Family News and Notes
A special thank you to the men who brought us our lesson last Wednesday evening. Good job!
THIS IS FOR ALL MEMBERS WHO LIVE IN THE RURAL AREA.. Please use the back of your attendance card to furnish directions to your home. Use I-30 as a beginning point. Be as specific as possible. Thanks for your cooperation.
Youth Trip Friday evening, April 1. We will be taking the young people who want to attend the Youth Forum in Mabank. The theme will be "Everyone's Not Doing It". We will leave in a caravan from our building at 4:00 PM and will return late, between 11:00 PM and Midnight. If you plan to attend please sign the list in the foyer today so we can plan enough transportation. There is also a Flyer about the Youth Rally on the table by the sign-up list.
STEWART REGIONAL BLOOD CENTER is in need of blood. If anyone would like to donate, please go to the blood center at;
1809 North Johnson Avenue
Mt Pleasant, Texas
Phone: 903-572-3629
And now for old news.to be remembered.
Saturday, April 2, 2005, beginning at 10:00 AM OUR Ladies Day here at the building. All ladies are encouraged to attend. Mark your calendar. Sister Sarah Fallis of Fort Worth will be guest speaker. We will have a salad luncheon.
AND THEN Area Wide Singing on Saturday, April 09, 2005 from 7:00 PM9:00 PM at North Jefferson Church of Christ. Everyone is invited.
LADIES DAY AT PITTSBURG CHURCH OF CHRIST April 16, 2005 from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM. Lunch will be served. Guest speaker will be Sarah Fallis from Fort Worth, Texas. If you have any questions you can call:
903-856-2115 or 903-856-5355
Deborah Rios has had a name change, so please correct your records to reflect that it is now: Deborah Biesemeyer
A report on our sick:
Hazel Phillips was in Room 2280 at East Texas Medical Center in Tyler. She was scheduled to be moved to a new therapy wing last Thursday but she is not doing well.
Ralph Phillips is still in the Dubuis Hospital in Paris, and seems to be doing a little better.
Helen Roper is better. They got the infection cleared up and she was scheduled to come home by Saturday.
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PRAYER LIST:
Justin Barker, Rachel Barker, Louis Bell, Annah Brown, Sue Browning,
Billye Campbell, Billy Carter, Perry Cooper, Zenith Hargrove, Howard Horton, Ruby Lawhon, Hollis Lee, Joyce Lee, Glenn Parham, Winnie Patton,
Hazel Phillips, Ralph Phillips, Helen Roper, Dorothy Sargent, Alva Mae Sheets, Edith Shiflet
ALSO: Ercell Fetters, Marie Holloway
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Rhodney's "Funny Bone"
Definition - "POLYGON": A dead parrot
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IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN TO MAKE
ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR APRIL
Jody Sparks
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN TO LEAD PRAYERS
FOR APRIL
Jim Duncan
IN CHARGE OF SELECTING MEN FOR COMMUNION TABLE IN APRIL
Rhodney Freeman
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What Kind Of Church? - The Choice Is Yours!
What do you want the North Jefferson congregation to be? How do you want us to be thought of in the community? What impression do you want to leave with our visitors? Most importantly, what does God think of us and is He pleased with us? As you think about your answers, let your imagination run wild for a moment. Friendliest church - best evangelistic emphasis - most inspiring worship services - most peaceful church - most caring benevolence program - best taught Bible school - strongest visitation program - most loving fellowship - best youth program - most generous - etc., etc. The choice is yours, you know!
Of course, I'm not asking what doctrine we will believe, practice, and teach, for our Lord has already decided that for us. If we want to be the "church of Christ," then obviously we must do and teach what He said, or we're not His church. What I am talking about is how effectively we apply Christ's doctrine to our daily lives. That is what really determines what this congregation will be like. Let me explain.
Who decides what the attendance at services will be on any given Sunday? The membership decides! Who decides how much the church will spend on evangelism or benevolence? Someone says, "the elders do." Oh yes, the elders decide where the money will go, but the membership decides how much will be spent, because if we don't give it, the elders can't spend it. What about the atmosphere of our assemblies, who decides what that will be? Why the membership, of course! You can't have a friendly church, without friendly members. You can't have a loving church, without loving members. You can't have enthusiastic and spirited worship, without members who want to worship God in a spirited and zealous fashion. You can't have peace in the body of Christ, unless you have brethren who are peacemakers.
One final question, who decides whether the local church is a growing, a stagnant, or a dying church? You're right again, it's the membership! Oh yes, the leadership plays a major part. The Bible clearly teaches, the church cannot outgrow its leadership. You can't have a growing church with a stagnant or dead leadership. Generally speaking, the members will not go where their leaders will not lead. That's why many churches are stagnant, dying, or dead, because their leaders offer little or no example of real leadership for the members to follow. As the Bible says, "where there is no vision, they people perish" (Proverbs 29:18).
Ultimately, though, it falls on the membership to decide whether the church grows, maintains the status quo (remains stagnant), or dies. In the case of stagnant leadership, faithful members will be found kindly exhorting and encouraging the leadership to boldly dream, challenge, and lead by example. In the case of dynamic, visionary, on-fire leadership, though, if they don't have zealous members who are willing to follow their lead by involving themselves in the work, then the battle is lost. The simple truth is, it takes great leaders and great followers to build a great church!
To a great degree the success or failure of the local church is in YOUR hands. YOU decide how much visiting will be done, how many home Bible studies will be taught, how many visitors will be invited to services, how much the Gospel will be shared, and what kind of influence the church will have in our community by YOUR own demeanor and example. YOU decide how much money will be spent on evangelism, how uplifting and joyful our worship will be, and whether or not we have peace or war in the local body. Ultimately, whether or not the local church grows spiritually and numerically, will to a great degree be determined by these factors. So, you see, the choice really is YOURS!
What do you want this congregation to be like, and what would it be like if everyone else attended, participated, worshipped, gave, and worked just like Y0U do? It's a sobering thought, worthy of soul-searching consideration. David McCain
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I WONDER WHAT THE POOR FOLKS ARE DOING?
Guest article from Bangs Church of Christ Bulletin
by David Harris of Brownwood, Texas
Christian contentment is learned. Many go through life searching for happiness which is offered freely through the word of Christ. For some happiness comes in the form of pills, or things. Others move from location to location in search of the happiness they desire. This sort of happiness is short lived at best and will ultimately end in grief. Some individuals actually think they can buy happiness but it is not for sale.
In Paul's letter to the Philippians, he stressed that contentment was a characteristic of Christianity that all faithful saints should possess. In Philippians 4:4 Paul says we should rejoice. He has already mentioned this twice in the letter (2:18; 3:1), so we must understand that to rejoice is important. In verse 5 he stresses the importance of moderation, and that we should let that characteristic be made known to all men. Verse 6 deals with our unnecessary worrying about things we cannot change. He then exhorts all to pray with thanksgiving for all things. Here we find the peace of God which passes all understanding. This peace is promised to keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Then in verse 8 he admonishes us to get our mind right. Think on the things that are true, honest, just pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy then the peace of God will be with us.
When we learn to do these things we will be able to say with Paul: "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (Ph. 4:11). He has been full, and hungry (12). The key to his contentment is this: "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (13).
Several years ago, I was working as a ranch hand, gathering cattle on a ranch about ten miles from the nearest town. Ranch hands do not get paid much. It is truly a labor of love. Most ranch managers think more of their cattle than they think of their hands. Many of the hands have holes in the bottoms of their boots, patched Wranglers, and shirts with the sleeves torn off. I never met a ranch hand that had a savings account, or a wallet full of money, but they love what they do.
On a brisk fall morning when we were sent to the other side of the ranch to gather some strays, we were riding into the east just as the sun was coming up over the hills. The chill that was in the air was so fresh that it made one think that there was spearmint in the wind. Our horses were fresh, the company was good, conversation was about the Lord, and that great ball of fire was a magnificent color of amber that was nearly indescribable. Then my friend turned to me and asked: "I wonder what the poor folks are doing today?"
When one is rich in faith, regardless of his station in this physical life, he has truly learned the key to contentment. JESUS CHRIST.
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