Get ready for The 12 Days of Christmas Prayer.  It is a gentle way to draw hearts and minds to Jesus using Scripture and Prayer during the true reason for this holiday season! Each division has Bible Verse signs corresponding to 12 themes for December's first 12 school days.

For example, on Day 1, the theme is Faith. The Faith sign is placed at the entrances to greet the students. A student or staff member reads the Bible verse (Ephesians 2:8-9), then reads the prayer that the Bible teacher wrote that corresponds to the theme of Faith (read during morning announcements). The 12 Days Of Christmas will be a beautiful hands-on way to prepare us all at Fellowship for the birth of Baby Jesus during this holiday season.

Merry Christmas.

The Ladies R&R ministry exists to help renew the mind and refresh the soul of the women at Fellowship.  In November, Hannah Rinehart, a board-certified counselor, wife, and mother of four, joined our most recent gathering to help answer the following question: How do we, as moms who love Jesus, handle our emotions and the emotions of others with grace-filled resilience?  

Resilience is defined as the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulties or the ability to spring back into shape. Who doesn’t want that every day, but especially as we approach the busy holiday season? The good news is there are things that we CAN do that will create change and growth in this area in our minds and hearts, which will set us up for better relationships and more enjoyable experiences.  Here are a few suggestions Hannah offered:

1. Starting your day with prayer and time in the Word is the best tool to fight against anxiety, depression, stress and increase your own emotional resilience. Hands down. If you do nothing else, do that.

2. Have a positive yet realistic outlook on life. Don’t dwell on negative information and look for opportunities in bleak situations to find the positive within the negative. 

3. Have a moral compass; highly resilient people have what they consider to be right and wrong, and this guides their decisions. For us, our moral compass is going to be God’s Word as truth. If we do not know His Word and don’t spend time with Him, we will not be guided by this as we walk through our days. 

4. There is a lot of research that shows that volunteering and caring for others reduces depression, relieves stress, and improves relationships. 

5. Accept what you can’t change and focus energy on what you can change. 

6. Have a mission, meaning, and purpose; this gives you courage and strength.

7. Create a social support system of community and friendship.

Practically speaking, she also gave us some exercises to use in those moments where we need to add some calm to an otherwise emotional situation. When any of the parties involved, whether child or adult, are in a heightened state, good communication isn’t possible.  

Grounding exercises like “5,4,3,2,1”, “box-breathing,” and “breath prayers” are very effective ways of calming when our brains are feeling overwhelmed, and we need a break to reflect and reconnect, manage our emotions, and make informed decisions about our response to the situation.

Hannah and the whole team at Simplify Life are available to answer questions you might have about these exercises or to help if you are looking for some additional support in any of these areas.  They are a faith-integrated practice that specializes in navigating anxiety and depression, and they see clients ranging from ages four through adult.  

Contact :

https://www.simplifyatlanta.com

Accepting New Clients:

Children and Adults ages 4+: Brooke Bourne: brooke@simplifyatlanta.com

Adolescent Girls/Women: Sara Durrance: sarah@simplifyatlanta.com

Adolescent Boys/Men/Couples: Andy Batcheller: andy@simplifyatlanta.com

As moms who deal with the emotions of so many in our lives: our own, our husbands, our kids, our parents, our friends…. It can feel overwhelming at times to juggle all that comes our way.  The FCS Ladies R&R ministry wants to encourage and remind you that God wants to meet you in the midst of your thoughts and feelings. 

We love to celebrate all that it means to be a mom and hope you will join us for the next fun morning of equipping women in wisdom and joyful fellowship on January 18, 2024.

One of our Fellowship Christmas traditions is to collect a love offering for the teachers, faculty, and staff. Participation in this offering is completely voluntary. If you would like to participate, you will use the link to access an online form you will need to complete, print out, and turn in with your cash offering.

The deadline to fill out a form and print the confirmation to bring with CASH to any division office is FRIDAY, December 1st. *We have had many families complete the form online who have not yet dropped off the printed confirmation and cash; please do not forget this final step!

Steps for the offering collection process:

Step 1: Submit a GIVING FORM for each division you wish to bless via this link.

Step 2: Check your email for confirmation, which will include your gift submission form. 

Step 3: Print your emailed confirmation(s).

Step 4: Turn in your printed email confirmation(s) and cash* to any division front office. There is a secure box located in each lobby. 

For each completed form, you will receive a confirmation.

The teachers, faculty, and staff are always blessed by the offerings they receive, and many parents like to be able to give as a group in this way, but please know that participation is completely voluntary! You can absolutely thank and bless the teachers and staff however you feel led if you do not want to participate.

Ladies of Fellowship, we are so excited to welcome Karen Loritts to Fellowship Ladies R&R on Thursday, January 18th!  She will be sharing her story and encouraging us with the truth of God’s Word.  You do not want to miss this time with her and other Fellowship women!

Karen married her college sweetheart, Crawford Loritts, on May 22, 1971, and they have been partners in ministry since June 6, 1972. They have 4 adult children and 11 grandchildren. 

Currently, her husband is the founder of “Beyond Our Generation”. He formerly served as Senior Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church. Additionally, they are associate staff with CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ International), where they previously served for 27 years. Karen’s ministry includes speaking and teaching at conferences, seminars, and retreats. Her ministry opportunities have taken her across America and around the world. She has been on both radio podcasts and television, addressing issues on the family and Christian growth, and she is also a writer with several published articles, blog contributions, and two books she co-authored with her husband.  

She has held several positions on various organization boards serving women, families, and children around metro Atlanta. Along with her husband, she served on Chick-fil-A’s Win Shape Marriage Conference Center consultation group. Currently, she serves on various Boards and civic committees. As a founding partner with The One Hundred Shares Foundation, she serves on the Board of Trustees.   

Sharing with people the love of God and His plan for their lives is her passion in life. Serving God is her joy.

We are so delighted to have Karen Loritts with us for Ladies R&R on January 18th!

Please go ahead and RSVP for this special gathering! 

Join us each Monday as we dive into the books of the Bible, one by one.

Our weekly Bible study, The Amazing Collection, resumes on Monday, August 21, 2023. This multi-year study is a deep-dive into the books of the Bible. Join us for the entire series or come as you are able. All Fellowship women are welcome and encouraged to attend.