Welcome
First Christian Church Library
Please take a few moments to browse through this site.
You will be blessed!
In this page look for:
Mission Statement
Purpose
Library Hours/ Location
Contact Person
Library Procedure
Donations
Volunteer Opportunities
What’s New in the Library
Book of the Month
Children’s Corner
Youth Update
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Mission Statement
Believing there is great value in reading, viewing and listening to Christian materials for the enhancement of our Christian walk, the library ministry provides educational and inspirational resources to enrich the spiritual growth, discipleship and worship of all who avail themselves to the First Christian Church library.
Purpose
To provide resources to help you and your family in your day to day walk, as you strive to become more of a reflection of Christ
Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts.
You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
Psalms 51:6
Resources Available
The library at First Christian Church has over 1800 items for adult and youth reading including books on Bible History, Commentary, Prayer, Christian Living, Christian Education and Missions, as well as Christian Fiction and Biographies. Books on Church History, Church Administration and selected books on World History and Cultures are available. The selection of Audio-Visual materials is growing and includes DVD’s of uplifting family films, Documentaries on a variety of Christian subjects and Audio books. An extensive collection of Bible studies for personal and group use are housed in the library. A subject file holds pamphlets, maps and assorted clippings.
A growing Children’s Library currently houses nearly 300 books. Books in the Children’s Library include Bible Stories, as well as stories of God’s creation and God’s people around the world. Christmas and Easter selections are available as well as books about Prayer and Music. Fiction includes picture books and chapter books which show, by example, how to live a Christ centered life. Many books in the Children's Library may be of interest to youth and adults as well.
Library Hours and Location
Our library is a self-help library and is open whenever the church is open.
The main library is located in the hallway by the north parking lot entrance.
The children’s library is located downstairs between rooms 110 and 112.
Youth books are located in the youth lounge upstairs as room permits. Additional youth books are found in the main library.
Contact Person
If you have questions or comments about the First Christian Church Library please e-mail Librarian Betty at
bjcharn@juno.com.
Library Procedure
Make your selection by browsing the shelves or looking up a book in the "Title, Author, Subject Notebook" located on the front counter of the library. Books are arranged on the shelves by subject, such as Bible History, Christian Living, Fiction, etc. Within each subject, the books are arranged using the Dewey Decimal System.
After making a selection, write your name on the card in the back of the book and place it in the card box found on the front counter of the library. If you are not a member, please include your telephone number.
Please remember to return books as soon as you are finished with them. A suggested length of time is three weeks. Place the books near the check out box or in the return book slot on the wall across from the library door.
If you have trouble finding a book, you may look in the blue "Title, Author, Subject Notebook" found on the front counter near the card box. Look up a book by title, author or subject and the call number will be listed for that book. The call number includes the subject such as Prayer, Christian Living (ChrLiv), Biography (Biog) etc. Then the Dewey Decimal Number is listed followed by the first three letters of the author's last name. So if you are looking for His Needs Her Needs by Willard Harley you would find the call number is ChrLiv306.8 HAR. To find the book you would go to the Christian Living section and follow the Dewey Numbers to 306.8 and then look for HAR.
Donations
The library staff welcomes donation of pre-owned materials. Donated items must meet the standards set by the library committee. Items which cannot be accepted will be given to the annual CWF Book Sale unless requested to be returned to the donor.
Money donations are always welcome for the purchase of new books and items needed for library maintenance. (If you wish to purchase a specific book for the library, please check with the librarian first to verify that it meets the standards of the library and that it is not already in our collection.)
Volunteer Opportunities
There are many opportunities for volunteer help in the library. Some of the jobs include:
Semi-annual Inventory and Weeding of the Books
Writing book reviews
Hosting a book club
Preparing bulletin boards and displays
Preparing promotional materials for the library
Assembling Book Bags for children’s special needs
Helping with this website
(For a complete list of jobs and job descriptions, contact Librarian Betty)
What's New in the Library - Updated December 7, 2010
Prayer
Making Crosses by Ellen Morris Prewitt Prayer242 PRE
Missions
Missionary Footpaths by Sylvia Mattson Mission 266 MAT
Poetry
Sing to Wake the Dead by Christopher Wicks Poetry811WIC
Gleanings From Our Garden by Florence Robb - Editor Poetry811 ROB
Fiction
What Lies Within by Karen Ball Fiction813 BAL
A Sweetness to the Soul by Jane Kirkpatrick Fiction 813 KIR
Unshaken by Francine Rivers Fiction813.2 RIV
A Thousand Shall Fall by Bodie Thoene Fiction813 THO
The Gates of Zion by Bodie Thoene Fiction813 THO
The Pursuit by Lori Wick Fiction813 WIC
The Visitor by Lori Wick Fiction813 WIC
Christian Education
Angels Love Children by Herbert Brokering ChrEdu268.9 BRO
Audio
Shadowlands by Richard Attenborough DVD Biog ATT
How Great is Our God by Louie Giglio DVD ChrLiv GIG
The Power of Praying for Your Adult Children
by Stormie Omartian Audio ChrLiv OMA
O Little Town by Don Reid Audio Ficton REI
Youth
Jesus Freaks - Stories of Martyrs by DC Talk Y ChrLiv272.9 TAL
Jesus Freaks - Stories of Revolutionaries by DC Talk Y ChrLiv272.9 TAL
Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman Y Fiction 813 FLE
Children
One More River by Karen L. Blumen C ChrLivBLU
Let's Have a Daddy Day by Karen Kingsbury C ChrLiv KIN
Just In Case You Ever Wonder by Max Lucado C ChrLiv LUC
Joseph and His Magnificent Coat of Many Colors
by Marcia Williams C Bible WIL
Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth, and teach me.
Psalm 25:4-5
Book of the Month
Your Chariot Awaits
by Lorena McCourtney
Your Chariot Awaits by Lorena McCourtney is a fun read. It’s set in our familiar Seattle urban area and written from the viewpoint of a busy, newly divorced working gal struggling with bills like most of us. She is also fast approaching her 60th birthday and is newly laid off from her job, both depressing conditions. Fortunately, she has a keen sense of humor!! In the course of events our heroine, Andi McDowell meets a rather nosy but interesting new man, deals with her outgoing boyfriend, and inherits a snazzy sleek stretch “limozeen” from an unknown uncle. The plot thickens into a murder mystery threatening her life and limb before resolution.
Most of the sub-plot involves Andi’s single, pregnant, young neighbor and friend. This young woman is a deeply committed Christian and wise for her age. She frequently invites Andi to church with her, suggesting prayer works, but to no avail at first. However, the neighbor’s faithful life and witness, in spite of her obvious problems, begins to woo our heroine to the Lord. Unlike many Christian romance stories whose testifying is either sugary sweet or too heavy-handed, this book presents a realistic picture of how to best share our faith in a natural but effective manner.
Check out this book at the First Christian Church Library. Find it under Call# Fiction813 MCC.
(Thanks to Claire Widener for this review)
Apply your heart to instruction, and your ears to words of knowledge.
Proverbs 23:12
Children's Corner
The Quiltmaker's Gift
by Jeff Brumbaugh
Through exquisite illustrations and a well-told text, this fable celebrates the joy of giving. A generous Quiltmaker gives her beautiful quilts to anyone who truly needs them. When a greedy king, who cannot get enough things, learns about the Quiltmaker’s quilts, he roars, “And how is it that this person has never given me one of her quilts?” After climbing the mountain to the Quiltmaker’s house, the king is told to give away all that he has if he wants a gift of one the special quilts. That seems impossible for the king so he makes a series of attempts to force the Quiltmaker to give him a quilt. When all attempts fail because of her overwhelming kindness, the king begrudgingly decides to follow her instructions and give away all that he has. It takes him years and years and he travels all over the world to give away his vast possessions. Read this book to learn the king’s surprising discovery while giving away all that he owns. Cuddle up with a friend and share this delightful story.
After reading the book, make paper quilt blocks.
1. Cut an 8 inch square piece of heavy paper (such as cardstock or poster board). This will be the quilt back.
2. Cut eight 2 inch squares from colored paper. Cut four of the squares diagonally into triangles. You should have 4 squares and 8 triangles. Repeat these steps for two or three more different colors that go nicely together.
3. Now arrange the squares and triangles on the 8 inch piece of cardstock. See what kinds of different patterns you can make. Glue the pieces into place to make a quilt block.
You will not need all the pieces for one quilt block. Make more blocks if desired. Try combining
4 inch squares and 2 inch squares to get different patterns. Look at the quilt blocks pictured in
The Quiltmaker’s Gift for ideas. Have Fun!!
Youth Update
Take Your Best Shot
By Austin Gutwein
What can one person do? There are many people who feel that one person is not able to make an impact - that one person is not capable of changing the world. Mother Teresa says it best, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." Austin Gutwein did just that. Austin, author of the book "Take Your Best Shot" details the video that changed his life. Austin was nine years old when he learned the story of Maggie, a nine year old girl in Zambia, Africa who was being raised by her great-grandmother. She had lost her entire family to AIDS. This video about Maggie rocked Austin's world and he knew that he had to do something. It was suggested he use his favorite sport, basketball, as a way to help Maggie. But how could basketball raise money? Shooting free-throws was the answer. In one day 9 year old Austin shot 2,057 free-throws.
This was the beginning of Hoops of Hope, a charity started by Austin to raise money for AIDS. After raising $3,000 the first year, Austin decided to get his friends to also shoot free-throws to raise money for AIDS. That second year $35,000 was raised. At the time of writing this book, Hoops of Hope had been going strong for six years and had raised over $1 Million dollars!! Hoops of Hope has not only helped orphan children, but has funded schools, and medical testing labs and clinics to help keep parents alive longer and help prevent children from becoming orphans. Austin's book Take Your Best Shot chronicles the start of his charity but most importantly challenges youth (and adults) tomake a difference.
Train up a child in the way he should go;
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6