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Submitted October 4th, 2023
Rev. Zoe Renfro To Leave FCC As Interim Minister
The members of First Christian Church are saying a fond farewell to Rev. Zoe Renfro. Rev. Renfro informed FCC leaders of her intent to resign as Interim Minister effective October 1st. The Official Board reluctantly accepted her written resignation on September 3rd. Her last Sunday will be September 24th. She and Dave plan to remain as FCC members. FCC owes a debt of gratitude to Rev. Renfro. During the past
FCC BELL TOWER REFURBISHED
FCC BELL TOWER REFURBISHED A beautiful event occurred on May 24, 2023 at our church. After many years of assessing and planning improvements to the Bell Tower at FCC we were truly blessed to finally accomplish our goals. Coppersmith Andrew Frazier was hired to fashion caps for the Bell Tower. The caps were custom-made by hand and fitted specifically for our Bell Tower. A local sign company was contracted to
FCC Scholarship Program
It may be a surprise to some that First Christian Church has an established scholarship fund to help FCC members and their immediate familys cover the costs associated with undergraduate and graduate studies. We have not promoted this program recently but it is indeed still active. If you would like to know more about this program, please speak with one of our Elders at FCC.
FCC Hosts Community Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser
Saturday, March 25th was a day of service for many FCC members as we sponsored a community pancake breakfast in our Fellowship Hall. We served our community – we served The Caring Place – and we served God by helping others. And did someone say “pancakes?” They were delicious, served hot off the grill with melting butter and golden syrup to sweeten things all ‘round. And bacon! Hot coffee, orange
FCC Supports Cleveland Relay For Life Event
Cancer was in the cross-hairs of thousands of local citizens on Saturday, April 29TH in downtown Cleveland. Members of the FCC DOC Team were there as well to support the Relay For Life event by passing out flower seeds, offering free candy, and creating a prayer list for cancer victims and survivors. We had a nice tent and table set up with our sign to let the public know who
Sermon for April 23rd, 2023 – No video
Sermon for April 23rd, 2023 – No video.
EASTER Services at First Christian Church
EASTER Services at First Christian Church.
Newsletter – March 2023
Newsletter – March 2023
SOUPER BOWL OF CARING AT FCC
Hey football fans! Sunday, February 12 was a great day at FCC!! As our tradition on Super Bowl Sunday we host our own version – the SOUPER BOWL OF CARING. For almost 30 years we have held this special event following worship to raise funds for our own Meals-For-Kids program. Always a fun time, this year was another great event and very successful in our efforts to fund the MFK
ADVENT AT FCC
The 2022 Advent season was another beautiful celebration of our Lord’s birth. The four Sundays before Christmas we focused on blessings of Advent: HOPE, PEACE, JOY, and LOVE. We reached out to our community with a gift of our Cocoa & Carols drive- thru service just before Christmas. The gift featured our commemorative 125th anniversary mug with cocoa mix, mini-marshmallows, and peppermint candy canes, along with a flyer
Ash Wednesday Drive Through Coming Up!
February 22nd is Ash Wednesday. Drive through our circle drive way to receive ashes and a prayer from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. First Christian Church, 3925 N. Ocoee St., Cleveland, TN.
Sermon for January 22nd, 2023 – No Video
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 “Protect Me” There is no video for this day due to a technical glitch. Sermon for January 22nd, 2023.
Christmas Eve Service 2022
Luke 2:1-20 “What if it were today?” Christmas Eve Service 2022.
FCC Hosts First Annual Trunk or Treat Event
Halloween is such a fun time for children and adults alike. Everyone enjoys dressing in costumes from contemporary fantasy characters to the more traditional, and more frightening, ‘ghostly’ ones. FCC joined in the celebration this year as we hosted our first ever Trunk or Treat event. Everyone involved said it was a big success, therefore, we plan to continue doing the event in the future. A big thanks to those
FCC Welcomes FALL with Outdoor Worship and Picnic (…..Sorta!!)
September 25th was a highly-anticipated Sunday at First Christian Church as we all gathered for a special Hymn-Sing and Worship service outside under cloudy skies. The weather would NOT dampen our spirits as we were in God’s beautiful creation out in front of our Sanctuary. With a picnic lunch planned afterwards, we were looking forward to a good time for all! The worship program included many “good-ole” hymns, led by
Sermon for September 25th, 2022 – No Video
There is no video for today, September 25th, 2022. The service was held outside. Read all about it here!
Sermon for August 21st, 2022 – No Video
Luke 6:37-42; Matthew 7:1-5; Romans 2:1 “Here Comes the Judge” Due to technical difficulties, there is no sermon video for this week. Sermon for August 21st, 2022.
Sermon for July 24th, 2021 – No Video
Colossians 3:12-15; Matthew 18:21-22; Matthew 5:38-47 “Dirty Clothes” There is no recording this week because the air conditioner in the sanctuary was not working properly, so we had service in the basement.
FCC CELEBRATES 125 YEARS!
Sunday, May 22, was a beautiful day to gather for worship at FCC, but was made even more special as we celebrated our 125th year in Cleveland. We were blessed to have around 60 in attendance with some special guests included. Some old friends returned for the occasion. We recognized three longterm members and had a wonderful hymn by our FCC choir. Dr. Rev. Christal Williams, Regional Minister, delivered a
Fellowship Is Back at FCC
We are blessed to be able to return to our tradition of loving one another through Fellowship. Our choir gathered together on April 10 for a special luncheon after worship. Looking at the photos one can see that they had a fun time with some delicious dishes. Then the women of FCC got together to hold a CFW (Disciples Women) restart after covid. The photos tell the story so please take
10 Things I Love About FCC
In May FCC will celebrate 125 yrs. in Cleveland. We are so blessed! As we look forward to what God has for us, here are some things I’m thankful about at FCC. Nick Grisham – Elder Our beautiful church family. The bell tower – we ring the bell every Sunday. Our renovated sanctuary-still looks and feels brand new. Fellowship breakfasts, fellowship lunches, fellowship dinners. Our music – Melody leading choir, Amy
Annual Souper Bowl of Caring at FCC – Feb. 13
Yes, the Souper Bowl, not the Super Bowl. The big winner was the children of Cleveland as $350 was raised at this year’s event to support our Meals For Kids program at Mayfield Elementary. The traditional Potato Bar fare was delicious as always. We had sweet potatoes this year along with regular baked potatoes, two types of chili, cornbread and a large Tuscan salad. Sweets included pineapple upside down
ADVENT AT FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Advent came earlier than usual this year and the members of FCC readily anticipated this joyous season. Many of our members participated in the preparation for our annual Hanging of the Greens service and our sanctuary came alive with the sights of Christmas cheer. We lit the Hope candle on Nov. 28 followed by Peace, Love, and Joy. We also celebrated the season with a fellowship event that featured some
Donated Chairs From FCC Become Works of Art For Charity
Last year First Christian Church donated 8-10 Sunday School chairs to our local Arts & Education organization to be used in the recent Chair-ries Jubilee event. This annual fundraiser benefits Arts education in Cleveland/Bradley schools. The process of converting a plain very used chair into an inspiring work of art is under taken by a host of talented local artists. These items are then sold at the event. Please see
Sunday School to begin August 1st.
Sunday School will begin on August 1st, 2021, at 9:30 am. Class will meet in the education wing, in the last room on the right. The study is called “Imagine God’s Limitless Love” and will be led by Rev. Zoe Renfro. See you there!
FCC Welcomes The Collectives Church
Starting July 1 our church will be host to a new start-up church, The Collectives Church. We have contracted with the new group for an initial 6 month period with possibilities for future extensions. The church is led by Jeff and Rachel Pitts and will focus on leading Cleveland area’s young adults to Christ and developing them in becoming faithful Disciples. The Collectives Church will meet on Sunday evenings for
Fellowship Hall Parking Refurbished
As summer begins we are continuing to look for ways to upgrade or renovate the facilities at FCC. Recently we repaired and refurbished the Fellowship Hall parking area. Severely damaged areas and cracks were repaired, the area was cleaned and weeded, sealed and topcoated by a professional company. Also, for the first time, lines for parking have been added! We now have 12 parking spaces and 2 clearly marked handicap
Church Sign Repaired
Our church sign has new life! It has been in darkness (unlit) for a long while but was recently repaired. Now all commuters on N. Ocoee will be able to see who we are and enjoy the inspirational messages posted on our sign.
God’s Beautiful Gardens
Spring has sprung and summer’s not far away. It takes just a moment to pause from the frantic ways of our lives and take in the natural beauty God graciously offers to all. We invite the members and friends of First Christian Church – Cleveland to submit photos of their flowers, landscaping, and vegetable gardens to the website to share with one another. Simply provide your name and SHORT description
SPRINGTIME AT FCC
Spring has made a grand start at First Christian Church! The beautiful beds of Buttercups around the original Church sign are making a spectacular display this year. A tradition at FCC, the lovely yellow blooms are a sure sign that Spring is coming! This sign, a gift from Dr. And Mrs. Stanley Pettit, was recently renovated to restore it to its original design as part of FCC dating back to
WORSHIP SERVICES RESUME AT FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH
It was a blessed day on February 7th when FCC resumed our Sunday morning services. After many weeks away it was good to be back together in this place of worship. Praise be to God!
Lessons and Carols: Sunday, December 20, 2020
Lessons and Carols Sunday, December 20, 20206:00 p.m. First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)3925 N. Ocoee StreetCleveland, Tennessee Please wear a mask.
Rev. Zoe Retained as Interim Minister
Rev. Zoe Retained as Interim Minister It is exciting to announce that Rev. Zoe Renfro has agreed to extend her contract as Interim Minister at FCC. Rev. Zoe has done great work for our congregation during her past year with us. At the Official Board meeting on Nov. 17 the proposal to retain Rev. Zoe was unanimously approved beginning Jan. 1, 2021 for one year. Rev. Zoe has graciously accepted
REMEMBERING R.J. MITCHELL
REMEMBERING R.J. MITCHELL1926-2020 As a special part of worship on Sunday, September 27, First Christian Church honored long term Elder, leader and friend, R.J. Mitchell. R.J. died on August 23 at the age of 94. Rev. Zoe Renfro introduced the remembrance followed by a reading on love from 1 Corinthians by Wil Brannen. Gil Furr provided some close personal memories of R.J. and then Bridgett Blankenship presented a plaque to
REGIONAL ASSEMBLY
The REGIONAL ASSEMBLY is scheduled for October 8 & 9. However, it will be virtual, so the Region’s Planning Committee has decided to offer the workshops online, two a month, beginning in July or August. These are always informational and inspirational. For more information, contact Mara Grisham.
UPPER ROOM
As you know, we purchase several copies of The Upper Room daily devotion booklet and have them on the table at the back for you to take home and use. Since so many folks have not returned to worship services across the nation, The Upper Room is offering the booklet free to churches through a download which can then be emailed to members of the congregation. If you would like
FCC CARES!
One of our ministries at First Christian Church involves supporting The Caring Place to help less fortunate families in the Cleveland/Bradley area. We created the “Manna Wagon” as a reminder for members to donate food and clothing items. The Manna Wagon is located in our sanctuary and visible every Sunday morning at worship. Today a donation was made on behalf of FCC members and it was gratefully accepted. Thanks to all