per 50-pound suitcase of extra medicine we bring on the plane. We look forward to providing much needed medical help to a people that do not have much hope.”

Information is available at the Community Baptist Church at 527-4203.

New youth minister at North Valley

Caleb Little is the new youth minister at North Valley Baptist Church of Red Bluff, according to pastor David Lamberson.

He will lead the young programs, outings and activities. “We have been searching for someone with a background like his,” Lamberson said, “and with his energy and enthusiasm.
Little will graduate in April from Simpson University with a major in youth ministry and a double minor in pastoral skills and Bible/theology. He graduated from Newberg High School in Newberg, Ore., in 2003. There he participated in football, track, band, 4-H and youth group.

He has an agricultural background that includes livestock and farm equipment.

He is the middle child of five. He was on the youth group leadership team in high school and volunteered last year with Risen King in Redding. He was an intern this last summer with Newberg Christian Church.

Information is available at 527-0543.
Pictured is Caleb Little

Johnson to speak at Abundant Life

Missionary Doris Johnson will be at Abundant Life Fellowship at 11 a.m. this Sunday at 21080 Luther Road.

She is the president of the Bernhard Johnson Ministries in the United States. She and her late husband, Bernhard, continued the ministry that began over 66 years ago in Brazil by Bernhard’s father.
Johnson travels both in the United States and Brazil ministering at mission conventions and women’s conferences.
She also assists in coordinating medical clinics with teams from HealthCare Ministries, which provide medical, dental and spiritual care to the needy in Brazil.

Pictured is Doris Johnson

Family band set to perform in Corning

The Townley Family Band will perform at 1:15 p.m. Sunday at the First Presbyterian Church, 471 Marguerite Ave.

A potluck lunch will be held at 12:30 p.m., just prior to the performance.
The community is invited to attend both the potluck and the performance.

Don and Lisa Townley and five of their six sons, ages 7 to 15, have combined to create the Townley Family Band. They love gospel, bluegrass and other music and sharing their testimonies.

They will sing and perform on a variety of instruments including keyboard, guitar, drums, pennywhistle and mandolin.

Information is available at 824-5535 or Judy Turner at 824-3174.
Pictured:The Townley Family Band

Discussion starter:

"If we were looking for the city in Hebrews 11:10, how would we live?"

Connect the Thots #16

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?

Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.shepherd, harpist, king
2. 3.an Ethiopian eunuch, Lydia of Thyatira, Jesus
4. promised, flowing with milk and honey, of Goshen
5. Sarai, Rachel the wife of Manoah
6. the dream of Pharaoh's baker, leftovers at thefeeding of the five thousand, the apostle paul's escape from Damascus
7. Samson, Jonathan, John the Baptist
8. Elisha, the eagle, forbidden for priests
9. David spares King Saul's life, Obadiah hides one hundred prophets of god, Lazarus is raised to life
10. Elijah fleeing from Jezebel, Jonah after Nineveh's repentance, Moses when the Israelites complained about manna

Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. Babel 2. people who wept 3. people from whom demons were cast 4. thirty
5. prophets 6. centurions 7. people famed for their hair 8. miracles of Elisha 9. births foretold 10. people who died by suicide

(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

Discussion starter:

Hebrews 11:10 says Abraham was looking for a city. What is the basis of this statement?

Power Principle

By David-A Baker
"Strong character suffers without complaining; weak characters complain without suffering"

Discussion starter:

"Why did God call Abraham from his father's house? Would God do this if Terah was a godly man?"

Nutrition class offered

A lifestyle medicine health and nutrition class will be presented in four sessions in February at the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.
The class instructor is Linda McConnell.
Topics to be covered include: how to avoid dangerous fats, sugars and oils while cooking creative
new dishes, how prepare meals without the use of animal products, weight control, how to strengthen the immune system, how to reverse and prevent heart related diseases, diabetes and other lifestyle problems, natural remedies for improved health.
The tuition includes: cooking demonstrations, 190 page recipe and nutrition syllabus, lectures on natural therapies, sample meals, and childrens class. Tuition is $60 each or $95 for married couples.
Preregistration is required. The cost at the door is $75 each. A cooking and activity class will be provided for children up to age 10 for $10 per session.
The classes will be at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Feb. 6, 13, 20 and 27, at 720 So. Jackson St. Information and reservations are available at 527-5077 or 526-5077.

El Camino United Methodists plan fellowship

The El Camino United Methodist Church is having a soup and song fellowship time at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9, at 8345 Highway 99W.
Participants are invited to get on stage and sing, play, dance, read and more. The public is invited.

Red Bluff pastor leads United Methodists mission team to the Philippines

On Monday, Rev. Paul Cabotaje of Red Bluff First United Methodist Church will lead a team of United Methodists from all over California to the Philippines to bring medical and dental care to the poorest of the poor.
Six years ago Cabotaje and his wife Virgie founded the medical/dental Philippine Mission. Easing one person’s suffering through missionary work created two dedicated and tireless missionaries. For the seventh year in a row, Rev. Paul and Virgie are planning the mission which will allow missionaries of all ages and races to be in service to God. Easing one person’s suffering has changed the lives of over 10,000 patients in six years.
It gave life to 10-year-old Juzmeen Pascual, who had open-heart surgery thanks to the 2005 mission.
It saved four-month old Baby Alvin from mental retardation by enabling doctors at Solano to install a shunt to relieve the pressure on his hydrocephalic brain.
It gave three children life-changing surgeries to correct facial deformities.
Working in the slums of Manila where people live in hand-made shanties built over open sewers, where they sleep on mats on the ground and cook over charcoal, where running water, electricity, and toilets are non-existent in their homes, is more than a culture shock to first-time missionaries. They suddenly find themselves immersed in true poverty, because such living conditions in combination with the over-whelming needs of the people trapped in those conditions fills missionaries with a sense of helplessness. They begin to wonder why they are there and what differences they can possible make.
Rev. “Joy” Cera, retired pastor of the Good Samaritan United Methodist Church near Manila, answered their wonderings when he told a group of missionaries, “If you ease one person’s suffering, if you make one person’s life better, if you bring one soul to Jesus, then your mission is a success.”
In 2006, the medical/dental mission served 5,000 patients of the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. Their hope for this year is to serve at least 3,000. They are going to an ethnic village, the Aeta community, that has been displaced by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
“These poor people have become mendicants and go to the different towns with their malnourished babies and must resort to begging to get by. These people’s hopes are being rekindled by seeing missionaries coming from the U.S., bringing food, medical doctors, nurses and medicines to them,” wrote Reverend Cabotaje.
The team which will include California-Nevada Annual Conference Bishop Beverley Shamana will return March 5.
For more information, contact Rev. Paul Cabotaje at Red Bluff First United Methodist Church 527-5754 or at home 529-3337.

Querin to speak at Harvest Christian Center

Rev. Sandi Querin, will be the speaker at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Harvest Christian Center. The public is invited free of charge.
Querin felt called to preach at the age of 9. For the next 30 years, she was hindered by Cystic Fibrosis and complications from the disease. In spite of her health she pursued her education while working full time and preaching part-time. She holds a doctorate in law, a master’s in business, and is an ordained minister.
She resigned her positions in the corporate world and as a college professor in 1996. The Lord healed her and she is now traveling throughout the U.S. and abroad preaching the Gospel.
The cry of her heart is for “the church to rise up under the authority of Jesus Christ and believe His promises!”
The focus of her predominately prophetic ministry has been to awaken the church by the power by which they have been saved and for the lost to be found in the victory of Christ. After suffering a lifetime of pain and illness, she comes with a message of healing and hope.
Querin is the author of “The Prayer of Job” and “The Prayer of Moses.” She has worked with Teen Challenge, YWAM, Teen Mania Ministries, the Assemblies of God, Church of God, Baptist, Mennonite, Catholic and Foursquare Churches, along with other denominations and non-denominational churches.
She has been married for 27 years to Martin, a civil engineer, who she served with as co-pastor of their local church youth department for 20 years. They have two grown children, both married and serving the Lord.
Ministry information is available at Abba’s Heart Ministries at 1-866-851-3466 or at: www.abbasheart.com.
Information for the Sunday meeting is available from Rob Kee at 824-2091.

Discussion starter:

Why did Terah leave Ur to go to Canaan, and why did he settle in Haran? God told Abraham in Genesis 15 that He brought him out of Ur.

Power Principle

By David-A Baker
"Worth is established by what one is willing to pay.
GOD THINKS YOU'RE VALUABLE...
He paid the highest price for you through the life of His Son."

Looking for Christian mentors in Red Bluff

Krista Foster Homes, based in Redding is expanding their Transitional Housing Program to Red Bluff and are in need of quality, Christian young adults to serve as mentors.
Young adult mentors are live-in volunteers who have two main functions: to serve as role models and to provide accountability.
Krista Foster Homes places one or two foster youth with a mentor in a local apartment to work with the foster youth to help them transition into adulthood by finishing high school, gaining job experience, managing a personal budget, and other life skills.
The mentor simply lives as a roommate to the youth and helps to keep Krista staff informed about the youth.
In exchange for their service to us, the mentors get to live in a fully furnished apartment for $100 a month (including utilities).
Please call with any questions or for more information:(530) 515-5975.

Soup and song fellowship

The El Camino United Methodist Church is having a soup and song fellowship time at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 9, at 8345 Highway 99W.
Participants are invited to get on stage and sing, play, dance, read and more.
The public is invited.

Discussion starter:

What would be Abraham's view of civilization? Noah and some of the ancients were still alive in the first part of his life, but around Abraham cultures were arising in the Middle East, built by men who lived relatively short lives.

Signs of Life

If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

God's Ancient Paths to Financial Success

Session I, Sunday Morning, March 4
9:00 a.m.
Community Baptist Church
598 Roundup Avenue, Red Bluff
or
10:15 a.m.
Zion Christian Ministries
836 Washington Street, Red Bluff

Sessions 2 & 3, Sunday Evening, March 4
6:00 p.m.
Community Baptist Church
598 Roundup Avenue, Red Bluff

Sessions 4 & 5, Monday Evening, March 5
7:00 p.m.
Community Baptist Church
598 Roundup Avenue, Red Bluff

Sessions 6 & 7, Tuesday Evening, March 5
7:00 p.m.
Community Baptist Church
598 Roundup Avenue, Red Bluff

Registration Due February 25
Cost: $40 per person/$75 per married couple
Contact: Karla Dillon, Family Foundations Coordinator, 529-1836

This financial seminar from Family Foundations is different from many "Finance Seminars" in that it does not feature merely "practical" information on finances, but follows Craig Hill's anointed understanding of God's Word in teaching finances from a biblical perspective. Craig brings a special insight on God's provision in the concept of "Sparrow Faith," and shows participants how the world's financial system is driven by the Spirit of Mammon, the force who would draw people away from believing in God's provision for them. The teaching includes the building blocks to help people understand God's plan for their provision, and the five biblical uses of money.

Who should come?

* Anyone who is struggling to get by and desirous of getting out of debt
* Anyone who has trouble saving money
* Anyone who wants to learn God's wisdom on finances
* Anyone who wants to learn how to be a better steward of what God has given him or her

Overcoming Anger Seminar

February 24
8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Community Baptist Church
598 Roundup Avenue, Red Bluff

Registration Due February 15
Cost: $35 per person/$65 per married couple
Contact: Karla Dillon, Family Foundations Coordinator, 529-1836

DON'T JUST MANAGE YOUR ANGER -- OVERCOME IT!
An intensive time of teaching from God's word, followed by sharing, prayer and ministry in small groups. as teaching topics are brought up, the small groups, led by trained facilitators, give opportunity for ministry in that specific area of the individual's life. Seminar is open to the community. Pastors and their spouses may attend free of charge.

Who should come?
If you find yourself often saying or doing things for which you later must apologize -- THEN COME!
If you find yourself struggling to control your temper -- THEN COME!
If you struggle with depression, self-hatred, resentment, guilt or bitterness -- THEN COME!
If you feel like a failure as a parent or marriage partner as a result of wounding your family through angry words or behavior -- THEN COME!
or
If you feel like you have been the victim of a loved-one's anger -- THEN COME!

NOTE: Because teaching and small group dynamics are sequential, and each session builds upon the last one, it is imperative that participants plan on attending all seminar sessions. Child care is not available.

The Fishermen band set to perform

The Salvation Army will host The Fishermen, a praise and worship band for San Joaquin County, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28, at 940 Walnut St.
The Salvation Army churches from Redding, Chico and Oroville are invited along with the local community to come and worship.
Majors Frank and Susan Severs will bring the message "How to Worship Wounded", at the 6 p.m. service.

Connect the Thots #15

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?

Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.a post-flood migration, a confusion of languages, a tower to heaven
2.baby Moses in his floating basket, Jesus at Lazarus's tomb, Peter after denying Christ
3.Mary Magdalene, a fortune-telling servant girl, "Legion"
4.Jair's sos, Jesus' age of ministry, Judas's pieces of silver
5. Agabus, Habakkuk, Nathan
6. glorified God at the crucifixion, Cornelius of the Italian band, Jesus healed his servant
7. Absalom, Samson, Mary--sister of Martha
8. an axhead that floated, bears that mauled mouthy kids, a Shunammite boy raised from the dead
9. Jesus, John the Baptist, Samson
10. King Zimri, King Saul, Judas Iscariot

Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. the Lord's Prayer 2. disciples of Jesus 3. blind people 4. asses, or donkeys 5. rules for the Nazarite vow 6. feasts of Israel 7. people home God struck dead 8. prophetesses 9. vineyards 10. Barnabas

(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

Signs of Life

If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Blankenship to speak at Abundant Life Fellowship

Leroy Blankenship will be the guest speaker at 11 a.m. this Sunday at Abundant Life Fellowship, 21080 Luther Road, Red Bluff.
Blankenship is a singer, musician, author, and speaker. He was nominated for the country gospel songwriter of the year in 2004.

Several of his songs have been recorded by top recording artists. This service and free concert is open to the public.

Musical ministry

The Corning Neighborhood Church will host J. R. and Linda Gonzales, at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday at the corner of 1st and South Street. They will minister in music using several styles which include Latin rhythms. They will both share experiences of the Lord's work in their lives. Their new CD "What A Friend" has just been released.

Signs of Life

If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Your Move

Chess is an interesting game. I enjoy playing it with my daughter. Unfortunately, 3,000 miles and busy lives tend to interfere with frequent games. One day we hit upon a solution. By using a Microsoft Excel® spreadsheet, my daughter made a chess board and set it up using colored text for the pieces. She is blue and I am orange. A move is made by cutting/pasting. The Excel® document is then attached to an e-mail.

As an extra bonus, we have fun getting creative with the subject line of the e-mails. For example, when I took one of her pawns, I wrote in the subject line, “A-pawn departure”. When she took one of my knights, she wrote, “Do I hear the sound of a horse galloping away?” (I know, all you ‘chess purists’ out there shudder when the knight is referred to as a horse). Capturing a rook prompted, “I hope you don’t feel too ‘rooked’.” The taking of a rook with a knight (which moves in an ‘L’ shape) was announced by “A c-rook-ed move”. “The ‘check’ is in the e-mail”, accompanied a very bad move which cost me one of my rooks. One of my favorites was a warning that read, “If you take my queen, I’ll take yours.” I believed her.

Chess games, like wars are won by developing and following good strategy. When we move a chess piece, we need to be aware of the consequence of each move, including the effect that (we hope) it will have on our opponent. If we can somehow get them to respond in a particular way that fits in with our strategy, we will win the game.

Read More

Health events at Adventist Church

RED BLUFF - Seventh-day Adventist Church will hold a Heartbeat clinic at 720 So. Jackson St.
Heartbeat is a coronary risk factor evaluation clinic. The blood test includes a Lipid panel Triglycerides, Total Cholesterol with HDL and a comprehensive metabolic panel.

The blood test will be from 7 to 10 a.m. this Sunday. The fee for the fasting blood test is $45.

Participants return for results on at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 21.

Dr. Gordon Lui, M.D. will answer questions and explain what participants can do to correct or improve their health. Lui will present a lecture on how choices can minimize the risk for a heart attack or stroke. There is no charge for the lecture.

Registration and information is available at 527-5077.

----

There will be a blood drive from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan 20, in the church parking lot, 720 Jackson St.

Blood donations are used to treat burn victims, transplant and surgery patients, accident victims, patients with leukemia and more.

A donor must be in generally good health, free from cold
symptoms for at least 48 hours; be at least 17 and weigh at least 110 pounds. There is no upper age limit. Prospective donors must bring photo identification. All donors should eat and drink before donating.
Refreshments and a token of appreciation will be given to all participants.

----

Seventh-day Adventist Health and Lifestyle Center will hold a free class on reversing obesity from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 27, at 720 S. Jackson.

The speakers will be Clarence Ing M.D., and Mae Ing.

There will be a carotid artery check from 5:15 to 9 p.m. The fee is $20. Appointments are available at 527-5077 or 526-5077.

----

A carotid ultrasound examination will be at 5 p.m. on Jan. 27, at 720 S. Jackson.

The examination is designed to screen for cholesterol plaque in the carotid arteries. If cholesterol plaque is identified in the carotid artery during the examination, it means that there is the possibility of having cholesterol plaque in other arteries of the body, possibly the heart and or the brain.

The fee is $20. Appointments are available at 527-5077 or 526-5077.

Power Principle

By David-A Baker
"When you don't know what to do, the response of God's love is always correct."

Connect the Thots #14

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?

Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.our Father, our debts, our daily bread
2.James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Bartholomew
3.Saul on the road to Damascus, men of Sodom at Lot's house, Bartimaeus
4.Jesus' triumphal entry, Saul's mission from his dad, Balaam's interrupted journey
5. don't drink wine, don't cut your hair, don't touch the dead
6. Unleavened Bread, Weeks, Tabernacles
7. Nadab and Abihu, Uzzah, Ananias and Sapphira
8. Miriam, Ana, Huldah
9. the murdered Naboth, Jesus' parable of hired workers, Noah's drunkenness
10. Joseph from Cyprus, an argument with Paul, regarded as a god


Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. Judas Iscariot 2. Jacob 3. things in the book of Daniel 4. swine 5. men named Simeon 6. characters in the story of Ruth 7. widows 8. governors 9. the book of Ecclesiastes 10. things relating to fools

(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

A moment shared

Michelle Mitchell, 10, shares a moment with a child in Hong Kong, China during the Youth With a Mission Christmas Outreach. Michelle was the youngest person on the mission trip. She went will a group from North Valley Baptist Church of Red Bluff.
To read more about the trip, see earlier post:
Team back from mission trip to Hong Kong

Women In Focus

Message boards found outside Tehama County churches.


If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Signs of Life

Message boards found outside Tehama County churches.


If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Stop smoking clinic starts Saturday

The Seventh-day Adventist Health and Lifestyle Center will
hold a free introductory session for a stop smoking clinic at 7 p.m.
this Sunday at 720 S. Jackson St.
Dr. John Swanson, health education specialist, will conduct the seminar
which will continue nightly through Thursday, Jan. 11.
The program focus is on behavior modification technique, diet and
exercise, to achieve a permanent non-smoking lifestyle. Participants
will look at all dimensions of quitting, including: psychological,
physical, social and remaining smoke free. Concerns of weight gain and
managing stress will be addressed.
Registration and information is available from Loree Spugeon at
527-5077 or 526-5077.

Team back from mission trip to Hong Kong

A team of members from North Valley Baptist Church of Red Bluff participated in the Youth With a Mission/Far East Evangelism Team Christmas Outreach in Hong Kong, China. The team, which included pastor Dave Lamberson, Marvin Whiteman, Sue Mitchell, with daughters Nicole and Michelle Mitchell, left Dec. 10 and returned Dec. 28. YWAM and FEET combine yearly to present the Gospel in drama, song and dance in the country. The message of Christ’s birth is not taught in Hong Kong on a regular basis, and many have not heard the Bible stories or know the reason behind the Christmas holiday. The group was housed in an 600-year-old village. There were 94 people from 14 countries that participated. The housing is in three to four story buildings, with unheated rooms. Shared baths, one per dorm house, were several flights down from bedrooms and the showers do not have mixing faucets. The teams ate together in the center square during good weather.
Performances are given throughout Hong Kong at schools, malls and other venues. Each participant has a job to do in cooking, cleaning, carrying props or other needs for the troupe. NVBC’s team included the oldest participant in the event, Whiteman, 70, and the youngest, Michelle Mitchell, 10. Nicole Mitchell, 13, fractured her foot while doing cartwheels on stage but continued to perform.
According to Lamberson, the group was invited by a member of the church and a YWAM missionary. “Over 4500 heard the Gospel message and 209 prayed to believe,” the worker said in an email.
“It was the chance of a lifetime,” Whiteman said. “If there was a down side, it was not hearing Christmas music. I missed that very much. Being away from home on Christmas was difficult for all of us, but that is what we were called to do.” Whiteman also said he was impressed with the 35 to 40 floor apartment buildings everywhere in the city. NVBC is at 345 David Ave., Red Bluff. Information is available at 527-0543.
Pictured are pastor Dave Lamberson, Marvin Whiteman, Sue Mitchell, with
daughters Nicole and Michelle Mitchell.

Power Principle

God is not looking for resolutions, He's looking for repentance.

University concert band to perform

The California Baptist University Concert Band will perform in concert at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 5, at the Performing Arts Center, Red Bluff High School. Under the direction of Guy Holliday, they will be performing sacred as well as classical and traditional music. This will be their third year to perform in Red Bluff.
Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, the CBU
School of Music offers an education for those planning to pursue careers in performance, music ministry, music education or in aspects of the music industry. The school also gives students the benefits of studying at a Christian university.
Antelope Home Fellowship will be hosting this free evening of entertainment. The public is invited. Information is available at 529-0906.

VIGIL PLANNED AT ST. PETER'S EPISCOPAL

St. Peter's Episcopal Church will offer a vigil for prayers for peace and the safe return of those who are enlisted in the armed forces, on Monday, January 1st, 2007 from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at 510 Jefferson Street in Red Bluff.

The service will consist of prayers, readings, hymns and meditation. Prayers will be given for those named and unnamed, who are serving, or have been injured or the families of those who have died. Those who come may list the names of individuals or families to be prayed for. All those listed will be prayed for aloud.

The public is invited to drop in at any time to pray for peace and remember enlisted personnel and their families. Information in available at 527-5205.

Signs of Life

Message boards found outside Tehama County churches.


If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Signs of Life

Message boards found outside Tehama County churches.


If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Connect the Thots #13

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?

Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.Aceldama, a kiss, thirty pieces of silver
2.a wedding surprise, a stolen blessing, a ladder to heaven
3.a vision of a ram and a goat, handwriting on a wall, a fiery furnace
4.the prodigal son, Legion, casting pearls
5.a son of Jacob, a devout man who blessed the baby Jesus, a man also called “Niger”
6.Mahlon, Elimelech, Naomi
7.Anna at the temple, a small offering commended by Jesus, the parable of an unjust judge
8.Joseph in Egypt, Cyrenius in Syria, Pontius Pilate in Judea
9.bread upon waters, a time for everything, vanity of vanities
10. saying, “There is no God”, despising a father’s instruction, trusting in one’s self

Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. sisters 2. Caesars 3. tongues 4. Abel 5. Paul 6. stars 7. washing 8. giants 9. unclean animals 10. ears

(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

Christmas lights

I just love this time of the year, when all the Christmas lights are up on the trees lining Main Street and people decorate their houses with lights, especially the ‘icicle’ lights that hang down from the string.
I got to thinking about Christmas lights and how pretty they are and I began to see some parallels between Christmas lights and ‘Christ-lights’, (Christians).
Sometimes, it’s easier to understand the spiritual by the natural. So think about these as you read. You may be able to add a few of your own.

Christmas lights…
1)…enhance anything.
2)…have an external power source.
3)…can be used anytime-not just at Christmas.
4)…come in all colors.
5)…can be plugged in by any one, not just by expert electricians.
6)…shine no matter who’s around.
7)…have something wrong with them when they aren’t shinning.
8)…that are tiny/weak can still sparkle pretty in the dark.
9)…have to be wired in individually.
10)…shine for the benefit of those around them.
11)…are effective when displayed in new and creative ways.
12)…shine more intense as it gets darker.
13)…are unable to function when one is broken.
14)…are often unplugged and put away after Christmas.
15)…are useless when unplugged.

…prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as light in the world. Philippians 2:15

Senia Owensby

Christmas celebrations and services

Celebrations at St. Peter's Episcopal
Christmas celebrations at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 510 Jefferson St., will be as follows:
Sunday
Holy Eucharist will be at 8 and 10 a.m.and the Hanging of the Greens at 11:30 a.m.
The Christmas Eve Reception is at 7:30 p.m. and the Christmas Eve Holy Eucharist is at 8 p.m.
Monday
Christmas Day Holy Eucharist is at 10 a.m.
Monday, Jan. 1, 2007
The vigil for peace is from 1 to 3 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 6, 2007
The Epiphany Feast of Lights and pageants at 6 p.m.
All are Welcome. Information is available at 527-5205.

Services at Sacred Heart
Sacred Heart Parish will hold the following services at 515 Main St.
Christmas vigil mass in English will be at 5:30 p.m. and in Spanish at 8 p.m. with the adult choir concert preceding midnight mass at 11:25 p.m. on Sunday.
Christmas mass in English will be at 9:30 a.m. and in Spanish at noon on Monday.


Methodist Christmas Eve services
The United Methodist Churches Christmas Eve services are as follows:
Corning, at 9 a.m. the Sunday morning worship and 6 p.m. the candlelight service at 783 Solano St.
El Camino, at 9:30 a.m. for Sunday morning worship and 6 p.m. the candlelight service at 8345 Highway 99W.
Los Molinos, at 11 a.m. the Sunday morning worship and 7 p.m. the candlelight service at 25204 Josephine.

First Christian celebrates holidays
First Christian Church of Corning would like to invite everyone to come celebrate the holidays with them.
There will be a Carol-Sing and a celebration at 11 a.m. on Sunday with the church family at 1421 Marin St. There will not be Sunday School this Sunday.

Cone Community special services
Cone Community United Methodist Church hold regular worship at 9 a.m. and a Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m. on Sunday at 11220 Highway 99E.
The evening service will be a candlelight-communion service with chime music, guitar, liturgical dance and carols.

Choir performance at First Baptist
The First Baptist Church adult choir will present a program at 11 a.m. on Sunday entitled 'Together for Christmas,' at 585 Kimball Road.
Bible study is at 9:30 a.m. every Sunday. The public is invited.

First Baptist Church of Red Bluff will be lighting the 32-foot tall cross at the Tree of Life Center property at 13940 Baker Road; the first right past Plymire heading north.
The cross will be lit every evening through Monday, Jan. 1. The public is invited to get a closer look of the cross or spend time of reflection at the site. There will be parking at the second gate. Visitors are asked to stay on the graveled road, due to the wet ground. For peace of mind the Sheriff Department will occasionally drive thru.
There will be two services on Sunday, Dec. 24. The first will be at 10:15 a.m. featuring Diane O’Sullivan singing “Ave Maria” and Pastor Mike presenting an multi-media message titled “That’s My King!”
The second will be from 5 to 5:30 p.m. featuring Luanne Schnase and Dylan Manner singing “Christmas Shoes” and Nella Schnase singing “O Holy Night.” There will be a time of caroling and a short devotional titled, “From the Throne to the Trough.” The night will end with a candlelight finale.
Information is available at 527-4361.

Signs of Life

Message boards found outside Tehama County churches.

If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Advent celebration planned

Advent Season is a time of celebration at the Red Bluff Presbyterian Church. The annual Christmas dinner and pageant will begin at 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Everyone is encouraged to bring a potluck dish: salad, mashed potatoes or vegetable. Turkey and pies are provided by the church.
After dinner “The Archangel Gabriel’s Awesome Adventure,” a Christmas pageant will be put on by the children and youth of the church with Jessie Weigel as Archangel Gabriel. This is a musical fantasy by Beth Merrill and Allan Robert Petker.

Jesus’ birthday Celebration

Sunrise Bible Fellowship will hold an annual birthday party for Jesus at 10 a.m. this Sunday at the Red Bluff Veterans Hall, which will be decorated for a party!
The community is invited to bring their loved ones along to join with them as they celebrate Christmas with song and refreshments.
For those who wish, a birthday present may be brought for Jesus, wrapped or not. The toys and gifts will be donated to the Red Bluff Salvation Army to supplement the Angel Tree families, or to provide Christmas presents for those who did not apply on time.
The Christmas story will be read, with Christmas carols and hymns and special musical presentations. Birthday cake will be served and the children will help blow out the candles.
The fellowship meet regularly at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday at the corner of Jackson and Cedar Streets.
Information is available from pastor Pat Hurton at 527-6818 or
hurton@sbcglobal.net.

Band set to perform

The Fishermen worship band will lead the praise and worship at 11 a.m. on Sunday at the Salvation Army, 940 Walnut St.
The band plays contemporary praise music, blues and traditional hymns. They are from the San Joaquin County and play all over the Northern California area.

Rock’em choir to perform Sunday

The Rock’em children’s choir will present a Christmas program at 11 a.m. this Sunday at the First Baptist Church, 585 Kimball Road.
The adult choir will present a program at 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24, entitled “Together for Christmas.”

Christmas services at Sacred Heart

Sacred Hart Parish will hold the following services at 515 Main St.
Christmas vigil Mass in English will be at 5:30 a.m. and in Spanish at 8 p.m. with the adult choir concert preceding midnight mass at 11:25
p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 24. Christmas Mass in English will be at 9:30 a.m. and in Spanish at noon on Monday, Dec. 25.

Corning First Christian special events

First Christian Church of Corning would like to invite everyone to come celebrate the holidays with them.
This Sunday Rev. Vickie Firsch of Sacramento will be bringing the message and the Sunday School children will be presenting a time for children during the service.
Wednesday evening, Dec. 20, will be a candlelight communion service.
There will be holy communion, singing, music by organist Donald Lund and Monica Elliott on the flute.
Sunday, Dec. 24, will be a Carol-Sing and a celebration with the church family.
Sunday School is 10 a.m. for 3 years old and up and worship is at 11 a.m. at 1421 Marin St., Corning. There will not be Sunday School on Dec. 24.

Christmas musical

The Cottonwood First Baptist youth choir will present The First Leon will be at 5 p.m. today and at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday at 3320 Brush St.
This is a Christmas musical about a boy named Leon who discovers his name spelled backwards is Noel and his quest to get a part in the annual Christmas play. When he fails to land a part in the performance he must settle for a understudy part.
The musical is performed by 11 young people ages 4 to 20 from Cottonwood and Red Bluff. Admission is free.
The choir is directed by Paula Vigus and Laurie Williams. It is open to youth age 4 and up.
Practices are Sundays from noon to 1 p.m. at the church.
Information is available at 347-3691.

Power Principle

By David-A Baker
"What you're hungry for, is what you'll eventually become."

Connect the Thots #12

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?

Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.Abigail and Zeruiah, Mary and Martha, Rachel and Leah
2.Tiberius, Claudius, Augustus
3.fire at Pentecost, speech to be interpreted, something no man can tame
4.shepherd, younger brother, murder victim
5.Tarsus, Lydia, the road to Damascus
6.the wise men and Jesus, Wormwood, the fourth day of creation
7.Naaman at the Jordan River, Pontius Pilate’s hands, Jesus and the disciples’ feet
8.the sons of Anak, Ishbi-Benob, Goliath
9.camel, vulture, pig
10. a slave and an awl, false teachers and things that itch, Peter and Malchus


Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. “I am” statements of Jesus 2. the Ten Commandments 3. cities in the story of Jonah 4. men named Simon 5. nonhuman things that spoke 6. people on roofs 7. the casting of lots 8. honey 9. characters in the book of Job 10. whirlwinds

(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

Signs of Life

Message boards found outside Tehama County churches.
If you come across one that you would like to add to the list, please send me an e-mail at sheep.pen@gmail.com

Christmas concert set for Sunday

The Red Bluff Masterworks Chorale will sing a Christmas Celebration Concert at 7 p.m. Sunday at Sacred Heart Church.

With 60 singers in the choir this will be one of the strongest concerts in the 11-year history of the choir.

Under the direction of Mark Franklin, the Masterworks Chorale and Orchestra will present holiday favorites from the classical to the current.

The concert will feature "For Us A Child Is Born" by J.S. Bach. This cantata will feature local soloists Laurel Posey and Dallas Dubke, Jr.

Also on the program will be favorites like "Little Drummer Boy " by Harry Simeone, "Mary Did You Know?" by Bruce Greer and "Come and See What's Happenin' in the Barn" by Bill and Gloria Gaither.

The concert will conclude with an accapella rendition of "Silent Night, Holy Night."

The Red Bluff Masterworks Chorale offers its concert without a charge. Donations are received at the door following the concert.

Very recently, the chorale was granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. This allows the chorale to receive contributions as a charitable organization.

Singers in the Masterworks Chorale come from the Tehama and Shasta counties area. There are no auditions required to become a member of this choral ensemble.

Information about the concert is available from Franklin at 527-4203.

Candle lighting ceremony

The First Baptist Church of Red Bluff will hold its first annual candle lighting ceremony from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 501 Pine St., to honor and remember children who have died at any age from any cause.
All families who have experienced the death of a child, and their friends, are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Towns across the world are having similar events at the same time. Lighting candles at 7 p.m. will help to create a 24-hour wave of light that encircles the globe. As candles go out in one time zone, they are lit in the next time zone, to create a virtual 24-hour memorial. All participants will then be given a candle to glow for their child.

The candle lighting is a way of giving bereaved families around the world the chance to share their loss and remember their child...so that their light may always shine!

The public is invited to join in the candle lighting, music, balloon release, inspiration and fellowship. Participants are asked to bring a picture or small memento of their child to be placed on the memory table during the ceremony. Candles will be provided, and light refreshments and socializing are planned for after the ceremony.

Though children are encouraged to attend the service, there will be optional childcare for children up to 5 years of age. Information is available at 527-4361.

Salvation Army still looking for ringers

The Salvation Army is still looking for bell ringers. Volunteers are needed in increments of one-hour shifts to ring a bell, play an instrument, sing, juggle, etc.
Kettles are located throughout the Red Bluff area. Volunteer sign-ups are being accepted at 527-8530.
The community needs have risen and the funds raised will help meet these needs.

Boutique helped building fund

Members of North Valley Baptist Church of Red Bluff held a Christmas boutique which added over $500 to its building fund, according to David Lamberson, pastor.
"Many members of the community have asked about the progress of our new activity building," Lamberson said. "This building will be used for youth projects and for the benefit of the young people of the area."
The building is being built on a pay-as-you-go basis, and is now "dry and tight," according to the builder.
Members provided a chili and cornbread lunch, craft items, baked goods, candy and more for the event as well as a white elephant table and building fund special items table. Even the children helped with assisting buyers and offering samples of mulled cider.
"It was a pleasant gathering of church friends and the community," said Anne Whiteman, coordinator of the annual event.
The church will be sending a team to Hong Kong, China for a Christmas mission event to aid Far East Evangelism Team for two weeks before and during Christmas.
The church is located at 345 David Ave. Information is available at 527-0543.

Connect the Thots #11

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?

Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.the Bread of Life, the True Vine, Alpha and Omega
2.honor your father and mother, don’t murder, don’t covet
3.Tarshish, Joppa, Nineveh
4.a brother of Jesus, the Cyrenian who carried Jesus’ cross, a Canaanite disciple
5.the serpent in the garden, a burning bush, Balaam’s donkey
6.four men and a crippled friend, King David--lusting for Bathsheba, Peter and his vision of animals in a sheet
7.the election of Matthias as an apostle, soldiers competing for the crucified Jesus’ clothing, Jonah determined as the cause of a storm at sea
8.John the Baptist’s food, Samson’s riddle, the Promised Land
9.Eliphaz, Zophar, Elihu
10. Elijah’s final day, God’s answer to Job, sowing the wind

Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. Simon Peter 2. Joseph 3. sayings of Jesus on the cross 4. the prophet Elijah 5. fathers and sons 6. King Saul 7. beautiful women 8. people who were stoned 9. people who danced 10. children of prophets

(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

African Children’s Choir to perform Friday

The Red Bluff First Church of God will host the African Children’s Choir at 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 8, at the corner of Luther and S. Jackson St.
The African Children’s Choir is comprised of 26 children, ages six to ten. Many have lost one or both parents to AIDS or extreme poverty. Through their concerts they are raising support and awareness for themselves and the over 12 million orphans in Africa.
Since its inception 22 years ago the African Children’s Choir has established schools and provided educational scholarships in Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa. The African Children’s Choir is currently providing an education for over 6,700 children from primary school through University or Trade School.
Ray Barnett, founder of the African Children’s Choir says, “Our organization recognized early on that education was the key to long-term change and advancement in Africa and made it our primary focus. Twenty two years later, we are beginning to see the impact.
The children who participated in our first choirs and benefited from the
educational support we provided them have come full circle and are now, themselves, working to create a new Africa.”
These former choir members, many of them orphans who spent their early days scavenging for food and water, have become leaders in their communities. Some have become doctors, teachers, social workers and engineers. Several of them are now working with Music for Life, the choir’s parent organization. In addition to education efforts, the choir finances relief and development projects throughout Africa, with current emphasis on the AIDS-devastated Komazi region of South Africa and war-torn Sudan. The concert is free and open to all. The audience will see traditional African dances, spirituals, gospel and children’s songs. A free-will offering is taken at the performance to support African Children’s Choir education, care and relief and development programs.

Pictured: African Children’s Choir will perform at the Red Bluff First
Church of God on Friday.

Worship band to perform on Sunday

Nite Lite Contemporary Worship band will perform at 6 p.m. on Sunday at the First Baptist Church, 501 Pine St.

Children’s musical at North Valley

North Valley Baptist Church will have a children’s Christmas musical at 10:50 a.m. on Sunday at 345 David Ave.

Beach returns to Corning on Sunday

The First Christian Church of Corning welcomes back former interim pastor Rev. Richard Beach of Sacramento.
Following the service this Sunday, Dec. 3, will be the annual church family Christmas dinner, to which everyone is invited. The church will be furnishing the meat and the rest will be potluck. There will be asmall gift exchange for all who wish to participate and some Christmas caroling.
Wednesday, Dec. 20, will be a candlelight communion service. Sunday, Dec. 24, will be a Caroling Service.
The women’s fellowship meets every second Thursday of the month for fellowship, a short Bible study and refreshments. All the women of the community are invited.

Taize prayer to begin at Sacred Heart

On the first three Sundays of Advent, from 3 to 4 p.m., Dec. 3, 10 and 17, Taize prayer will be held at Sacred Heart Church.
Taize prayer involves the repetition of simple sung Christian chants, the reading of scripture, sharing of petitions, and silence. Everyone is invited to attend.
Taize is the name of the village in France where brothers of an ecumenical community reside and where young adults have been gathering for this type of prayer since the late 1950s. Many churches and retreat centers throughout the world regularly offer this type of meditative communal prayer.
Plans are in place to eventually have services at the Episcopal, Presbyterian and Catholic Churches in order to create an ecumenical community of Taize prayer in Red Bluff.

Christmas boutique & lunch fundraiser

North Valley Baptist Church of Red Bluff is holding an annual Christmas Boutique from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 345 David Ave. A portion of the proceeds will be for the church building fund.
A homemade chili and cornbread lunch is planned, according to Tony Dahl.
There will also be nachos offered.
Members of the church are providing the items for sale. Baked goods, crafts, Christmas decorations, art work, toys, white elephants, gifts, baby blankets, wrapping specialties, crochet, knitting, fudge and peanut brittle candy are among the items that will be offered.
There will also be children entertaining during the event. Information is available at 527-0543 or Anne Whiteman at 527-8586.

Power Principle

By David-A Baker
There's never a right way to do something wrong!

Connect the Thots #10

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?
Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.a nap at prayer time, a miraculous catch of fish, a cock’s crowing
2.a favored son, a dream of supremacy, a coat of many colors
3.“I thirst”, “Father forgive them”, “Why hast thou forsaken me?”
4.a widow at Zarephath ravens that carry food, 450 prophets of Baal
5.Zebedee and James, David and Adonijah, Abram and Ishmael
6.lost donkeys, a tall man, anointing oil
7.Vashti, Esther, Rachel
8.Paul, Achan, Stephen
9.David, Miriam and the women of Israel, Herodias’s daughter
10. Lo-Ruhamah, Lo-Ammi, Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz

Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. Psalm 23 2. John he Baptist 3. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount 4. murderers 5. salt 6. family line of David 7. kinds of hearts 8. Samaritans 9. people with fevers 10. second sons

(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

Concert of prayer to be held Sunday

The First Southern Baptist Church is inviting the community to come to a concert of prayer at 6 p.m. on Sunday at 585 Kimball Road.
The evening will focus on prayer for the community, nation and world. A time of worship and praise through song will highlight the program.
Information is available from pastor Robert Wheatley at 527-5083.

After school activies offered

An after school program called the Good News Club is being held from 3 to 4:15 p.m. on Wednesdays at Jackson Heights Elementary School. Twenty-four children are enrolled and attendance is approximately 16 each week, according to Jeannie Fletcher, the leader who chairs the program.

The project is sponsored by the North Valley Baptist Church, a Family Life Fellowship at 345 David Ave., Red Bluff.

The national program is created by the Child Evangelism Fellowship and constitutionally approved. Volunteers attend training sessions once a month, must be certified and have a child protective services clearance.

Volunteers include Fletcher, Sharon Briltz, Stan Ross, Pat Trotter, Sandy Wanker, high-schooler Brendon Pyke and musician Jason Ogelsby, who leads the music portion of the program.

Principal Dottie Renstrom provided a classroom for the after-school meetings. Members of the church have donated funds to purchase Bibles for the children.

Currently a study on Joshua is being led by Trotter. A six week study of the attributes of God, led by Fletcher, has been completed by the students.

The group has planned to have a Nativity float in the Red Bluff Christmas Parade with the youngsters performing the roles.

Information
For schools interested in the program is available at CEF, 973 East Ave St. N, Chico, 95921; or at 892-02890, or at North Valley Baptist Church at 527-0543.

Pictured: Leaders Brendon Pyle and Stan Ross sit with children during activities.

Methodist bake sale set for Tuesday

The Los Molinos Methodist Church 15th annual pre-thanksgiving bake sale will begin at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at the Mill Creek Shopping Center on Highway 99E, Los Molinos.
Funds raised will benefit the church.

Get Real!

“I want to be real!” Lamented a friend of mine as we were visiting one evening. “I want to have a purpose.”
I nodded in agreement. That statement echoed my own heart’s cry. To have a purpose. To know with certainty at the end of a day that I had not expended all of my energy reinforcing my wooden house with hay and stubble. To fall asleep knowing time had been spent on eternal things.
What is real?
But what does it mean to be ‘Be real’? And, how do we find our purpose? Real is risky. When the Velveteen Rabbit asked the Skin Horse what real was in the book, The Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams, his reply was very insightful:
(Read more)

North Valley Baptist to begin study on heaven

Heaven is the topic of a current study at North Valley Baptist Church, 345 David Ave.
The subject is being presented jointly as an adult Sunday school series by Scott Camp and as a sermon series by pastor David Lamberson. Although the presentations are based on the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn, close attention is paid to what the Bible says on this subject.

According to Camp, more attention is given by preachers and teachers to “staying out of hell” and how to get to heaven, than enjoying the delights of heaven. The view of heaven held by most Christians has been influenced more by the secular culture and less by what the Bible teaches. It is important, he stated, to take what the Bible teaches on this subject literally, that our physical resurrection will be to a physical “place” and that God has told us a great deal about the future of our life in heaven.

Questions to be discussed include: will we have physical bodies in heaven, will we know one another and what happens immediately after we die? Biblical answers to those and other questions are objects of the study. Both adult Sunday school and the sermons for Nov. 19 and 26 will be delivered by Camp, who will be filling the pulpit during the absence of Lamberson.

Camp, an ordained minister, has been a member of the church since 2001. He and his wife Sharon came to Red Bluff five years ago and built a home here. He was the pastor at Faith Fellowship in Orange for five years.
He earned his masters in theology at California Graduate School of Theology in Glendale. When asked how he chose to move to Red Bluff, Camp said, “We drew a three hour driving circle around our grandchildren in Danville and began our search. It took six months to locate our property.”

Sunday School begins at 9:30 a.m. and church services begin at 10:50 a.m.
Information is available at 527-0543. The public are invited.
Scott Camp is pictured

Grant to speak at Abundant Life

Abundant Life Fellowship will host Ed Grant and his family, at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Sunday at 21080 Luther Road.
Grant has been a missionary to Bolivia since 1991 with World Indigenous Missions. Since that time they have established five churches: two in Sucre, two in Monteagudo and one in Cochabamba. The new church in Sucre, which was started earlier this year, now has over 120 children and teens attending.
Grant attended school locally and graduated from Chico University. After training he traveled to Mexico and spent two years working as a missionary before going to Bolivia.
Pictured are Shery and Ed Grant with children Sara, Laura, Grace.

Adventist to hold blood drive Saturday

The Red Bluff Seventh Day Adventist Church will host a blood drive from 1 to 2 p.m. today in the church parking lot, 720 Jackson.
Blood donations are used to treat burn victims, transplant and surgery patients, accident victims, patients with leukemia and more. A donor must be in generally good health, free from cold symptoms for at least 48 hours; be at least 17 and weigh at least 110 pounds. There is no upper age limit. Prospective donors must bring a photo identification. All donors should eat and drink before donating. Refreshments and a token of appreciation will be given to all participants.
Information is available at 527-5077.

Free Thanksgiving Dinner Offered at Presbyterian Church

13th Annual dinner


The Red Bluff Presbyterian Church, located at 838 Jefferson Street, will be serving their 13th Annual Thanksgiving Dinner at no charge. This special holiday dinner is for all those in the community who are alone or may not have anywhere else to go. A complete turkey dinner with all the trimmings, including pumpkin pie and good fellowship, will be served between 12 noon and 1 p.m. by church members and community volunteers. The dinner is sponsored by the Stewardship and Mission committee with a large portion of the food donated by the congregation. A crowd of about 150 is expected this year and anyone wishing to help serve, contribute food items, or help clean up is asked to call the church office at 527-0372.
Pictured are Pastor Jack Eisel, Ev McDonough, Bettie Jacobs

Connect the Thots #9

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?

Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.shepherd, green pastures, a table “in the presence of mine enemies”
2.locusts, camel’s hair, wild honey
3.the meek, the merciful, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
4.Cain, Barabbas, the devil
5.a sea, seasoning for speech, Lot’s wife
6.Boaz, Obed, Jesse
7.merry, deceitful, hardened
8.a woman at a well, one thankful leper of ten cleansed, the hero of a neighborly parable
9.Job, Publius’s father, Peter’s mother-in-law
10. Abinadab, Abel, Jacob


Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. gifts for baby Jesus 2. the story of Jonah 3. publicans or tax collectors 4. Bathsheba 5. martyrs 6. elements of dreams interpreted by Joseph 7. witchcraft, or sorcery 8. pearls 9. Things that fell 10. people accused of drunkenness


(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

Shoe box gift collection to begin Monday

Pictured from left are: Jay Nelson of Red Bluff with Franklin Graham, Samaritan’s Purse president and CEO, in 2005 at the OCC West Coast processing center in Santa Ana.

Community Baptist Church of Red Bluff will serve as a drop-off location for shoe box gifts in Operation Christmas Child project of Samaritan’s Purse from Nov. 13 to 20.

Since 2000, Red Bluff has been the site of an official collection center serving as a hub center for collection efforts in the 11 northern-most counties of California.
This year, two hub collection centers have been established for Redding and Chico to serve the northern counties. Community Baptist Church in Red Bluff will be a relay collection site for delivery to Redding.

The Red Bluff site has served an area of more square miles than anyother OCC collection center in the state, collecting over 45 thousand shoe box gifts from the region. With the development of two hub centers, the project has increased potential for growth and coordination.
Seven years ago, north state churches and individuals had two options, a trip to Auburn or Roseburg, Ore., to donate shoe boxes.

There are now over 12 relay centers in communities between Yreka and Colusa. The Red Bluff Foursquare Gospel Church, Bethel Assembly of God, and Community Baptist Church have made a local collection center possible.

Collection hours will be from 2 to 7 p.m. daily on Nov. 13 to 19 and from 2 to 5 p.m. on Nov. 20, at Community Baptist Church, 598 Round-Up Ave.
Regional information is available at 1-800-798-0367 or at
www.samaritanspurse.org

Many attended Harvest Festival

Harvest Christian Center hosted the 12th annual Harvest Festival, a Christ-centered Halloween alternative, which was the biggest celebration to date.

With an estimated 1,700 children and adults attending throughout the evening and over 700 pounds of candy passed out, the festival lasted from 5 to 9 p.m. It had everything from bowling tournaments and pony rides, to puppet shows and coffee, hot chocolate, and chill giveaway.

Games for the kids were everywhere and a drawing for the adults, with prizes ranging from gift certificates and a barbecue to a flat screen TV and a pool, made the evening a family event.

Preparation for the Harvest Festival began three months before Oct. 31 with requests for candy and raffle prizes. Donations from families and local businesses came in. Then, the morning of the 31st a team met at Harvest Christian Center to begin set up. By 4:30 p.m., the stage was set for the event.

Plans are now under way for next years event.

Heartsong to perform

Heartsong, a local musical group, will present a sacred music concert at the Red Bluff First Church of God at 10:15 a.m. this Sunday at the corner of Luther and Jackson Street. The group includes Dave Walker, Kathy Tiss, Cindy Thompson, Dede Gunsauls, Roberta Finchum, and Carla Fultz. The public is invited to attend.

Esau to speak Sunday in Corning

This week, First Christian Church of Corning welcomes Lee Esau of the Paradise Christian Church as the guest speaker at 11 a.m. on Sunday at 1421 Marin St. Her message “Why Give Thanks?” is based on Psalm 100.
The monthly fellowship potluck dinner will follow the service. Sunday School is at 10 a.m.
Wednesday evenings is praise and prayer at 6:30 p.m. The service begins
with a hymn sing session and prayer follows.
The women have two mission projects they are working on. They invite the community to take part.
Information is available at 824-6417.

New America Singers concert

The First Southern Baptist Church will host the New America Singers, the California All State Youth Choir, at 7 p.m. on Saturday and at 11 a.m. on Sunday at 585 Kimball Road.

Salvation Army looking for ringers

The Salvation Army hopes to start kettle operations on Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving. Kettles will be located throughout the Red Bluff area.
Volunteers are needed in increments of one-hour shifts to ring a bell, play an instrument, sing, juggle, etc.
Volunteer sign-ups are being accepted at 527-8530.
The community needs have risen and the funds raised will help meet these needs.

Connect the Thots #8

Connect the Thots is all about determining the common thread that binds three seemingly unrelated clues. For example, what one idea ties together:
Baby in a manger, Death on a cross, & King of Kings
Thot =Jesus.
Easy enough?

Give this weeks’ quiz a try. We will post the answers next week along with a new quiz.

1.myrrh, frankincense, gold
2.a worm-eaten plant, an unusual fish, a sinful city of 120,000
3.Matthew, Zacchaeus, the man who said, “God be merciful to me a sinner.”
4.a bath, Solomon, Uriah the Hittite
5.John the Baptist,James, brother of the apostle John, Stephen
6.Pharaoh’s cup, birds, baskets of bread
7.Jezebel, Elymas, a woman of Endor
8.gates of the holy city, parable of a merchant, swine
9.the false god Dagon, Satan, Jericho’s walls
10. Jesus, Hannah, the disciples at Pentecost


Answers to last week’s quiz:
1. the story of Noah and the ark 2. Luke 3. weddings 4. camels 5. brothers 6. Lydia 7. people healed by Jesus 8. people who rode donkeys 9. authors of Psalms 10. censuses

(From Bible Trivia Challenge: Connect the Thots, published by Barbour Publishing, inc. Used by permission.)

Adventist set to hold a blood drive

The Red Bluff Seventh Day Adventist Church will host a
blood drive from 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18, in the church
parking lot, 720 Jackson.
Information is available at 527-5077.

Boutiques to be held this weekend

•The Tehama Assembly of God Church women will hold a Christmas boutique from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday in the church annex.
There will be handmade items and homemade baked goods. Lunch will be available.

•Vineyard Women's Ministry is having an arts, crafts and baked goods boutique from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday in the Vineyard Cafe, 738 Walnut St.

Bell ringers sign-ups have begun

Since the 1800s, The Salvation Army has rang bells at Red Kettles to raise money, which is used to provide food, clothing, and other emergency items to those in need. Once again it is time to volunteer to help The Salvation Army to help others.

This year, The Salvation Army hopes to start kettle operations on Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving.

Kettles will be located throughout the Red Bluff area.

Volunteers are needed in increments of one-hour shifts to ring a bell, play an instrument, sing, juggle, etc.

Volunteer sign-ups are being accepted at 527-8530. The community needs have risen and the funds raised will help meet these needs.

Drive by blessing

While on an errand recently, my path took me past three churches. While driving past the third one, it occurred to me to pray that God would bless them, and that they would thrive and be a successful part of the Body of Christ.
I know that there are many who do this on a regular basis, but I wonder what would happen if everyone did. Would there be a perceptible change in the Church in Tehama County?
We could allow churches to become ‘prayer reminders’. Every time you drive, (or walk) past a church, please take a moment to pause and pray.
Become a ‘drive-by blesser’

Friends in Faith to perform concert

The Friends in Faith of the First Southern Baptist Church in Red Bluff will be performing a concert at 6 p.m. on Sunday at Happy Valley Baptist Church on Happy Valley Road.
The public is invited to come out to a evening of gospel music.

Pragasam to speak at First Southern

The First Southern Baptist Church will host speaker Rev. D. Gnana Pragasam at 11 a.m. on Sunday at 585 Kimball Road.
Pragasam is the CEO/president of the GoodNews Outreach Mission and Christian Training Center in Bangalore India. The mission has an orphanage of 90 plus children. The training center is training new pastors and evangelists.
Information is available from Robert Wheatley at 527-5083.

Sounds of Shasta at Sunrise Church

The Sounds of Shasta, a 17 member traveling musical team from Shasta Bible College and Graduate School in Redding, will present a program in music and word at 10:50 a.m. on Sunday at Sunrise Bible Fellowship, at the corner of Jackson and Cedar.

The group is under the direction of professor Mark Franklin, director of the music department at Shasta Bible College. Professor George Gunn, chair of the department of Bible and theology and dean of admissions and records, will share the ministry of Shasta Bible College along with a brief challenge from God’s Word.

The school offers accredited bachelors and masters degrees. The four-year undergraduate program includes the bachelor of art in Bible and theology with emphases in Biblical studies, Biblical languages, theological studies, youth ministry, Biblical counseling, church music and worship, early childhood education, Christian teacher education and missions.

At the graduate level masters degrees are offered in church/school administration, Biblical counseling and Christian family life ministry.

Information is available at www.shasta.edu or at 1-800-800-4-SBC.

Information about Sunrise Bible Fellowship is available at 527-6818 or 527-5313.

Signs of Life

E-mail sheep.pen@gmail.com for more information.