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Family Lines Newsletter, February 24, 2005
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**Thank You for Your Prayers and Encouragements**
By David Chadwell
 
2 Corinthians 13:11, "Finally, brethren, rejoice, be made complete, be comforted, be like-minded, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you."
 
Thank you so much for your outpouring of love and encouragement toward me and toward Joyce in the past two weeks!  Thank you for all the prayers on our behalf and on the behalf of her mother.
 
Her mother, Mary Wells, qualified to enter a special facility within the hospital where she is to receive rehab for twenty days.  She has many, many friends who are quite attentive. The congregation she has been a part of most of her life constantly cares for her needs.
 
Joyce and I both are delighted that Joyce made the trip safely.  It is an eleven-hour drive one way -- all of it along I-40!  She drove straight through going and returning.
 
Thank you for all the phone calls, all the personal contacts, all the meals, and all the concern expressed to me in the past week.  I never felt alone!  I constantly felt surrounded by a loving cloud of encouragers!
 
Many are the things that encourage me in the life and the work of this congregation.  I constantly thank God that you are believers who are willing to think and grow.  I am so encouraged to see the many young adults who are mindful of the needs of others.  I thank God for the realization of so many that our works should be people-centered.  I praise God for the awareness among us that we need to allow God to teach us how to love and how to care about people.  Thank you for understanding that faith in God is expressed in service to people.
 
I was deeply moved to see many of you encourage and envelope David and Jennifer Jennen Sunday morning.  David is sincere in his desire to grow in his spiritual sense of responsibility.  He began to explore that journey long before he learned last week that his unit is to leave for Iraq for a year’s service.  He will leave Fort Smith this weekend and the country on March 13, his birthday.  Jennifer will continue to live here in Fort Smith with their newborn son.  May we give them the kind of love and support that will nurture their growth and development.
 
We have so many who are separated from families as they serve in Iraq. Remember them all!  Give thanks for the safe return of Brandon Daws!
 
Never forget in trying moments that we always can do the two most powerful things—pray and love!   Prayer should never be considered a ‘last resort.’  Love has its own language—the language of God Himself!  Those two powerful things are never taken from us!
 
Stay aware!  Be diligent in prayerfulness!  Always love and express love!  In these ways God is glorified and Christ is praised!  Never be afraid to allow God to transform you as a person who believes in Christ and depends on God.  When we let God remake us, we always are improved!
 
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**Prayers and Thanksgiving**
• Sarah Newton is in Sparks Hospital, in room 594, and beginning to feel better. She had two small tears in her esophagus.
• Maggie Allen (Kevin and Reynda’s daughter) is in St. Edward Hospital, room 4208 with a respiratory problem.
• Del Ingram had surgery Wednesday morning at Sparks Hospital.
• Frances Quenin is scheduled for spinal surgery at Sparks Hospital on March 2nd.
• Opal Hewitt Dexter is in Sparks Hospital, room 419.
• Jim Boatright (Adina’s father) is doing well following back surgery.
• Prayer has been requested for Palmer Richardson, age 12. Palmer has been diagnosed with leukemia and is at Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.  Palmer is the daughter of Scott and LoriAnn Richardson, former West-Ark members.
• Kerry and Dena Jenkins will take Adam Friday (2/25) to see a neurosurgeon at Dallas Children’s Hospital. They are getting a second opinion on whether Adam needs surgery or not and hope prayers will bring clear answers and peace with the decision.  They will get a prayer pager before starting the trip.
• Fred Jackson is resting a while, but will need to return to UAMS for another surgery. Fred’s prayer pager number is (479) 441-2593.
• Irene Willis requests prayers for her sister-in-law, Ruth Knowles, who is recovering from a massive stroke.
• Aubrey Walden has moved to Medi-Homes in Arkoma. 
• Mary Wells (Joyce Chadwell’s mother) has moved to the rehab wing of the hospital and is doing well.
• Natalie Nelson requests prayer for a relative, Gale Thompson, for recovery from a blood clot and stroke. Gale and her husband, Mike, have two small children.
• Missy Blasdel’s father was hospitalized last weekend with a blockage. He is now home.
• Vicki Varvel (daughter of John and Nadine Hawkins)
• Helen Epton (Rebecca Holloway’s mother)
• Paul Flippo
• Maile McDonald
• Eddie Hamlett
• John Hundley
• Anita Maxwell
• Don Green
• Larry Treat
• Chuck Cunningham
 
**Bereaved**
Our love and sympathy is extended to the following families:
• Glen Gilley in the recent death of his brother, Ed Gilley. Funeral services were last week.
• Karen Cunningham in the death of her mother, Pat Galloway. Karen is a former member of West-Ark. Graveside services were Wednesday in Fort Smith.
• Greg Dockery and Jason Dockery (cousins) in the death of their grandmother, Zelen Dockery, on Wednesday morning. Funeral services are Saturday (2/26/05), 10 a.m. at Baldwin Church of Christ, Fayetteville, AR. Sara and Jason Dockery ask for prayers for safe travel. They are leaving from Illinois Thursday afternoon and will arrive in Fayetteville Friday afternoon.
 
**Dishes Returned**
If you took food to the Jackson Family, please check the table in the foyer for your returned dishes.
 
**Welcome and Prayers**
 David and Jennifer Jennen
 304 Crystal View
 Van Buren, AR 72956
 Phone: 471-3322
David and Jennifer have a 3-month old son named Michael. David responded Sunday morning asking for prayers and expressing repentance and rededication. He is leaving this weekend for Texas and on to Iraq on March 13th.
 
**Prayers for Men in Service**
Praise! Brandon Daws has safely arrived in Oklahoma. He and Amanda are coming home Saturday night. They plan to be in worship Sunday morning!
 
Continue in prayer for Matthew Faries, Shane L. Newton, Daniel Kweekul, Aaron Bailey, Philip Lux, Adam Morrissun, and Ronnie Wheat.
 
**Baptism**
We rejoice with the Thompson family at the decision of John Hayes to be baptized into Christ on Saturday, February 19th. John is the son of Mitty (Thompson) Toon, and the grandson of George and Margaret Thompson. If you would like to send cards, the address is:
 John Hayes
 188 West Gate
 Monticello, AR 71655
 
**New Arrival**
Congratulations to Coby and Megan Logan on the birth of their third child, a son named Aaron Canfield.  Aaron was born February 17th and weighed 7 lbs., 4 ozs.  Congratulations also to the happy grandparents, Jerry & Meg Canfield, and great-grandmother, Kathleen Taranto.
 
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**Sunday Night**
"The Struggle to Have Faith" By David Chadwell
We’ll have a fellowship meal in the FLC after worship.
Please bring desserts!
 
**The Heart of Worship**
"Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD!" Psalm 89:15
 
Sunday, March 6
Tom Chapin (Guest song leader and speaker)
9:30 a.m. Bible class
10:30 a.m. Worship
6:00 p.m. Worship
 
Wednesday, March 9
Tom will return for
7:00 p.m. Teaching & Worship
 
Tom is a minister with the Windsong Church of Christ in Little Rock.
The youth and college groups will join us in the auditorium at all these times.
Children’s Worship services will not be held the morning of 3/6/05.
The elders request that all adult classes and LIFE Groups join in Sunday, March 6 at 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and again at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 9. 
 
**Lions for Christ**
• The LFC's will be visiting the Poteau Church on Sunday for their evening services.
• The LFC's will be hosting a chili super devotional at Sebastian Commons on Tuesday, March 1st at 5:15 p.m..
 
I would like to remind everyone to respect my "office" space while I am not there. I enjoy the visitors that come to my office, and I don’t want to come across like an ogre. :~) But, I have noticed some things moved around on my desk and some books have been "borrowed" without my knowledge.  Thanks for your understanding as I continue to look for a permanent facility for the Lions for Christ Ministry. ~~John Priester
 
**Happy Birthday**
 
March 6
Netsy Lynn
 
March 7
Peggy Pistole
 
March 8
Marlene Tucker
 
March 9
Mary Francis Jackson
Mary “T” Kolb
Larry Roper
Ann Selig
 
March 10
Joyce Chadwell
Donna Lindgren
 
March 11
Lois Jester
Bill Stancil
 
March 12
Alex Tomlin
 
**LTC Practices**
 
Sunday, February 27
• No practice for Junior & Senior High Chorus
• 4:00 Elementary Chorus/Junior High Bible Bowl
• 5:00 Elementary Drama (meet in Auditorium)
• 6:00 Elementary Bible Quiz
 
Sunday, March 6
• 2:00 Junior High Chorus      
• 3:00 Senior High Chorus
• 4:00 Junior High Bible Bowl
• 5:00 Drama
• 5:00 PARENT MEETING in Room 100 for parents of participants who plan to attend the Tulsa Convention.
• 6:00 All Puppets
 
Friday, March 11
• 5:30 -- Rehearsals for Elementary Chorus, Elementary Drama, and all Puppets. 
We will serve pizza to the kids and show the movie “The Book of Luke” during the break for pizza.
 
**Photos Needed**
The LTC Elementary Scapbook group needs photos of church-related grade-school events, such as KFC, VBS, Gateway, etc.  If you have photos to share, please see or call Karen Benjamin (414-8166).
 
**“Written Without Ink”**
Click on the link below to read Chris Benjamin's web journal.
http://www.westark.org/benjamin/blog.htm
 
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**Family Life Ministry**
By Brad Pistole
 
“To grow or not to grow, that is the question?”
 
Ask any church leader a simple question and you could guess their response…“Do you want your church to grow?” 99.9% of all church leaders would say,  “Of course!”
 
As a matter of fact, churches spend thousands and thousands of dollars every year trying to learn “how” to do it. They buy books and videos by church growth experts and they even send their ministers to various conferences all in an effort to learn what other “successful” churches have done in order to grow.
 
As a result, they often find out what has worked for really successful churches, and they end up facing a really tough question? The question is not a matter of money. The question is not a matter of being biblical. The question is not a matter of doctrine. The question is much harder than that.
 
So, what is the question? It’s simple. Do you really want to grow? If the answer is yes, then they are faced with the reality of what it will take to grow and that reality is the scary part for churches.
 
In order to grow, you will have to reach “lost” people. And “lost” people won’t know anything about our “traditions.” They won’t know that they are supposed to wear certain kinds of clothes on Sunday morning. They won’t know they are supposed to be reverent and quiet in the hallways of our buildings. They won’t know any of the special terminology and spiritual language we use to talk to one another. They won’t know any of our rules and expectations for our worship services.
 
Lost people only know one thing: they are lost but want to be set free. They are blind but want to see. And just like in scripture, when that does happen they just might go running and dancing and telling everyone else they know about the Man who set them free. And it just might be with a loud, joy-filled spirit. And it probably won’t be what we are used to.
 
You might be surprised to find out just how many churches change their mind about “growing” once  they  find  out  what’s  involved.  After all, things are really comfortable the way they are right now and most people don’t want to change that.
 
To grow or not to grow, that is still the question? What traditions and expectations are you willing to “let go of” in order to reach the lost? 
 
**Fourth Sunday Nursery**
 
A.M. Nursery
Berniece Rogers
Sharon Faries
Tracy Risley
Donna Roper
 
P.M. Nursery
Angela Dunavant
Denise Lusby
 
**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Sunday AM Worship 627
Bible Classes  448
Sunday Evening 260
Small Group 21
Wednesday PM  314
Contribution   $17,338
Children’s Home   $179
Hispanic Contribution $147
AM Hispanic Attendance  42
PM Hispanic Attendance  8
Laotian Contribution $229
Laotian Attendance 23
The Way Contribution $73
The Way Attendance 56
 
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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