Meet the Millers. They kind of like their budget.
The stress of holiday spending, saving for college and retirement, and staying within your budget can be magnified this time of year. Financial Peace University changed how Troy & Meleah Miller frame their budget conversations. In Troy's words,
"For the first decade or so of our marriage, my wife hated budgeting. Or anything to do with finances, really. No problem, I thought, I like numbers and have a business minor. I got this. However, this still required us to have regular 'conversations' about money, and I eventually understood why she didn't like budgeting - because budgeting was all about being told 'no.' And the way we were set up, it was me who was telling her 'no!' So for her, it didn't matter if we had the money or not, the discussion was always uncomfortable and emotional.
Financial Peace University helps change budgeting from being about 'no' to being about 'yes.' For example, a month into FPU, we had enough leftover after buying groceries to say 'yes' to gourmet ice cream as an indulgent treat. That was some of the best-tasting ice cream ever! FPU helped Meleah and me be partners in finance, getting out of debt, putting food on the table, and being able to treat ourselves. Even more, it enabled us to use our blessings to be a blessing for the Kingdom of God, and that has been the most exciting reward of all!"
FPU runs January 14 through March at 9 am in room 101. Cost: $93 for new families; free for returning families. Click here for more info and to register.
Final Prepare-Advent service this Sunday — bring your neighbors and your gently used shoes!
Our Prepare-Advent services offer a meaningful, interactive, visitor- and family-friendly way for each of us to ready our hearts for the birth of our Savior. Join us for our final Prepare-Advent service this Sunday, December 17, at 4:30 pm for worship, followed by Advent traditions and activities, fellowship and some great takeaways -- including free cider and a hot cocoa bar! This is an easy ask for inviting neighbors and friends. All ages are welcome as we anticipate the coming of the true light, the light to everyone!
As part of our Prepare-Advent services, we are hosting a Shoe Away Hunger drive. Please bring along some gently used footwear, including sneakers, athletic shoes, casual shoes, boots, flip flops, ice skates, etc.This footwear is turned around by "Good in the Hood" to obtain food that is provided to the needy. Look in your closets for any new or gently used footwear to bring along when you come. Please put them in a plastic bag and hook them together with a rubber band. Click here for more info on this Impact project.
Worship with us at Christmas
People flock to churches for big holidays, such as Christmas and Easter, and we know they are more likely to come if invited by someone they know. Please invite your neighbors, co-workers, or any recent transplants you know to join you for worship this Christmas. Our service times are:
December 23, 3:00 & 5:00 pm
December 24, 1:00, 3:00, & 5:00 pm
*Programming is available at all services for children ages birth through kindergarten. The Retreat is available, for our differently-abled children, on December 24 at the 3:00 service.
Missionary prayer meeting this Sunday
Join us December 17, 10:15 am, room 101, to pray for our 14 Five Oaks-sponsored missionaries and their families. Treats included.
KHUSA Giving Tree deadline this weekend
If you took a gift tag from the Kids Hope USA Giving Tree during one of the last two weekends, please return all unwrapped gifts, with the gift tag attached, to Five Oaks by this Sunday, December 17. Families of Woodbury Elementary students thank you for your generosity! With your help, their holidays will be a bit brighter this year.
Christmas Eve services: can you help?
We need about eight volunteers at each of our Christmas Eve services to meet the needs of our Five Oaks Kids programing. We’d love your help with rocking babies, playing with toddlers, and shepherding all ages birth through kindergarten. Our Christmas Eve services are: December 23, 3 & 5 pm; December 24, 1, 3, & 5 pm. Please email Cindy, cyarrington@fiveoakschurch.org with your availability to help.
Students: Party in your PJ’s at youth group
Students: Don your pajamas and join us for our Five Oaks Students Christmas party on Wednesday, December 20, 6-8 pm. This PJ’s-clad event will feature games, food, and Christmas-themed worship. Invite your friends! Questions? Email Justin, jtalk@fiveoakschurch.org.
Christmas serving opportunities: simple effort; huge impact
Your heart is in the right place. You want to give back and serve at Five Oaks in some way, but you are in a crazy season of life. You maybe feel like the only time you could serve would be 10 pm on Tuesdays, right? What you need is a serve opportunity to fit that crazy season of life, an opportunity to try something once to see how it goes. Consider the ideas in the Christmas SERVE handout from last weekend, also found at the Ministry Cart in the Commons. These are easy, one-time ways to serve at Five Oaks this Christmas. Best of all, your one-time efforts will make a big impact. You may fill out the info in the SERVE handout, and our Connections Director, Jennifer Clemens, will reach out to you personally to help you find a good fit.
Looking ahead: Five Oaks kids team training
Hey volunteers! If you serve with Five Oaks Kids in any capacity, please mark your calendar now for our all-team training on January 14, 2018, 12:30-2 pm. More details to come, but we look forward to this time together to sharpen our craft and make our volunteer efforts as impactful as possible for the kids and families we serve. Questions? Please email Cindy, cyarrington@fiveoakschurch.org.
Men’s Ascent Summit Weekend January 19-21
Heroes ... we all have them and want to be one, but what does that look like in the fast-paced world we live in today? In the Christian Life, it’s not how you start…It’s how you finish that truly matters. How will you protect the legacy you worked so hard to build? Join us for an impactful weekend January 19-21 at Miracle Lodge, Stewartville, MN. Click here for more info and to register.
Five Oaks book club
When: Second Tuesday of every month
Time: 6:45 pm - discussion at 7 pm
Where: Five Oaks Church, Fireside Commons
New members are welcome throughout the year. Join anytime. Call or email Dawn Goenner, go.dmge@gmail.com, or (651) 238-1605, to find out what our upcoming titles will be.