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Please visit the Southeast Iowa Worship and Prayer website that list inter-denominational events at http://seiowaworshipandprayer.com/index.html January 2012 Saturday Kitchen, a free lunch is being provided to anyone who comes every Saturday at the UP church fellowship hall in Washington at 11:30. The Saturday Kitchen is a joint ministry of the churches of Washington. October 2011 Worship, Praise, and Prayer gatherings are taking place at the Washington YMCA on the first Sunday of each month starting at 6:30pm. These are inter-denominational gatherings for the family of faith in southeast Iowa. Come pray, worship, and praise our Lord in the one Spirit. Please visit the website at http://seiowaworshipandprayer.com/index.html See the article, Bridging the Divide in the Church, Homosexuality and Gay Marriage" in the About FOC section. April 2011 Sunday Evening Study Group. A study group is reading and studying Francis Frangipane's book, "When the Many are One." This book parallels the mission and messages of the Family of Christ. The purpose of the study group is not just to study but to also take action. Francis mentions in his book. "I appreciate and defend the origins of most of our denominations...Today, however, the need to remain divided from other evangelical congregations is unjustified...Knowing Christ has called for unity in His Church, many leaders today are examining the legitimacy of division in the church. Today's heroes are not isolating themselves from other congregations; rather they are working with others to repair the breaches, seeking to build the citywide church on the foundation of Christ alone." This study group meets at 7:00pm at the First Christian Church. The group is hoping to find a neutral site in the future. March 2011 Washington Community Prayer Group. This group meets Saturday mornings at 7:15am at the Washington Community YMCA at the Senior Dinning room on 3rd floor. This group does not meet on the Saturday mornings when Prayer Breakfast and Prayer in the Park meet. The Community Prayer Group prays to influence and change the spiritual atmosphere over the Washington area, to have more unity among believers, and to reduce the activities of Satan in our community. Prayer Breakfast. This group meets on the 2nd Saturday of the month at 7:30am at the Church of God in Washington. There is a free will offering. In addition to breakfast this group hears personal testimonies and prayer. Prayer in the Park. This group meets on the 3rd Saturday of the month at 7:00am at Central Park in Washington. This group prays for the community as well as wold issues and concerns. November-December 2010 The Family of Christ is sponsoring a Disciple Prayer and Devotional time during Advent. Come fellowship with other disciples. Join in prayer, devotions, and planning the work of the Church...loving and helping God’s people. Meetings are held at the Coffee Corner on the Square M-F 6:30-7:30am and Saturday at 9:15am. October 2010 
Some local Washington congregations took part in the national project, Faith in Action..."Don't Go to Church, Be the Church" on 10/10/10. There were several projects done around Washington; doing yard clean up, home repair, free meals, free gift bags, servicing cars, cleaning bathrooms, and donating food. It was a great experience, loving and helping God's people. This national project's mission fits with the mission and message of the Family of Christ, to unite disciples in being the Church by loving and helping God's people. July-August 2010 In response to two Iowa teen deaths in June from unsupervised access to firearms the Family of Christ Brandon Bunnell Gun Safety Ministry contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office to form a partnership in the free distribution of gun locks. The Sheriff's Office was openly receptive toward this partnership and with their assistance 500 gun locks have been acquired through the Child Safe program. The Sheriff's Office as well as the Washington County Safety Center are now distributing the free gun locks as well as the Brandon Bunnell Gun Safety brochure. In addition, the ministry has given free gun locks and safety brochures to the Washington County Conservation Education Center for their hunter safety course in July and will be giving free gun locks to the 4H Family Shoot Day in August. The Family of Christ Home Repair Ministry received a referral from HACAP to replace a disabled persons front steps and porch. This request was sent out and the local Faith Baptist church responded by taking this project on as one of their mission projects for their Faith in Action mission project in Washington. May 2010 The Family of Christ Brandon Bunnell Gun Safety ministry partnered with Ace Hardware in Washington to provide free gun locks at Ace Harware. A total of 25 locks, all that the ministry could budget for, were distributed within the first two weeks of May. Those who acquired the free gun locks were very appreciative. On May 28th the FOC coordinated with the Washington Public Safety Center at Kids Fest to pass out free gun locks and to inform the public of free gun locks at the Safety Center. The Washington Public Safety Center provides free gun locks when available through the Kids Safe program. April 16, 2010 Response to Westboro Baptist Church The mission of the Family of Christ (FOC) is to unite disciples in showing God's love and in building God's kingdom on earth. As such, there comes a time when the Family of Christ or body of Christ, needs to speak out when there is injustice and the misrepresentation of God's message and mission in the world, injustice and misrepresentation of God's love and His kingdom. Such an injustice and misrepresentation has been demonstrated by Fred Phelps followers of the Westboro Baptist Church in Toppeka, Kansas. A church that has no affiliation with traditional Baptist conventions and has been classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. As reported in the Des Moines Sunday Register for April 11, 2010, the followers of Fred Phelps were in Des Moines to picket Drake University for hosting a symposium on same-sex marriage. Phelps followers were carrying sings that read, “God hates fags” Fred Phelps followers equate God to a murderer, have God denying Himself, and blaspheme against the Holy Spirit (1 John 3:15).
God doesn't like our sinful and immoral behavior, but the FOC believes God's message and mission in the world is to love people, not hate them, and for His people, citizens of His kingdom, to do the same (John 3:16, 1 John 4:7-8, Galatians 5:13, Romans 13:8, 2 John 1:6, John 15:12, 1 Peter 4:8, Ephesians 5:2). In addition, rather then condemn we are called to comfort one another (2 Corinthians 1:4). Instead of being mean and hurtful we are called to be kind (Colossians 3:12). And, living in harmony rather then instigating discord is characteristic of God's people (Romans 12:16).Of course, God's people are not to be like the people of this world or lay down in the face of injustice, unrighteousness, and immorality but we are to follow Christ's example of confronting these atrocities against God's will. Nowhere in scripture do we see Christ being hateful. Christ related in a kind and loving manner to sinners. Rather then condemning and being hateful, Christ showed his living light in a loving way to a sinful world. Christ's followers are to do the same.
Most important to living a godly life is to know Christ, ( 2 Peter 1:3) rather then being harassed and mistreated by others who think they are right and want to grab attention. Plus, it is through God's Holy Spirit, available to followers of Christ, that gives us a new birth and new life to live a godly life (Titus 3:5). Followers of Christ share God's love in the world around them so people of the world can know Christ. By knowing Christ a person is reborn through the Holy Spirit. Knowing Christ and being born again through the Holy Spirit leads a person to godly living, characterized by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Godly living is characteristic of God's kingdom and the more who live a godly life the more God's kingdom grows. What fuels this growth is God's love, not God's hate. April 2010 The Family of Christ ministry is sponsoring an ecumenical bible study beginning April 15th at the Washington YMCA. The study is being lead by Charles Logan and meets every Thursday evening at 7:00pm. The study is on building stronger, loving relationships in our families, churches, and community. This is an open group and new members are always welcome. Currently, this group is on hold. If interested, please contact the administrator through the Contact tab on the website menu.
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