December 1, 2010
Social Justice
At West Main we have a proud history of social justice. We believe in helping the less fortunate. This time of year we have the opportunity to really shine the light of Jesus to a broken world! We have already begun with our Safe Harbor ministry kicking off again with a Thanksgiving dinner for close to 100 people! Currently the Children’s Worship team has put together some incredibly beautiful blanket gift baskets for some precious kids in the hospital. Also, you are helping our teens gather food and gifts to bless some families at Christmas with food and fun! I couldn’t be more proud of my family.
Holidays are a blessed time. They make me smile. They warm my soul, and I love every moment of them. As such, it is often hard for me to remember that not everyone feels this way. For many, this time of year is a time of loneliness, hunger, cold and a reminder of how little they have.
That is where we, as the children of God, are called to step in! And we do so, because our Savior commanded us to! Jesus was clear and simple in these commands. He simply told us “feed them.” We can obey it or ignore it. Our response to the hungry, cold and destitute this year needs to be one of action! We should help in any way we can. We can donate. We can assemble baskets. We can help deliver. We can pray!
Would you please consider being a part of a wonderful ministry? There are still several items on the food lists that need to be signed up for. Sunday you will see the “Angel Tree” where you can select a gift or two to help a child in the valley. Or you can ask what the Children’s Worship still needs. We will need help assembling and delivering the youth group baskets.
Thank you for the way you always reach out to help. I am blessed to serve amongst a body of living servants. Merry Christmas to you all!
--- Pannell
“You’re Out of Your Mind”
An intriguing episode occurs in Acts chapter twelve concerning how King Herod has the Apostle Peter locked up with the intention of later executing him. However, God sends His angel and derails Herod’s plan by setting Peter free from his chains. What happens afterward is a lesson in the power of prayer and the human tendency not to believe in the efficacy of prayer.
Even Peter himself took a moment or two to believe in the power of prayer in relation to his imprisonment and escape. No doubt, Peter prayed earnestly for his release, as he lay chained between two soldiers. In answer to Peter’s prayer, an angel of the Lord appears and frees Peter from prison, but the text says, “But [Peter] had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision” (Acts 12:9). The realization that his escape was actually happening did not fully dawn on Peter until he had walked the length of one street and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating” (Acts 12:11).
In his excitement, Peter ran to the home of a disciple named Mary. At Mary’s house, many of the disciples had gathered to pray. Now what do you suppose they were praying about? Surely, they were praying for Peter’s release! So now, the answer to their prayers is standing and knocking at the door! “Rhoda (a servant girl) came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, ‘Peter is at the door.’ ‘You’re out of your mind,’ they told her. When she kept insisting that is was so, they said, ‘It must be his angel.’ But Peter kept knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished” (Acts 12:13-16).
We certainly can find some amusement in this narrative. Nevertheless, humor aside, we can also see the human propensity to doubt the efficacy of prayer. It took Peter a few moments to realize what God was doing, and it took the disciples a few of Peter’s repeated knockings at the door to be convinced that God indeed answers prayer. I wonder how often we are prone to the same kinds of doubt as Peter and the disciples. We also often pray for marvelous things to happen. The question is do we really believe God answers these prayers? If God indeed answers our prayers, would we say to ourselves, as well as others say to us, “You’re out of your mind”?
Does God need to keep knocking at the doors of our minds to get us to believe he really does answer prayer? Do we make it hard sometimes for some to believe in the power of prayer? We must learn to pray boldly and courageously, so that our Lord will answer in a bold and courageous way. We must not doubt, but come to our senses that our God is an awesome God. We ought to adopt Rhoda’s attitude and keep on insisting that, yes, God does indeed hear and respond. If you believe in the power of prayer, then God bless you for being “out of your mind.” For truly, it is better to act insane with the Lord who answers prayer, then to act sane with a lost and dying world that believes only in itself.
– Terry
FIREPROOF YOUR MARRIAGE
SESSION FIVE - FORGIVENESS
December 8, 6-8:00 p.m.
SESSION SIX - A BETTER WAY OF LOVING
December 15, 6-8:00 p.m.
Ladies Class Schedule
Ladies - please mark your calendars for our class schedule for the holiday season. Please note the change of dates:
December 7 - Class
December 14 - January 4, 2011 - Winter Break
We will resume class on January 11, 2011.
Men’s Retreat
Men - please reserve January 28-29, 2011, for the Men’s Retreat at Little River Christian Camp.
Deacons and Ministry Leaders meeting on Monday, December 6, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room.
Christmas Program
We will have practice THIS SUNDAY at 4:00 p.m. Our program will be Sunday evening, December 19, at 6:00 p.m. We will have a Finger Food Fellowship following our evening service. Any questions, please contact Wyndee Thomas or Christi Olson.
Christmas Baskets
If you are bringing food for Christmas Baskets, please place it along the back wall of the auditorium. If it is frozen, please put it in the big freezer off of the Fireside Room and label it “Teen Baskets.”
Also, at the back of the auditorium is the "Angel Tree." Take one or more of the "angels" from the tree (these are members of the families we are helping). Each one has an item needed! You may bring them back unwrapped, but PLEASE include the FAMILY NUMBER AND CHILD NUMBER on each gift you bring back so that we can make sure it goes to the right family! Have all donations (food and gifts) to the building by December 19. Call Pannell with any questions. Thanks for your support!
Children’s Worship Bulletin - Children, remember to pick up your bulletin each week and then put your completed worksheet in the container for the reward party in December.
Prayer Requests . . .
For the son of Harold and Marie Anthony, Charles Anthony, who had prostate surgery on Monday ... For Julie Speed, friend of Kathy York who was recently diagnosed with cancer ... For Cooper Albright, that he will have some good blood test results ... The Liles request prayers for the safety of the military families that are stationed in Korea, especially Nick, Danielle and Kaelynn ... For our President and all of our military men, women and families.
Thank You Notes
*Thank you so very much for the flowers, cards, calls, visits, prayers, the notes from the youth group and the gift from the Sunshine Kids. They were all greatly appreciated during my recovery. With Christian Love, EvaLoy Knight
*Thank you for all your love, cards, balloons, and and the birthday cake on my 80th birthday. They were all greatly appreciated and what a nice surprise they were for me. With Love, Merlin Ragsdill
*Thank you to all you helped make our Thanksgiving Day Dinner a big success. We appreciate all your donations of food and help to make this a wonderful day for about 100 people.
*****Lost, Missing or Borrowed????
We have several big pots and some big restaurant style flat cooking pans that are missing from the kitchen. If you have borrowed these or seen these, please call the church office or return them ASAP. We need these big pots and pans for our Friday night meals for Safe Harbor. Thank you for your help. P.S. - Please remember that any equipment, table, chairs, etc. that are borrowed need to be checked out through the office.
October Financial Statement
Income
|
General Fund Contributions |
|
$ 30,992.65 |
|
Non Budgeted Contributions |
|
$ 1,156.25 |
|
Development Funds & Rents |
|
$ 1,687.00 |
|
Roof Repair Fund |
|
$ 11,350.00 |
|
Interest/Other Income |
|
$ 50.16 |
|
Total Income for Month |
|
$45,236.06 |
EXPENSES:
|
Administration and Payroll |
|
$ 12,400.05 |
|
Youth on Fire |
|
$ 250.00 |
|
Vision Ministries |
|
$ 1,568.06 |
|
Office |
|
$ 631.85 |
|
Nurturing Brethren |
|
$ 629.50 |
|
Operational Ministries |
|
$ 1,271.43 |
|
Worship & Facilities |
|
$ 1,018.92 |
|
Non-Budgeted Mission |
|
$ 1,141.94 |
|
Development & Kings Hwy |
|
$ 2,696.12 |
|
Total Monthly Expenses |
|
$21,607.87 |
***************************************
DECEMBER SERVERS
Coffee Servers: Don & Barbara Logsdon
Nursery: Dec 5: Maggie Cushman
Dec 12:
Dec 19 & 26: Laurie, Cady, Andrew Morris
Greeters: Charlie Anderson; Louis & Clara Arnold; Michele Cooper
***************************************
NOVEMBER ATTENDANCE
1st Sunday 250
2nd Sunday 301
3rd Sunday 250
4th Sunday 229
Calendar of Events
Dec 6: Deacons & Leaders Meeting; FSR; 7:00 p.m.
Dec 19: Children’s Christmas Program; Evening Worship Services; Fingerfood Fellowship after p.m. Services
