November 16, 2011
Get to Know Our Youth
The Bible talks a LOT about community. God really likes relationships. God also values fellowship. God’s people have always gathered together, ate together and shared their lives.
Acts tells us that the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” The Psalmist reminds us of “how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” By meeting together we can “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” and we are reminded to “not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
It is good for us to get to know one another more than just an hour a week. This church over the years has done this in many ways. We’ve had Potlucks, Dinners for Eight, and Tea Parties. We’ve had Harvest Parties and BBQs. One way that we share our lives today is through Sunday night Youth Group Devos.
We all go to someone’s home, eat a meal together, laugh and talk, worship, sing and pray. They are wonderful nights. They help us grow closer. We get to share. We get to relax and be ourselves. We get to lift one another up, and we are shown love.
We would like to share this experience with you. We are looking for families to host the teens. We would love to meet more and more of the family at West Main. If you are interested in having us over some Sunday, please let me know and we will make it happen! These kids are AMAZING and you will be blessed by knowing them better. We look forward to hanging out with you very soon………
– Pannell
LORD, THANK YOU
Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.
Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.
And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.
My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mess, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.
Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; it has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.
Thank you, Lord for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today; it has baked so many things over the years.
The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing, the lawn that needs raking; we all enjoy the yard.
Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.
Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says you have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.
Anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple, but only God knows the number of apples in a seed.
Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings, Thank you, Lord, that I can hear. There are many who are deaf.
Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as long as possible, Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.
Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising, Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise. There are many who are bedridden.
Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers are short, my children are so loud, Thank you, Lord, for my family. There are many who are lonely.
Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times not balanced, Thank you, Lord,
for the food we have. There are many who are hungry.
Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous, Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work. There are many who have no job.
Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my circumstances were not so modest, Thank you, Lord, for life.
And all God’s people say . . . Amen!
(From the Files)
HARVEST CRAFT FAIR -- We will be holding our Craft Fair November 18-19 from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Fireside Room and Courtyard. Please come join us and get some of your holiday shopping done with us!
CHRISTIAN RELIEF FUND -- Now is the time to be extra generous for our “adopted children.” This is the time of year that we need extra funds to send them a Christmas present. Please be extra generous this month as the donation can is passed around during our class time. Thank you for all your support of our kids.
THANKSGIVING DINNER -- Please join us for a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner at the building on Thursday, November 24th. Dinner will begin at 2:00 p.m. We have a sign up sheet posted at the back of the auditorium for food items to bring or if you don’t like to cook, cash donations to West Main are gladly accepted to help defray the cost of the meal. Please contact Brad or Ronda Holm to see how you can help with our dinner this year. Please invite your friends and neighbors - it promises to be a great afternoon of fellowship!
PRAYER REQUESTS -- For Jackie Godfrey who has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer - please pray for healing and comfort...For Kaylee Fowler from Grants Pass who has been kidnapped and for her family as they wait for her to come home...Nanette Murphy requests prayers for her mother, Betty, who is having a cancer removed from her arm...For Donna York’s step-daughter, Tammy, who is in ICU in critical condition. (She is the mother of Jillian Condit, who has gone to our camp for many years)...Mandy Breithaupt’s daughter, Vicki, now has cancer in both lungs...For the victims at Penn State...For all of our college students who are away from their families...David Mayes requests prayers for his friends, Cora, her mother and Dette, that they will grow in the Lord...For our President and all of our military men, women and families.
ANGEL TREE -- Please be looking for our Angel Tree at the back of the auditorium this Sunday to see how you can help with Christmas presents for our Christmas Basket program. Also, we will have a Christmas Basket Food List - please sign up for items you would like to donate. All items need to be returned by December 18. If anyone would like to give a cash donation instead, please give it to Brian Pannell and the funds will be used to shop for food and gifts for the families.
For more information or to suggest names for baskets, please contact Brian.
CHILDREN’S CHRISTMAS PLAY -- “The True Meaning of Christmas” is the theme of our Christmas Play this year. All children ages three years and up are invited to participate. We will have our first meeting this Sunday, November 20th, at 4:30 p.m. in the auditorium for all people who wish to participate. We also need adult helpers to volunteer to help with the play. Our play will be presented on December 18. We will have play practice each Sunday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. and some mid-week practices (scheduled at our first meeting) until the evening of the play.
After our play on December 18, we will have a fingerfood fellowship in the Fireside Room following our evening service.
DIRECTORY PHOTOS -- We are beginning our directory photo process earlier for our new photo directory for next year. We are encouraging all families who would like their directory photo updated to contact Sandra Cummings ASAP at 541-840-6372. We want to encourage all of our members to have their photo taken by Sandra if you want an updated picture in the directory instead of submitting your own photo. Thank you for your help.
DISHES -- We have lots of dishes that have been left in the kitchen from our previous potluck dinners. If you are missing your dishes, please remember to pick them up this Sunday. They will be located on the counters in the kitchen.
THERE WILL BE NO BULLETIN next week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Please have all your announcements turned into the office by Tuesday, November 22, for the Sunday bulletin on November 27. Thanks!
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Nov 18, 19: Craft Fair at the Building; 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Nov 20: Play practice; 4:30 p.m.; Auditorium
Nov 24: Thanksgiving Dinner at the Building; 2:00 p.m.
