West-Ark Newsletter, 28 October 2004

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Family Lines Newsletter, October 28, 2004
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Over 100 members from West-Ark have made the journey to Guyana since our medical mission trips began in 1991. The stories that have returned home have been exciting, funny and many times very touching. The ones that most catch our attention are when we see people who have lived one way for many years be touched with the simple story of Jesus and turn their life over to him. The exciting part is when we return at some future point we find this person an active part of the church in their community making a difference in the lives of many others.

The sad stories come in many different ways. The person who hears the message, believes it to be true and for reasons that we don't understand they just can't make the commitment to Jesus. It may be their family is Hindu and it will lead to estrangement from their loved ones...it may be their spouse will abuse them for their decision. It may be a decision based on economics. These are the moments that break hearts when they occur.

The saddest personal moment I experienced was one year when I was asked to close the gate on the final day of our effort. The next person in line, with dozens behind her, was a young mother with her little child in her arms. This child was the same age of my youngest daughter at that point and I could understand how much she wanted medical help for her child. Something I take for granted. What I also knew was the spiritual need of this youthful mother and her child was even greater. I cried for some time because the gate had to be closed that day and even now the image of mother and child is burned in my mind. We had not completed the work we started that week. There were still people that needed to hear about Jesus.

We come to mission's week with a world full of people who need help from us. It is not the type of help that is easiest to give such as food, clothing and the physical cares of this world. It is the need to share the good news of Jesus Christ with them. Here in Fort Smith we have that privilege in our dealings with people every day. In Ethiopia, Guyana, Southeast Asia, Nigeria, France and other parts of the world we conduct our missions program to achieve this objective. When you make your missions contribution on November 7 please try to see the faces of people around the world that need to know Jesus and just how great a difference you can make.

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**Thanksgiving Day Dinner**
If you have no plans for Thanksgiving, please join us in the Family Life Center, Thanksgiving Day, from 12:00 noon until we all leave. Please sign the list to bring something on the sheet in the foyer. Let us know how many of your family will be attending.
~~Sandy Berger

Missions Sunday
November 7, 2004
* Combined class for all adults and teens -9:30 a.m.
* Worship at 10:30 a.m. (Dan McVey, Guest Speaker)
Please remember we will be taking a special contribution and pledges during our morning worship.
* Lunch in the Family Life Center will follow morning services.
* Afternoon worship at 12:45 p.m. (approximately)
* Evening devotional at 6:00 p.m. for those wanting to observe the Lord's Supper.

**The Christian Challenge**
The challenge is not to avoid all "bad experiences" in physical existence, but to use "bad experiences" to glorify God. The challenge is not to avoid all forms of human suffering, but to let my human suffering glorify God. The challenge is not to find a means to live the "good life" physically, but to allow my physical life to glorify God. The first step to beginning to glorify God is to allow the resurrected Jesus Christ be my Lord. ~~David Chadwell

**Widows/Widowers**
The bus will leave the Annex Saturday, November 6, at 11:30 for lunch at the Lowry home. Call Mary (646-6079), Bobbie (674-5814) or Janice (474-8851) if you need transportation to the Annex.

**The LFC's are going skiing! **
January 2-8, 2005
The Lions for Christ are joining the Razorbacks for Christ and three other campus ministries to go skiing in beautiful Keystone, Colorado. There are three packages a person can sign up for. Please see John Priester for more information.

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**Remember in Prayer**
* John Hundley is in room 4517 at St. Edward Hospital.
* Velma Johns, mother of Jeannie Cole, is hospitalized in Searcy with a bleeding ulcer.
* Bob Williams (Debbie Belote's father) is in the Springdale hospital for observation after running a high fever.
* Del Ingram is in Sparks Hospital and hopes to move to rehab soon.
* Continue to pray for Ryan and Brandy Summers, (grandchildren of Lloyd Summers) and the Morris Family.
* Remember Jean Dicks as she awaits surgery on the tumor on her pituitary gland.
* Eddie Hamlett will take chemotherapy and radiation treatments for his cancer. The family request prayers for Eddie - physically and spiritually.
* Larry Treat (chemotherapy treatments)
* Don Green (chemotherapy treatments)
* Taylor Anders
* Adam Jenkins

**Prayers for Military**
Continue to remember in prayer Daniel Kweekul, Phillip Lux, Johnny Lindgren, Jeff Amos, Brandon Daws, Matthew Faries, Aaron Bailey, Michael Gooden, and Shane Newton.

**Missing from Brad's Office**
The book The Devil Goes to Church and the video series, "Velocity Volume 1" have recently been borrowed from Brad's office. If you have either copy, please get them back to Brad A.S.A.P.

**Note of Thanks**
Dear Church,
Debra and I wish to thank all of you for all you did. You sent us cards, food, beautiful plants, phone calls, and most of all your prayers. We're very grateful for the time you spent with us, too. May God richly bless all of us.
~~Inez and Debra Gail Hatfield

**Baby Shower**
A shower is planned for Melissa McCord on Tuesday, November 9th, from 11:30 a.m. until noon in the Annex (following Tuesday morning class). Hostesses are the ladies of Tuesday Wings. It's a boy!

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Most of us tend to stay involved with other people and activities as long as they provide blessings for us and for our families. If a relationship requires a lot from us yet provides no blessings in return, we usually end those relationships pretty quickly.

As you thank God for the ways your family continues to be blessed because of your involvement at West-Ark, I hope prayers of thanksgiving for the Shepherds God has blessed you with is at the top of your list.

Most of you see the shift that our Shepherds have been making this past year. It is truly their desire to move from management to shepherding. They understand that in order to serve you in this role the way God intended, they need to focus on people instead of buildings, budgets and bureaucracy.

Praise God for shepherds who meet at the building at 8:45 a.m. every single Sunday morning to pray for our members and for the worship that will take place that day!

Praise God for shepherds who spend their Tuesday nights visiting the members of our body in an effort to be involved in their lives and to show their love and concern for our families!

As we thank God for His incredible blessings this week, I hope we will remember the words found in I Timothy 5:17 which say, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor..." If you have been blessed by your shepherds, please let them know.

Sunday AM Worship 658
Bible Classes 432
Sunday PM 296
Small Group 14
Wednesday P.M. 299
Contribution $18,993
Children's Home $172
the Way Attendance 42
the Way Contribution $81
Hispanic Attendance 67
Hispanic Contribution $177
Laotians Attendance 33
Laotian Contribution $226
Laotian Contribution
last week $234

Office Phone (479) 452-1240
Fax (479) 452-5767
office@westarkchurchofchrist.org
www.westark.org
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"Making disciples for Jesus who are eager to serve others."
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