June 27, 2012
NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR IN THE PARK
Our first Sunday night at the park was incredible! If you missed out, you do not want to miss again! We served close to 200 people. We worshiped. We played. Many of these were visitors from the neighborhood. We got to meet lots of new friends. It was beautiful to watch you all engage these people. I watched as you held their babies, laughed with them, and shared your stories. It was amazing. It was everything that we dreamed of and prayed for.
Our desire as a body is to live out the Great Commission of Jesus. We want to preach the good news to the world, baptize them and teach them to obey God. The way to start this process is to simply meet them first! And a great way to meet people is over a meal in a casual setting. PLEASE be a part of this powerful ministry this summer. We are going to meet people. May we love them, invest in them and share the love of Jesus with them. Invite your friends!
The beauty of this effort is the selfless motivation behind it! IT IS NOT ABOUT US! Most of the time we pray, worship, study, and reach out to others motivated by a need to feel good about ourselves. This is never fulfilling like we want it to be.
But think about the times of getting together with a few friends who are in love with God and not afraid to be real with one another; with no agenda to be met, no duties to perform, no expectations to be met or programs to be run. When this happens, it always focuses right back to the simple and profound reality of Jesus amongst us. When He’s the central focus, self just fades away, and the natural outcome is one of truth and beauty.
May God bless these efforts. May we truly show this neighborhood that they are loved.
– Pannell
I LOVE YOU
I am reading a book on love and the author made the following comment that is worth sharing: “The power of love is the security which it gives in our relations to one another, a security which in the New Testament is marvelously affirmed by Paul’s word, ‘nothing can separate us from the love of God.’ Without this consummatory experience we would not be able to speak about love at all. It is the reality to which we cling in a broken, confused and threatening existence. It is the root of life, and its binding power.”
Love is such a simple looking four-letter word, yet such emotion, meaning, and power seems packed within it. I can remember even as a teenager being struck by how often the theme of love appeared in movies. I recall in particular being struck by dramas in which a grown child longs to hear their father or mother say, “I love you,” before they died. Or how many romantic movies hinge on the man or woman dropping the “L” word? Just this week in fact I watched a comedy in which a son longing to hear his father say, “I love you,” hears his father say, “I love . . . ,” then he dies! The son cries out, “Love what? What?!” It was funny. What was funny was how true it appears that we need to hear those three words from someone in life: “I love you.”
To say we love someone and for someone to say they love us appears to be the ultimate confirmation of our existence. When we are loved we feel like we matter and that our life has purpose and meaning. Love raises us above all the turmoil in life that threatens us. Consider all that love transcends in Paul’s words noted earlier: “No, in all things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:37-39).
“God is love,” says John (1 John 4:16). Therefore the ultimate confirmation of being loved is from the God of love who creates us. In Jesus Christ we experience the love of God that was guaranteed to us before the creation of the world (Eph 1:4-6)! How truly marvelous is the love of God! We often long to hear “I love you” from those we care about before they die, and our God says, “I love you,” before we are even born and the foundations of the earth were laid in place!
Since the love of God comes before creation, then nothing in all creation can rob us of the love of God! Think of all the hurt and pain in so many we know in this life. Think of all those you know who are adrift and lost in this world seeking a place, a purpose, and meaning. What we all need to know is that no matter what, as they say, “Come hell or high water,” we have God’s love in Jesus Christ. Love that is not particular and concrete cannot be known or felt. God touches us all in becoming Emmanuel—God among us, a specific human being who lived in concrete time and place and died for us all so that we might live. “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). You are worthy of existence for God, who alone is worthy, gave his life for your life. There is no greater way to say, “I love you,” than by giving all that one is and has for another. God has given you all that he is and has for you—love! So take courage my friend, for God has spoken eternally, “I love you!”
-- Terry
WOW! WHAT A GREAT WEEK!! Righteous Round-Up VBS 2012 is now part of our history here at West Main. We had 55 kids here throughout the week. Without you all the activities of the week would not have happened! So, if you helped with VBS in any way – if you were a worker or brought food, prizes, coffee cans, a much needed box, gave an extra donation or whatever part you played – THANK YOU!! Great is your reward, for Jesus said, “What you do for the least of these you do for me.”
Our Neighbor to Neighbor Sunday Nights at Lewis Park continue this Sunday evening, July 1, at 6:00 p.m. We will begin with a few songs and a short devotional. In addition, we will provide free hamburgers and hot dogs to whomever chooses to come. Please come join us for an evening of fun, fellowship and food and invite your neighbors to come join us! *You might want to bring a lawn chair or two.*
Annual Youth Group Rafting Trip -- This Monday, July 2, meet at the church building at 9:30 a.m. You don’t want to miss this FUN DAY ON THE ROGUE!!! Call Pannell with any questions!
July 4th Picnic and Fireworks -- Our area is reserved for us at 3:00 p.m. in Don Jones Park in Central Point, so come early and enjoy the park. We will eat around 5:00 p.m. You are asked to bring your own dinner. Please bring snacks and a dessert to share. Bring your own chairs and canopies (please do not stake the canopies into the ground). Car-pooling is a good idea. Extra parking is available at La Clinica Health Center. The Red, White, and Boom fireworks display at the Expo will begin at 9:40 p.m. Also, there is a water feature at the park for the children to play in. Please come join us for a fun afternoon and evening at the park!
Psallo + An Ice Cream Social! – Come to the building at 6:00 p.m. Sunday, July 8, for a special performance by Psallo, an eight person a cappella group from York College. Following the singing we will have an Ice Cream Social in the Fireside Room. Please plan on attending. :)
Prayer Requests & Praises . . . For Mike Eddy as he recovers from knee surgery at home. It was good to see him at services Sunday...Don Ball’s great-nephew, Julian Heard, suffered a skull fracture while playing baseball. Please pray for a complete recovery and that he can be released from ICU this week...Don & Alice Sweet’s son, Shawn, is having tests this week. Please pray for good results...Pray for safe travel for Joel Liles and for Wynter & Micah Thomas...David Mayes asks prayers for Cora’s mother to accept Christ; for Brandi’s health issues and for David to be a good godly example...The Stapp family gives thanks and praise for Lilliannah’s birth mother signing the adoption papers. Please pray the rest of the process goes smoothly...For our President and all of our military men, women and families.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
July 4: Picnic at Don Jones Park in Central Point
July 8: Psallo & Ice Cream Social; 6:00 p.m.
July 8-14: CAMP
July 28-August 3: PUMP
Neighbor to Neighbor Sunday Evenings at Lewis Park at 6:00 p.m. on the following dates:
July 1, 15, & 22
August 5 & 12
**We will NOT publish a bulletin next Wednesday due to the 4th of July holiday.**
May 2012 Financial Statement
INCOME:
|
General Fund Contributions |
|
$20,969.00 |
|
Non Budgeted Contributions |
|
$859.10 |
|
Development Funds & Rents |
|
$978.00 |
|
Interest/Other Income
|
|
$25.38
|
|
Total Income |
|
$22,831.48 |
EXPENSES:
|
Administration and Payroll |
|
$12,305.06 |
|
Youth on Fire |
|
$667.60 |
|
Vision Ministries |
|
$87.64 |
|
Office |
|
$475.97 |
|
Nurturing Brethren |
|
$528.50 |
|
Operational Ministries |
|
$2,839.11 |
|
Worship & Facilities |
|
$1,115.79 |
|
Non-Budgeted Mission |
|
$702.71 |
|
Development & Kings Hwy |
|
$3,583.03 |
|
Total Monthly Expenses |
|
$22,305.41 |
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JUNE ATTENDANCE
1st Sunday 238
2nd Sunday 256
3rd Sunday 242
4th Sunday 229
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July Coffee Servers: Laura Drew
July Greeters: Louis & Clara Arnold; Kent & Sandy Watson
July Nursery Helpers:
July 1: Billie Barnett
July 8 : Angela Beeks & Tabitha Walker
July 15 & 22: Ronda Holm & Dalton Moreno
July 29: Kathy York & Gabriel Liles
