January 2021 | Vol 405

Letter from the church council

Happy New Year 2021!
By this Glad Tidings letter, the Council seeks to stay in touch with the congregation, we who are still somewhat dispersed and unable to meet physically, are somewhat anxious about the continuing, perhaps resurging, pandemic in our midst. It has been a time for several younger members of the congregation to ‘step up to the plate’ and take responsibility for doing activities of service without which the church could not have functioned during the past year. THANK YOU!!! You who have offered your services know who you are, and God sees as well. May He abundantly reward you for your service to His Church. We cannot repay you.

Mark 6:1-6 is a baffling passage in scripture, where Jesus describes His own challenge to be valued and heeded among the community in which He grew up. “Prophets are not without honor except in their own hometown and among their own kin, and in their own house.” For that reason, Jesus was constrained to do miracles of power, ‘because of their unbelief’. We do not know what Jesus did among his community in the 30 years of his growing up; perhaps he attended school and played among village mates, helped his father fix neighbors’ furniture, ate and drank with them at community occasions. Surely He was well known to them in the small town of Nazareth, and his peers were not ready to let Him break out of the roles He had played among them. They put Him in His place as a lowly workman.

Have we limited any of our ACC members to do only what we have expected of you? At ACC we seek to welcome people to offer their gifts, and encourage those who might aspire to greater tasks of service. Please, if you have ever felt discouraged to offer your talent because you have felt a sense of not being valued or inadequacy, or you are seeking affirmation, ACC needs you to break through whatever barrier you feel. Otherwise, ACC will suffer from the folly of disempowered members who wait for others to step up to the plate. Perhaps It takes a pandemic to break these mental and spiritual barriers down, some which we have created on our own. Thank you, brethren, to those of you who have offered your services to the church over the past year. Your contributions have been so appreciated!

Dear Arusha Community Church members, your participation has never been so needed as now. As we look to our diminished congregation meeting physically each Sunday morning, we think, “How can we ever resume the services we once experienced here at ACC? How can we start up Sunday School again with teachers who have been pillars soon leaving? How can we find ushers to welcome and guide the body in the functions of entering and partaking in the church worship? Who will go for ACC to serve on now-latent committees to become once again an active force for Christian education, Evangelism and Outreach, supporting Projects and Benevolence? “ Will you consider yourself for a deeper level of service this coming year? Please consider how you can offer yourself as a ‘living sacrifice’. Please be for ACC what God intended you to be, and serve now in His power. Please make yourself known during this month when we prepare for the Annual General Meeting of early February. Don’t wait for someone to tap your shoulder. Consider if any of the ACC array of tasks in the Time and Abilities form you can assist. Heed Paul’s call to service in Romans  12:1,2, to offer what is God’s will for you in this new year.

As you make a resolution, offer your time to serve your church, in Christ. 

— Erwin Kinsey

ACC’s ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Sunday 7th February 2021

After Sunday service.
Our Annual General Meeting is a time of reflection on the year past. It is also the time when we plan and organize for
the coming year, with the election of a new Council of Elders and reviewing our new budget proposal.

All congregational members are encouraged to attend, as all have a voice in our community. However, only Registered Voting Members can vote on any motions, and vote in the new Council.
The list of Registered Voting members will be posted on the back bulletin board, along with the nomination sheet for Council elders.

Please do speak with any Council elder if you have questions.

Thank you to the many who continue to give your tithes and offerings to ACC. Please know that these offerings
are needed, appreciated and are used to help many within the community.

ACC BANK DETAILS:
For anyone who wishes or needs to transfer
funds via bank deposit to ACC please find the following details here:
EXIM BANK
TSH: ACCOUNT NUMBER 00 300 23 252
USD: ACCOUNT NUMBER 578 067 0116

ACC MOBILE MONEY ACCOUNT DETAILS:
For anyone who wishes or needs to transfer funds via mobile money to ACC please find the following details here:
M-PESA DEPOSIT NUMBER: +255755992394
NAME: NASIEKU MOLLEL (Church Administrator)