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Family Lines
Newsletter, December 13, 2009
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**How Do I
Determine My Needs?**
By David
Chadwell
“Do not lay
up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroys, and where
thieves break in and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or
steal; for where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” Matthew
6:19-21, Jesus’ words
Recently I
was rearranging a drawer. In it was an old certificate that was faded and
cracked—ready to become worthless tatters. Almost 60 years ago it was very
important—worth saving. Now it is the height of unimportance. About
60 years ago it said something about me that I thought was important. Now
it is laughable! Time changes everything—especially that which we view as
an important need.
In pursing
what we call life, we confuse want with need. Have
you noticed how often we refer to a want as a need? I laughingly told
someone recently that it took me 25 years to acquire my hunting gear (oh, how
deliberately I assembled each piece I needed). It took maybe a
month to dispose of it (suddenly I did not need any of
it).
I wonder how
much all of us acquire in life only to discover “I did not need
that.” Joyce often says there will not be a dumpster big enough to hold
all that our children will throw away when we die. We can, even now, hear
them say, “Why did Mom and Dad keep THAT?” When we die, we all will leave
many things that none of us would like to be used to define who we were
or what was important in our lives.
There is an
eternity. This physical life is NOT all there is. With Jesus, when
we are presented to God, who we were will be far more important than what we
owned. The issue in physical life (to God) will not be what we managed to
acquire, but who in Jesus we were. The issue will be how we lived because
we understood Jesus’ values (which are God’s values). It will involve the
importance we placed on the eternal.
Wonder how
our priorities in physical life would change, how our purchases would be
altered, and how our collections would change if we lived life again
after we met God? You do not have to meet God to change—time will
show us how silly we are! As we get older, the things that were so
important in younger days become unimportant. Refuse to let the
unimportant rule your existence! Live for the
eternal!
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**Order of
Worship**
Worship
Leader -- Brent Evans
#997 – O
Come, All Ye Faithful (vs. 1, 2, 3)
Welcome
#2 – We
Praise Thee, O God (vs. 1, 2)
#3 –
Hallelujah, Praise Jehovah (vs. 1)
#4 – To God
Be The Glory (vs. 1, 2)
Prayer
#251 – The
Lord Thy God (repeat)
In Christ
Alone (on screen)
Table of the
Lord
Offering
#1018 – Joy
to the World (vs. 1, 2, 4)
Coins for
Christ and Dismiss for Children’s Worship
#8 – Let
Every Heart Rejoice and Sing (vs. 1, 2)
Message –
Chris Benjamin
Song for
Responses
Create In Me
a Clean Heart
Refiner’s
Fire
Elder’s
Prayer
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**In Our
Thoughts & Prayers**
• Inez
Hatfield is still having back pain.
• Jim Dunn
(Ruth Gouty’s nephew) will have surgery to remove a brain tumor on Thursday in
Springfield, Missouri. Please pray for minimal invasion and success for
this surgery.
• Sharon
Carroll (Chris’s mother) is recovering from back surgery. It is expected
that her recovery and rehab will be a lengthy process. Cards of
encouragement may be sent to Brice and Sharon Carroll, 388 Grandstaff Drive, Hot
Springs, AR 71913.
• Samuel
Abebe from the Addis Ababa congregation in Ethiopia continues to recover from a
serious stroke. Samuel has been a blessing to the church there for many
years.
• Van Humphrey (sister of Lou Winchell) is very ill in the Batesville
Hospital.
**Bereaved in
Prayer**
Our love and
sympathy is extended to the following families in their
loss:
• Nadine
Hawkins and Robin (Hawkins) Murphy in the death of daughter and sister, Vicki
Varvel in Texas on Dec. 3. Nadine and Robin plan to stay with Vicki’s
family until after Christmas.
• Norma Jean
Breedlove (former member) in the death of her sister, Irma Nell Evans. The
funeral will be Friday (Dec. 11) in Little Rock. Memorials may be made to
the Fort Smith chapter of the Red Cross.
• Carolyn
Hankins and family in the unexpected death of Carolyn’s niece Jenny (age 36) in
Colorado. Jenny leaves a husband and two young daughters.
**Continued
Prayers**
Continue to
pray for Bobbie Bollinger, Caidan Dockery, Sophia Cannedy (mother of Jennifer
Gann), Sue Jobe (Ralph Smith’s sister), Bob (Sharon Knight’s brother), Aura Lee
Land, Lela Neal, Geneva Shepherd, Wilma Son, Margaret Stone, and Ruth Bearden
(Pat Yick’s mother).
**Prayer
Pager: 441-2378 Geneva Shepherd**
**Welcome to
Our Family!**
Chris &
Jamilyn Knight
110 Wapiti
Lane
Poteau, OK
74953
Phone: (405)
269-6476
**You Are
Invited to A Bridal Shower**
honoring Bill
Davidson (son of Bob and Jo) and Amy Couture
Monday,
December 21, 5:00 - 7:00 PM at the home
of Danna Turpin.
Bill and Amy
are registered at Dillard’s and Bed Bath & Beyond.
Gift cards
are welcome, but only from Bed Bath & Beyond and Macy’s. (The Boston area
does not have a Dillard’s store.)
**JOY
Bunch!**
Come join the
fun on December 19--we ask that you bring a wrapped “white elephant” gift and we
will use the Dirty Santa rules for the gift exchange. Hope to see you at 6 PM.
in the Family Life Center (gym).
**York
College Concert Choir Coming in January!**
A musical
blessing is coming our way in January! The York College Concert Choir from
York College in Nebraska will be here at West-Ark to sing for us on Thursday
evening, January 7.
We need to
provide housing for the students the night of Jan. 7. If you can house 2,
4, or even more students, please contact Mary Burkett. (The choir members travel with two people sharing
one suitcase, so they need to be housed in pairs.)
Additional
housing details:
* The night
of the performance the choir members will eat supper in the
gym.
* Families
that house students need to have them back at the church building at 7 AM on
Friday morning and provide a sack lunch for their journey.
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**The Hope
Chest Toy Giveaway**
The Hope
Chest Toy Giveaway is Saturday, December 12 starting at 10:00 AM in the Family
Life Center.
West-Ark
volunteers working the Toy Giveaway on Saturday -- please come in through the
double front doors of the church building…this will bypass the crowd and make it
much easier for you to make it into the Family Life Center (gym).
Thursday,
Dec. 10, 7:00-9:00 PM – Workers will be needed to help set up tables and
toys.
Friday, Dec.
11, 10:00 AM-5:00 PM -- Workers will be needed to continue putting out toys –
come any time during the day if you can help.
Saturday,
Dec. 12, 9:45 AM -- Devotional for giveaway workers
10:00 AM -- 2009 Hope
Chest Toy Giveaway begins
1:00-2:00 PM -- Clean up
workers will be needed to get the gym back in shape.
**Shopping
Bags Needed**
The Hope
Chest is in need of large shopping bags. The bags can be put in the Hope Chest
box in the foyer. No plastic grocery bags are needed.
Thanks!
**Financial
Peace Simulcast**
Dave is
coming to town! Dave Ramsey that is. West-Ark will be hosting a live
simulcast of the Total Money Makeover show coming up on March 13th,
2010. Tickets are on sale now for this event for only $9 and can be
purchased through the church office. Live events cost as much as $50, and
you have to drive to Dallas to be a part of it. But, you can come see the
show here at West-Ark live for only $9. Get your tickets quick, they won’t
last. For more details about the show, contact Jeff or Michelle Lovelace.
**Good News
for the LFC Campus House!**
We wanted to
let everyone know that our approval for the Lions for Christ (LFC) house has
been granted as of Tuesday night, December 8th by the Fort Smith City Planning
Commission! Thanks to all of you for your help, prayers, and support; you
have had a huge part in the success of this venture. May the glory
go to God for all that has happened and all that will happen as we prepare the
house for moving in and reaching out to the students at
UAFS!
**King’s Kids
Calendar **
Saturday,
December 12
9:30 AM -
Bridge 56 Kids “report for duty” in the Gym for Toy
Giveaway
6:00 PM -
King’s Kids FAMILY Movie Night in the Gym - bring the entire family & invite
your friends!
See the link
below for more info and to RSVP:
http://www.facebook.com/eventphp?eid=194723432300&index=1
Sunday,
December 13
5:00 pm -
Bridge 56 Christmas Party
(Meet in B56
Room. Girls bring chips, guys bring drinks. Scavenger Hunt (offsite)
will begin at 5 pm, then back to the building for fun and goodies!
All activities will conclude at 7 pm. Parents are welcome to join us -
especially during the Scavenger Hunt!)
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**Youth Group
News**
Parent
Meeting / Family Devo - Sunday, December 13
Meet in the
Family Life Center (gym) at 6 PM. We will be going over the Spring calendar so
be sure and bring your personal planners, blackberrys, etc. Please bring either
a snack or dessert to share.
Youth Group -
Wednesday, December 16
Join us for
class in the youth group room at 7 PM. We continue our series called, “My
Own Jesus”. Bring your Bible!
*NEW EVENT
(not on calendar) WAYG Girls Ornament Exchange - Sunday, December
20
Last year,
the WAYG junior high girls did an ornament exchange but this year we want to
open it up to all youth group girls. The exchange will take place on Sunday
afternoon, Dec 20, from 2-4 pm at the home of Lauren Hankins. (2409 Rannoch
Lane, Fort Smith) We realize the Youth Group Christmas party is that night, but
this would make it a little bit longer of an event. Each girl needs only to
bring a new wrapped ornament.
Christmas
Party - Sunday, December 20
This is a FUN
event that you won’t want to miss. Bring $3 to help cover food costs and a
gift that costs $10 or less for a gift exchange (no gag gifts or gift cards). We
will be doing a “progressive dinner” where we eat an appetizer at one house,
salad at another house, main course at another and dessert and gift exchange at
the last house. We’ll leave from the building at 5 PM and return by 8
PM. Don’t miss it!
New Year’s
Eve Lock-In at Southside in Rogers - Thursday, December
31
We are STILL
in need of sponsors for this event. As this is Rick & Kristi’s wedding
anniversary, they cannot go. If we are unable to find sponsors by Dec. 20,
we will have to cancel this event. Please contact Rick or Jackie if you
can help ASAP. Thanks!
Winterfest
2010 - January 15-17, 2010
The cost for
Winterfest is now $65. For more details, pick up an application in class or by
the bulletin board.
UPCOMING
EVENTS!
Look for more
information, applications, etc. for the following events coming
soon.
- Mid-South
Girls Conference, January 29-30, 2010
- Christeens
(HS only), February 26-28, 2010
- Mexico
Mission Trip, March 20-27, 2010
**Happy
Birthday To ...**
December
13
Andy
Stotts
December
14
James
Roughley
December
15
Michael
Jones
December
17
Stacie
Cook
Olan
Nincehelser
December
18
Jane
Binyon
Nadia
Nelson
Lloyd
Summers
Allie
Whitaker
**Attendance
and Contribution Count**
Bible
Classes...………....333
Sunday AM
Attendance..602
Sunday PM
Attendance..N/A
Wednesday
Classes…...N/A
Contribution………..$21,474
Children’s
Homes……..$197
Coins For
Christ.............$22
Lao
Worship
Attendance……………......34
Contribution……………$164
Iglesia de
Cristo
Attendance………………..49
Contribution……………$168
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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