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Family Lines Newsletter, August 9, 2009
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**Lessons From the Past**
By David Chadwell
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.  1 Peter 1:12

 

I hate to say it—I do not like to admit it—but honesty forces me to acknowledge it.  What?  We are spoiled.  When I was a teenager, many men died of heart attacks from 50-60 years of age.  Nobody liked it.  Everybody accepted it.  There was nothing you could do about it.  We had no telephone of any kind until I was in the 8th grade.  There were no telephone lines.  Nobody in the community liked it.  Everybody accepted it.  There was nothing you could do about it.  I could talk about TV and hot water in that same way.

 

In that time there was a high tolerance level for physical inconvenience.  Yes, many were in the same situation.  Yes, many things today considered necessities were unavailable.  Yes, most did not gripe, because if you could eat, live dry, and survive, that was acceptable.  Circumstances that could not be quickly “fixed” were accepted.

 

God had a goal.  God’s goal—to reconcile with people (2 Corinthians 5:20, 21).  Though God worked continuously, people kept hindering God by loving evil and hating His values.  The result: our reaction to God’s efforts continued to prolong God’s timetable.

 

Godly people committed to God’s values knew God was doing something special.  When they inquired as to WHEN God would do these unknown things, God said, “Not in your lifetime.”  Though the human need was enormous, God would achieve His goal in the future.  So God said, “Keep your commitment by understanding you are blessing people of the future.  I am using your faithfulness for My will, but My ultimate goal is not for you now.”

 

Can you imagine God telling you that?  “It is not about you or now.”  Psst—a secret.  What secret?  Christianity is still not about us or now.  The ultimate is not about forgiveness, nor the “correct” combination of forgiveness and physical indulgence.  The ultimate is about living with God eternally.  Would you suffer for others?  Would you say, “God, what happens to me is unimportant—just use it for Your purposes”?

 

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**Order of Worship**

 

Worship Leader -- Brent Evans
#749 - The Battle Belongs to the Lord (vs. 1, 2, 3)

 

Welcome
How Great is Our God (on screen)
#76 – How Great Thou Art (vs. 1, 4)
#96 – I Stand in Awe
Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross (on screen)

 

Table of the Lord
Offering
#781 – Thank You, Lord

 

Coins for Christ
#694 – Servant Song
#705 – A Common Love

 

Message -- Chris Benjamin 

 

Song for Responses
828 – Instruments of Your Peace (vs. 1, 2)
 
Elder’s Prayer

 

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**The Prayers Go Up ... And the Blessings Come Down!**
• Aura Lee Land (Ann Selig’s mother) has been moved to Dardanelle Nursing Home for rehab.
• Praise! Dr. Bob Whittaker, Director of the Nigerian Christian Hospital, who was shot and kidnapped by armed gunmen on August 2, was released and is receiving medical treatment for his wound.  For a current update on Dr. Whittaker, go to http://www.ihcf.net/.
• Pray for a safe journey for Deborah Wilson as she travels to Laos this week to visit and encourage family. 
• Donna Miller was released from the hospital on Monday.  She is thankful for the prayers and visits.
• Fred Carter (Lynn Dickey’s father) is dealing with health decisions and needs prayers to make the right choices.
• Genevieve Rhodes has moved to HealthSouth, room 235B.
• Janice Prater suffered a mild heart attack Tuesday and was admitted to St. Edward Hospital.  Test results show there is no damage, and she is scheduled to go home Friday (8/7/09).
• On Wednesday (8/5/09), John Hawkins was entering his third day of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  Nadine says he is doing really well at this point. They wish to express their appreciation for the concern of their West-Ark friends and the prayers on John’s behalf.
• Kendra Abbey (a friend of Cami Stancil’s) began chemo this week to treat breast cancer. After six weekly chemo treatments she will return to MD Anderson for re-evaluation. Cami asks for prayers for healing and strength for her friend.
• Praise! Laverne Branum (grandmother of Michaela Schaper) was released from the hospital last week and is doing much better.
• Mary Wray (Vicki Anderson’s mother) is in Sparks Hospital, room 578.  She is in rehab and may be dismissed at the end of the week.
• Julie Tignor’s mother (Marietta Keller) and brother (Edgar Keller) were in a car accident Friday night in Montana.  Mrs. Keller is doing well. Edgar was released from ICU on Monday. He will be wearing a back brace for 6 weeks, but should recover fine.
• Shirley Washburn (John & Hazel  Richard’s daughter) has a torn cartilage in her knee and will need surgery.
• Praise!  Stephen Jennemann’s grandmother, Panchita Lamboy, is out of the hospital and recovering with family. 
• Wanda Braker was in the hospital this past weekend having her medication adjusted. She went home on Monday.

 

**Bereaved in Prayer**
Our love and sympathy is extended to John & Nelda Fowler in the death of their brother-in-law, Jim Bynum, on Sunday. Services were today (8/6/09) at Edwards Van-Alma Funeral Home.

 

**Continue to Pray for ...**
• Bobbie Bolinger
• Inez Hatfield
• Jake Lyon & Family
• Margaret Stone
• Sue Jobe
• Wilma Son
• Winnie Brown

 

**West-Ark Online Calendar!**
www.westark.org/calendar.htm

 

• 70th Birthday Celebration for Luis Mendez, August 8, 2 PM in the FLC (SHHH ... it’s a secret!)
• Game Day, Thursday, August 13, 12 to 3 PM in the Annex.  Bring your favorite game and a friend!
• Joy Bunch,  August 15, “Back-to-School Celebration.” Please submit 1st grade pictures (or other early elementary photos) to one of the  sponsors.
• Bean & Bailey, August 29, 7 PM in the Auditorium (free admission for all)
• Joy Bunch, September 19, we will be traveling to the Amish Farm in Oklahoma for dinner. Please sign the list in the foyer or a sponsor’s list, and pay in advance.

 

**King’s Kids Calendar**
• Kids For Christ is now meeting upstairs on Sunday nights (ages are 3 years- 4th grade).
• August 9, School Supply Sunday (no children’s worship)
• August 30, Back-to-School Blessing (no children’s worship)
• August 30, Back-to-School Bash (K-6th grade and families) after morning worship to 1:30 PM.

PLEASE RSVP at www.westarkkids.org/btsbash or at the King’s Kids’ Board in the foyer.

 

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**Wedding Shower**
for Katherine Evans (daughter of Elizabeth Evans)
Sunday, August 9, 2:00 PM in the Annex
Katherine is registered at JC Penney, Wal-Mart & Target.

 

**Wedding Invitation**
Katherine Evans & Matthew Montgomery
will be joined in marriage on Saturday, August 15, 2 PM at
Pleasant Valley Church of Christ, Van Buren, AR.

 

**Financial Peace University**
Class begins August 23rd on Sunday evenings from 5 to 7 PM upstairs in Room 211. For more details contact Jeff & Michelle Lovelace at mmlovelace [at] sbcglobal.net

 

**Farewell Party for the Interns**
Please join us Sunday night, August 9th from 6:00-8:00 PM in the Family Life Center (gym). We will have a time of worship as well as a time for the interns to speak to the teens and parents about their time here. There will also be an opportunity for teens and parents to speak to the interns about what this summer has meant to them.
 
To help show our appreciation for how much the interns did this summer we will set out a money tree that will be split amongst the interns, and we will also set out individual baskets like we do for graduating Seniors. We encourage you to fill the baskets with gifts, cards, toys, inside jokes, etc. We want to send them off with a bang - Please join us!  (Drinks and desserts will be provided.)

 

**Note: If you can’t make it to the Farewell Party, the interns will be in Room 106 for about 30 minutes immediately following morning church service this Sunday, August 9, if you would like to say goodbye to them or contribute to the money tree or gift baskets.

 

**School Supply Sunday, August 9!**

 

Proverbs 14:31 tells us that God is honored when we help the needy.  For the third year, the Hope Chest is providing an opportunity for us to be blessed by giving school supplies for children in our community.  The list of suggested supplies is printed below. 

 

Please bring all or some of these with you to worship on Sunday!  Whatever you can bring will be appreciated and useful!  All supplies will be collected on the stage in the auditorium. May we all work together to share God’s love in this very tangible way.  To Him be all the glory!

 

• pencil pouch
• colored pencils
• glue sticks
• plastic pocket folders    with prongs
• pronged folders
• pocket folders
• 1” ring binders with pockets
• red ink pens
• blue ink pens
• black ink pens
• highlighters
• erasers
• Fiskars pointed scissors
• Fiskars blunt scissors
• box of tissues
• wide-ruled spiral one-subject notebooks
• wide-ruled notebook paper

 

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**Youth Group // News**

 

Thanks! - Thanks to everyone who helped make the Mystery Trip possible. We really appreciate you!

 

Farewell Party for the Interns - Sunday, August 9 // 6:00-8:00 PM in the Family Life Center
We will have a time of worship and a time for the interns to speak about their time here. Teens and parents will get a chance to speak as well. To help show our appreciation for how much the interns did this summer we will set out a money tree that will be split amongst the interns and we will set out individual baskets like we do for graduating Seniors. We encourage you to fill the baskets with gifts, cards, toys, inside jokes, etc. We want to send them off with a bang - Please join us!  (Drinks and desserts will be provided.)
**Note: If you can’t make it to the Farewell Party that evening, the interns will be in Room 106 for about 30 minutes immediately following morning church service this Sunday if you would like to say goodbye and contribute to the money tree or gift baskets.

 

JUMP Start Youth Rally - August 14-16  /  Neosho, MO
The vans will be leaving at 4 PM sharp on Friday.

 

Parent Meeting / Family Devo - Sunday, August 23 / 6 PM / Family Life Center
Bring your calendars and planners; we will be going over the Fall Calendar. Parents: get ready to sign up to help with upcoming events! Please bring desserts or snacks.

 

Bean and Bailey - Saturday, August 29  /  7 PM 
Come and join the fun as Bean and Bailey perform their hilarious comedy routine in West-Ark’s Auditorium. Be sure to bring a friend. Admission is free.

 

**Happy Birthday To...**

 

August 10
Mary Vampola

 

August 11
Michael Blasdel
Mitch Harper
John Lankford
Tyler Gentry

 

August 12
Carlene Payne

 

August 13
Mary Broyles
Kelvin Kleman

 

August 14
Janet Cathey
Martha Gooden

 

**Morning Nursery**
Trish Carson
Dwonne & Breck Cogswell
Vicki Anderson

 

**Evening Nursery**
Terri Jones
Marquetta Walker

 

**Attendance and Contribution Count**
Bible Classes...………....380   
Sunday AM Worship.…...614
Sunday PM Worship…...147
Wednesday Classes…...261
Contribution………..$19,358
Children’s Homes……..$319
Coins For Christ.............$35

 

Lao Worship
Attendance……………...N/A
Contribution……………$165

 

Iglesia de Cristo
Attendance………………..97
Contribution……………$260