First Christian Church of Melbourne

Disciples of Christ

Youth Choir visits FCCM!
Mark your calendars! You are in for an "inspirational treat!" A Youth Choir from Westchester, Pennsylvania, will be sharing a musical program with us on June 25. This group tours the country every summer, exciting audiences as they lift their voices to the Lord.
One of the members of the choir is our music director's cousin. John Hays and the FCCM music department are enthusiastically awaiting the opportunity to meet these young people, share time with them, and be spiritually warmed by their talents. We know that you will enjoy meeting them as well!

Please plan on attending this concert. It is free to the public.
(Stay tuned for further information, i.e. precise time of the concert.)

Angel Meals Ministry

The new Angel Meals Ministry, under the leadership of Patti Kaylor, held a "kick off brunch" on Sunday, April 26. It was held to show the congregation what this ministry is all about.
Galatians 6:10 phrases their mission statement quite succinctly:

"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers."
This dedicated and committed group of Christians have three goals:

1. Meet the needs of members by providing home cooked FROZEN meals for those in need.

2. Provide FRESH meals for families who come home from the hospital and need help for three or more days.

3. Provide meals for the family if there has been a death in the family.

If you are interested in becoming an active member of this new ministry or want to help financially support their endeavors, please contact the church office at 723-6831 and leave a message for Patti, or email this information to office@fccmelbourne.org. If you need this ministry's assistance, contact the church office at these numbers as well. This important ministry will help comfort and meet the needs of  members who are suffering or have experienced a death in the family.

Computer Class!

by Brenda Reynolds, Basic Computer Skills Instructor

Students of all ages and expertise come to the Disciples' classroom to learn how to click the mouse, click and drag, copy and paste, surf the net, and create formulas for a spreadsheet! But... it's not all just learning how to use the computer, Internet, and email. We also have a lot of fun.

During one of my classes, I learned from one couple that the reason they come to FCCM is because it is the friendliest church they have ever attended. They said that everyone was so eager to meet them and to make them feel comfortable. I told them that that is one thing we as a community have tried very hard to do. Every time we see new faces come through the door, we seek to get to know them by introducing ourselves and inviting them to participate in the life of the church (usually by inviting them to coffee hour first! There's nothing like a steaming cup of delicious coffee and a delectable brownie!_

If you would like to attend one of the computer classes, just give me a call at the church office, or catch me after the worship service. We stopped having classes during the summer and have not yet restarted the classes because the classroom is being renovated. However, classes will resume soon.

All computer students not only have the benefit of the classes, but they also get their own email address. We are doing this so that they can use their email right here in class, thus being able to practice and then take their new-found skills home to use on their home email.

Any individuals who do not have computers at home can come to church to use these computers for email, letter writing, research, and Internet access.

These classes are free to all our friends at church and in our neighborhood. If you or someone you know would like to hone their computer skills, please talk to them about our program and let me know.

Because of the generosity of Harris Corporation, we have eleven computers "new" to us! Classes will resume after the first of the year.

When the classes resume, we will be project oriented. Some will be working on creating calendars, some will create a cookbook, and others will work on our pictorial directory. Whatever we do, we have a lot of fun! Come and join us!

Family Promise and the Interfaith Hospitality Networks

Family Promise and the Interfaith Hospitality Networks in communities nationwide are addressing the realities of family homelessness. The majority of families become homeless because of eviction of family disruptions such as divorce, abandonment, or violence. Given the choice of buying food or paying housing costs, most families choose food, leading to eviction or foreclosure. Unemployment ranks as the lowest factor contributing to homelessness among families. Low-wage jobs without benefits and the instability of seasonal work are greater factors. (source: Disciples World, July/August 2007.) These families need a safe place to live and sleep in order to get their lives back on track. The program will only work if communities of faith join together to provide housing for these participants.

If you would like more information about how the network operates, contact either Mary Gulledge or Anne Kendall through the church office, 723-6831. They are representing FCCM at meetings with other Melbourne and Palm Bay churches, exploring formation of a Family Promise network. There was an earlier attempt to form an IHN in which FCCM was an active participant. As this network forms, Anne and Mary pray the congregation will again join in support of this much needed affirmation of families.

We observe communion, the Lord's Supper, every Sunday and welcome you to dine with us at the open table. For those interested in joining our church, we receive new members every Sunday following the sermon. Do you have a prayer concern? You may share it with us in many ways. We share joys and concerns during worship before our morning prayer. We have a prayer list which you may add to by using the prayer request cards found in your pew. Your prayers are important to us. You're invited to participate with us. Please share.

Women’s Bible Study

The ladies meet on Thursdays  from 10:00 am until around noon in the conference room at church.  All ladies are invited to join the group at any time. If you want more information concerning this group study, please contact Mary Gulledge, Visitation Minister and leader of this group, at the church: 723-6831.

The Sanctuary is so very beautiful.
If you are looking for a location for your wedding, contact the office at 723-6831 and ask for Anne Kendall.

We will be happy to discuss dates, times, rental fees, etc. We have a wedding liaison who will work with you to insure a wonderful ceremony. We also have musicians available to enhance your wedding ceremony. We also offer video montage to be displayed on the screens before the ceremony begins. Many couples have used this service. It offers the wedding guests the experience of sharing special "Kodak" moments in the lives of the bridal party. Information regarding this is also available through the office. You do not need to be a member of this congregation to use the facility.
We also have a newly renovated Fellowship Hall that is available for rental for receptions.