Welcome
First Christian Church Library
Please take a few moments to browse through this site.
You will be blessed!
In this site 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
__________________________________________________________________
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 main library and there is also a shelf in the youth lounge to house
books for the youth’s reading convenience.
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 April 22, 2010
Missions
Stones into Schools by Greg Mortenson Mission379 MOR
Christian Living
Discerning the Voice of God by Priscilla Shirer ChrLiv231.7 SHI
Every Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn ChrLiv248.83 ART
Every Young Man's Battle by Stephen Arterburn ChrLiv248.83 ART
Every Young Woman’s Battle by Shannon Ethridge ChrLiv248.84 ETH
I Kissed Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris ChrLiv306.8 HAR
Boy Meets Girl - Say Hello to Courtship
by Joshua Harris ChrLiv306.8 HAR
Sold Into Egypt by Madeleine L'Engle ChrLiv248.5 L’E
Literature
A Life of Integrity by Howard Hendricks - Compiler Lit814 HEN
Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller Lit231 MIL
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller Lit231 MIL
Fiction
Your Chariot Awaits by Lorena McCourtney Fiction813 MCC
Life, Libby and the Pursuit of Happiness by Hope Lyda Fiction813 LYD
Ties That Bind by Judith Pella Fiction813 PEL
Westward the Dream by Judith Pella Fiction813 PEL
Separate Roads by Judith Pella Fiction813 PEL
Biography
I Choose to be Happy by Missy Jenkins Biog920 JEN
Comparative Religion
A History of the Amish People by Steven M. Nolt CompRel289 NOL
Christian Education
Almost Every Answer for Practically Any Teacher
by Bruce Wilkinson - Editor ChrEdu268.4 WIL
Making Ordinary Days Extraordinary by Gloria Gaither ChrEdu392 GAI
Audio
Dravecky - A Story of Courage and Grace
by Dave Dravecky Video Biog DRA
Love's Unending Legacy by Janette Oke DVD Fiction OKE
A Heart Like His by Beth Moore CD ChrLiv MOO
Youth
Take Your Best Shot by Austin Gutwein Y Mission266 GUT
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 - April 2010
“The Seat Beside Me”
By Nancy Moser
“The Seat Beside Me” is the story of five passengers whose lives intersect with their seatmates while their plane sits on the runway, waiting out a blizzard. Soon after take-off everything goes wrong and the plane plunges headlong into an icy river. Only the five survive. Each of the five are forced to deal with the fact that they survived and their seatmates did not. As they wondered why they survived, each had to face the demons in their lives. Each had to re-examine their souls and their relationship with God. Woven throughout the story is the story of Henry, an ordinary Christian man who makes the ultimate sacrifice so that the others may live.
Nancy Moser’s captivating writing style causes the reader to rejoice as God fulfills his purpose in each of the survivors lives. The reader may even find himself in one of these characters; the disillusioned housewife and mother, the unhappy teacher who has pursued the wrong calling for the wrong reasons, the arrogant doctor who thinks he controls his world, the grieving widower who wants to die or the striving businesswoman who tramples others to get ahead. The events, dialogue and scripture have the capacity to change a person’s life.
An absorbing, satisfying read full of God’s word and spiritual insight. You will find this book in the Fiction section under call # Fiction813 MOS. Do Check it Out!
Apply your heart to instruction,
and your ears to words of knowledge.
Proverbs 23:12
Children's Corner
The Quiltmaker 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
"When Greg opened his eyes in the morning, he could barely breath. He struggled to free his hands from the blanket wrapped around him and clawed at his face. Ice had frozen over his mouth and nose like a mask. He tore the ice free and was able at last to take a deep, satisfying breath. He sat up and stretched. In the light before dawn, the mountain peaks were painted in sugary colors - pinks and purples and baby blues. The sky was clear, and there was no wind. Greg was still lost, still alone, and his hands were so stiff from the cold they were like claws."
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson describes how he was lost in the mountains of Pakistan, how he was rescued by people in a small village and how, out of gratitude, he returned and started a small school so girls in Pakistan could gain some freedom through education. Becoming lost while trying to climb K2 turned into a life changing event for Greg Mortenson as he dedicated his life to building peace and literacy, one child at a time.
Read about Greg Mortenson's story in this Young Readers edition of Three Cups of Tea. This book will be found on the library shelf in the Youth Lounge for the month of October.
Train up a child in the way he should go;
and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6