FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH PAMPA, TX AUGUST CALENDAR. God Bless America!

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1 God Bless America! RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH PAMPA, TX AUGUST CALENDAR MONDAY PIANO LESSONS 4:00PM DRUM LESSONS 4:00PM GUITAR LESSONS 4:30PM TUESDAY NEWSLETTER WORK CREW 9:30AM CYF PIZZA LUNCH 1:00PM ONE VISION PRACTICE - 6:00 PM WEDNESDAY ROSS GROUP 9:30AM BELL CHOIR 5:30PM (Starting Sept. 7 th ) SNACK SUPPER 6:15PM (Frito Pie) MUSIC BY YOUTH PRAISE BAND IN GATHERING PLACE 6:55PM YOUTH GROUPS (PRE-K HIGH SCHOOL & ADULT BIBLE STUDY & VISITATION IN THE SEEKERS CLASSROOM 7:05PM YOUTH PRAISE BAND PRACTICE 8:00PM THURSDAY SUNSHINE MINISTRY 8:00AM (Starting Sept. 6 th ) SUNDAY, AUG. 28, 2011 ELDERS & DEACONS 8:30AM SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:45AM MORNING WORSHIP-10:50AM HOME GROUP #2 - Joe Stringer 3:00PM

2 THE PAMPA CHRISTIAN NEWS FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1633 N. NELSON, PAMPA, TEXAS OFFICE PHONE PASTOR JEFF KNIGHTON, SR. MINISTER HOME PHONE & CELL (620) REV. DANIEL H. KOVALY, ASSOCIATE MINISTER - CELL REV. KARAKAY KOVALY ASSOCIATE MINISTER CELL CHECK OUR WEB PAGE address:fcc@nts-online.net CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: MONDAY THURSDAY; 8:00 AM 12 NOON, 1:30-5:00PM & FRIDAY 8:00AM 12 NOON SUNDAY SERVICES: SUNDAY SCHOOL 9:45AM, MORNING WORSHIP 10:50AM VOLUME XLXI NO. 33 AUGUST 23, 2011 STARTING THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AUGUST 24 TH : BELL CHOIR (Starting Sept. 7) 5:30pm SNACK SUPPER (Frito Pie) 6:15pm MUSIC BY YOUTH PRAISE BAND IN THE GATHERING PLACE 6:55PM YOUTH GROUPS (PRE-K THRU HIGH SCHOOL) 7:05PM ADULT BIBLE CLASSES (Starting on Aug. 31) 7:05PM YOUTH PRAISE BAND PRACTICE 8:00PM NOTE: VIOLIN & MANDOLIN LESSSONS ARE AVAILABLE IF THERE IS ENOUGH INTEREST! PLEASE CONTACT DAN IF YOU ARE INTERESTED! CYF PIZZA LUNCH HAS CHANGED TO TUESDAY AT 1:00PM!

3 IN HIS SERVICE - Aug. 28 & Sept. 4, 2011 PRESIDING ELDER: Aug Joel Morgan Sept. 4 - Joe Stringer COUNTERS: Aug Rick Morris, Katrina Neff & Kenny Williamson Sept. 4 - Angel Grant, Ann Franklin & Rodney Wichert ACOLYTES: Aug Braden Burrell & Jace Clark Sept. 4 - Carter Sprinkle & Avery Sprinkle GREETERS: Aug. 28 Janet Bilyeu, Jane Adams & Kathryn Killgo Sept. 4 Jim Osborne, Susie Osborne & Joy Bivins SOUND SYSTEM: Jim Pepper, Darrin Clendennen & Ron Hayes GOOD SAM S NEEDS AUGUST Canned soup, pots, crock pots, pans, skillets, little boy s shoes size 5 to 1, and men small sized jeans.. Men s & women s tennis shoes, bed pillows, towels, diapers, wash cloths, shampoo, deodorant, razors and BROWN SACKS! STEWARDSHIP REPORT Weekly Budget Needed - $7, Weekly Offering Received - $5, ATTENDANCE: MORNING WORSHIP August VISITORS August 21, 2011 Keeley Reid Geneva Harris Karen Jean Calvin & Rochelle Lacy Justin Long We are so blessed to have Jack & Carolyn Selby join our church family. They have been attending worship & other activities with us for some time. They are very musically talented and have shared that with us on several occasions. Please let them know how glad we are to have them with us! Tabatha Wright is proud to announce the birth of her daughter, Nevaeh (Heaven reversed). She was born on Aug. 4 th & weighed 3 lbs & 12.6 ozs. She was 17 1/2 inches long. She is the granddaughter of Sherry Burns and the great-granddaughter of Charles & Sherry Hall.

4 BARBED WIRE STAPLES & BUSTED CINCHES If you've ever saddled a horse you know full well that your saddle won't stay where you want it without tightening the cinch. It might stay on with a loose cinch, but you could end up trying to ride a bronc if you stay in a saddle that has fallen down around to the horse's belly! So it's always best to tighten the cinch. If you've ever built or repaired an old barbed wire fence, you know that the preferred way to secure a wire to a post is with a staple. Bailing wife will work on a post so old or hard that a staple won't stay in or hammer in. But staples usually don't rust out or break as can happen with bailing wire, so staples are best. All this is to say: I've got lots of different stuff on my mind this morning! For instance, it was a true blessing and joy to officiate at the baptism of Dalton Williamson, and to welcome new members Jack and Carolyn Selby into our fellowship. A new member beginning his faith journey, and two wise disciples adding their experience to ours: it was a blessed worship setting Sunday! I was blessed to remember what the hardest part about an "Ice cream taste-off" is. During our burger/ice cream/open mic gathering Sunday evening, we tasted and voted for the best flavor among seven different kinds of ice cream... and the hardest part was picking a "winner" among seven winners! Mercy, that was a fun, delicious task. We begin doing our part to share in "The Great Recovery" by offering Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University on Sunday, September 11. Ramsey has proposed that our nation can be turned around one family at a time as we liberate ourselves from slavery to the debt monster! Ask me if you'd like to know more, and remember you can join us even as late as Friday, September 2nd (in time to order materials). Did you know that "National Back to Church Sunday" is coming up September 18? I didn't know there was such a day, but there it is on my 2011 calendar, so I propose we take advantage of it. If you've been away for the summer, or simply not attended church for whatever reason of late, YOU are invited to join us for worship on Sunday, September 18. We won't be pointing you out or embarrassing anyone, but we'd love to have YOU in worship for National Back to Church Sunday! Finally, I'm grateful for those doing the work making it possible for us to put together a new All-Church Directory. Olen Mills will be here to take pictures September 28 - October 1. Check your calendars and find a time to sign up for our family portrait! I will appreciate it in part because I've still not quite got every name matched with every face among us, and I'll enjoy having an updated phone and address listing. Watch the Newsletter, or call the office for simple directions about signing up. Also, next time you see her, thank Dixie Nickell and her crew for their leadership! May yours be a week of perfectly mended fences and tightened cinches... that make for a week of Shalom! JEFF 8/28/11 A Wide-Open, Spacious Life 2 Corinthians 6:1-13

5 SAVE THE DATES! SEPT TH CCSW MEN S RETREAT LAKE BROWNWOOD RETREAT Registration forms are in the office. Earlybird reservation deadline is Aug. 31. SEPT. 23 & 24 TH - CWF FALL RETREAT CETA CANYON Registration forms available in the office. Pastor Gretel Morgan will be the keynoter on the subject of Prayer. SILVER RING THING The Pampa Pregnancy Support Center is sponsoring an exciting event in support of abstinence, called the "Silver Ring Thing." The event is being fully funded by the PSC, has the backing of the Pampa schools, and will be held in the PHS gymnasium on September 21st. The event will include encouragement from college-aged performers who extol the virtues of sexual integrity and abstinence. Volunteers are now being sought to help with set-up and take-down, with gifts of bottled water, with snacks, with t-shirt booths, and with host homes for the 14 young adults bringing the event to Pampa. If you would like to help in these ways, or if you would like to offer financial gifts in support of SPC's underwriting, please contact the church to sign on or to make a gift. FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY Financial Peace University's founder and teacher, Dave Ramsey, has placed a challenge before all Americans: "We can take back our government, one family at a time!" To do that, he suggests we come closer to "The Great Recovery" each time a family chooses to do the work of getting out from under the slavery of debt. We will be offering Ramsey's course in Financial Peace University beginning Sunday, September 11, at 7 pm; and we will offer a brief FPU Preview on Wednesday, August 24th, at 7 pm. Whether you have signed up (and several have), or would like to know a bit more about what FPU offers, you are invited to the preview. You are invited to prayerfully consider being a part of "The Great Recovery!" Please don't hesitate to visit with Jeff if you have questions. HANDBELL PRACTICE RESUMES! Wednesday, Sept. 7 th at 5:30pm

6 CARELINE CHURCH MEMBERS DUANE & BARBARA HOWE SHIRLEY WINBORNE JACK & CHARLENE HOOD PHYLLIS LARAMORE GENEVA BARTON BERNITA NIDIFFER BEVERLY CARRUTH FRANK & NELDA WALL ROY JONES DAKOTA & ANGEL WHINERY DAVEY BRIDGES MELISSA PARKER JOHN & BETTY KING JIM & ARDYTH ATKINS ZANE HALL TOMMY BOWERS VIOLA INGRUM DON HICKMAN NINA WOLFENBARGER JOHN & ANGELA KING GAGE CARRUTH JARILYN WICHERT BETTY ANDERSON LEXI & BRANDON MILLIGAN CARL BAUMGARDNER MILES & COLTON COOK CODY BROWN & FAMILY WILLIAM SIERMANS EDDIE HILL LILLIAN CHESHER CHLEO & BUCK WORLEY RELATIVES AND FRIENDS GAYLENE BRADLEY & IRIS DAY (daughter & friend of Shirley Winborne) KIM MORRIS (wife of Eddie Morris & daughter-in-law of Robert & Sammie Morris) LES JENNINGS & FAMILY and BELVA HILL (friends & mother of Kim Hill) CAROL & GEORGE EGGLESTON (friends of Richard & Anita Russell) NEVAEH WRIGHT (great granddaughter of Sherry & Charles Hall) ROBYN FRANKLIN & KENT HUDSON (sister-in-law & cousin of Darrell & Ann Franklin) TOM,& RANITA COOK & SONS (daughter of Eddie & Helen Barnett) RICHARD ARMSTRONG & FAMILY (father of Debbie Smith) LAVONNE SMITH (sister-in-law of Robert T. Smith) NITA WALKER & MARY TROXELL(aunt of Jill Troxel & mother of Scot Troxell) RACHEL KNIGHTON (daughter-in-law of Jeff & Linda Knighton) PAT MOTT & FAMILY (friends of Gayla Rigdon) JEFF HAWKINS (brother of Robbie Pepper) EARNEST FRISBEE (father of Melissa Parker) DON SNIDER (friend of John & Margie Pontious) RUSSELL COLLIER (son-in-law of Duane & Barbara Howe) ZANE BRYANT & FAMILY, DENNIS STOWERS, ANDREW LAURY & WANDA GARDNER (friends of Lynn & Amy Reed) AVENA COOK (mother of Miles Cook) LISA CLIFTON & DONNA LARSON (friends of Edna Hickman) CALVIN LACY & BRYCE MUSIC (father & friends of Janet Bilyeu) DALE WEST (friend of Trudy Sprinkle) JIMMY BROWNING (uncle of Dennis Norris & Jenny Bronner) CHELSEA BRANTWEIN & DR. RICHARD HIGH (friends of Steve & Gloria Hawins) McKAYLEE SWIFT (friend of Larami Lancaster) TEDDY EVANS & DON KITE (brother & son of Clara Sailor Crump) SLIM ANDERSON (nephew of Jr. Whinery)) CLARICE HOUGH (sister of Betty King) GREG GREENHOUSE (friend of Trudy Sprinkle), BARBARA GALLUCCI (sister of Cheryl & Gerald Lilley) ED SMITH & FAMILY (brother of Billy Smith) SAMANTHA STRAHAN & FAMILY (granddaughter of Clara Sailor Crump) REEVES KING (former member) JERRYE SMITH (sister of Roy King) JIM COPE (brother-in-law of Joe & Connie Holland) BOB STENSRUD (cousin of Linda Holt) ZANDER GEARHEART & CECELIA PENA & JESSICA FAY (friends of Dan & Kara Kay Kovaly) DORLA McANDREW (friend of Katherine Burrell) JUDY HACKWORTH & GLENN NEWMAN & FRANKIE (relatives of Suzy Sirmans) SARAH MARTINDALE ( friend of Suzy Sirmans) BUDDY NEWTON & KEN McGUIRE (brother & friend of Terry Gamblin) RANDY & LAURETTA RISELEY (brother & sister-in-law of Gayla Rigdon) CHARLOTTE HENDERICKS & DEANNE BLACKWELL (friend of Dennis & Ali Norris & Jenny Bronner) PHYLLIS EKELBERRY (daughter of Susie & Jim Osborne)

7 THANK YOU! To the First Christian Church, on behalf of the Texas Rodeo Bible Camp, we would like to express our sincerest appreciation to you for your generous donation. Without your support the Texas Rodeo Bible Camp could not be a successful event. It takes a tremendous amount of work, volunteers and financial assistance to maintain this event. You have impacted many young cowboys & cowgirls lives through your contribution. Please continue to pray for this event and the seeds that are planted in each and every life. Thank you once again for your gift and may God bless you as you have blessed us. Texas Rodeo Bible Camp To Jeff, Dan & Karakay & FCC, Pampa, Thank you so much for the blessings I received during the time of worship with you. What a special time for me! You showered me with Christ s love. You encouraged me by experiencing Christ s love through His servants. You are making a difference for the kingdom of Christ. Thank you for supporting me in the calling God has put upon my life and Victoria s. We pray that he will continue to use you in a might way. God Bless! Barry & Victoria Ward Thanks to Elizabeta Rodriguez, the nursery & playroom now have a new kitchen center & barbeque center. I m sure they will be enjoyed by all of the children! Thanks again! Mary Ellen Rodriguez UPCOMING EVENTS! MOTHER S DAY OUT REGISTRATION Tuesday, August 23 rd & August 25 th at 10:30am 1:00pm. Classes begin on Aug. 30 th & will be held on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 9am 3pm. PREVIEW OF FINANCIAL PEACE August 24 th at 7:00pm - Come & see how this financial plan works! Have You Taken Control of Your Health Today? Life Line Screening will be at First Christian Church on Friday, October 7, 2011 offering five safe, painless, non-invasive preventive health screenings that are typically not a part of a routine physical. To be more proactive about your health and live longer for yourself, your family, and your community, call to register at or visit You can learn your risk of having stroke or vascular disease, prices range from $129 to $159. There is no time like the present to take action!

8 Offering a Sacrifice of Praise There is an old saying many Christians use: Offer the Lord a sacrifice of praise, referring to Hebrews 13:15. In many circles this notion of a sacrifice of praise has almost becomes cliché, perhaps because worship does not often come at much cost, especially compared with the sacrifices of liberty and life to saints who ve gone before us. But when we worship with folks of various traditions or preferences, there are times when we may hear a prayer that uses language we might not naturally use, or sing a song that isn t really our style. That is part of what it means to be a member of a community as diverse as the church is. And perhaps that also helps shed some light on why it might require some sacrifice for us to give of ourselves, to gladly join in something new and/or different. When a song isn t working for you, praise God anyway because that probably means it is working for someone else who is very different from you. Offer your worship as a sacrifice rather than requiring others to sacrifice for your pleasure or contentment. There is something true in the notion we become one as God is one; it doesn t mean that we are the same - it just means that we are united by one Spirit. After all, we can become one only if there are many of us to begin with. Liturgy also puts a brake on self-centeredness. Certainly there is something beautiful about contemporary worship where we can take old things and add a little spice to them, like singing hymns to rock tunes or reciting creeds as spoken word rhymes. But shared calls to worship, the creeds, the Lord s Prayer, also protect us from simply making worship into a self-pleasing act. So if a song or prayer doesn t quite work for you, be thankful that it is probably truly resonating with someone who is different from you, and sacrifice your personal preference for the sake of others as you still offer true praise to the Lord. This is a sacrifice of praise that is pleasing to the Lord. (Copied.) My Dear Scrapbookers, I apologize for taking so long to commit to you, but I have finally come up with a solution that I hope will work for everyone. Due to hectic schedules, we have not been able to scrapbook. I have been asked about scrapbooking by a lot of people. I am hoping to start a scrapbook workshop that meets on the second Friday of the month starting in September. By starting early in the month, I hope to avoid the Christmas and Thanksgiving holiday season and have meetings all the way through the year without fail. If that Friday is found to be unacceptable, then we will change it. Please bring your stuff and start to work. Bring whatever snacks you like. I will bring some, too. I won t have the little trashcans that Amy had or the scrapbook catalogs that she had to buy from. I am sorry. Those will only be available when she comes to scrapbook with us. We do, however, need to keep the Seekers room as clean as possible for Charles while still having our fun. Hope to see you soon, Debbie Smith

9 COMPOSTING To those who have been contributing to the compost bin, thank you very much! Just a reminder please cut veggies and fruits into pieces so it will decompose quickly. No pits or seeds. Thanks again, Robbie Pepper NEW PARKING FOR HANDICAPPED How grateful we are that we now have more parking designated for those with physical limitations or challenges. And how grateful we are that those who utilize those spaces remember there are wider spaces designated "VAN ACCESS." Those spaces are made wider for ease in loading/unloading from vans. Thanks to all for heeding the handicapped parking space designations! FAITHFULNESS A valid sign of our relationship status with the Lord is the nature of the outward expression of our faithfulness. If we belong to God wholeheartedly, we will look and act like it in the world. In truth, the world knows who a person belongs to by what is seen and heard through them: is your devotion to the world or to the Lord? --Anonymous-- BACK TO SCHOOL After being back in school for a week a teenager asked, "Mom, what's the name of that boy I met at church camp this summer?" "Which one?" her mom asked. "Oh, you know - the one I said I couldn't live without!" As schools get back up and running this week, please be in prayer for the safety and smooth adjustments of children of all ages! THANK YOU!

10 Thank you to everyone who helped with VBS. It could not have been such a success without the donations and helpers. We had over 30 kids attend VBS this year. Thank you again for your support of this ministry. Amy Rodriguez A SPECIAL THANKS! The Evangelism and the Education Committees want to thank everyone who helped and who participated in the helped helped & participated in the successful luau. A special thanks goes out to out to our host families, the Bronners, the Killgos, to our host families, the Bronners, the Killgos, and the Norrisses. We had a great time and hope tocelebrate together again next summer! PANDAMANIA SUCCESS AT VBS VBS was a great success. Thanks so much to all who participated, but a special nod must go to the director, Amy Rodriguez, for a job well done! Thanks goes, also, to all who contributed food and supplies, all who donated money, and all who gave up their time to decorate, to teach, to cook, and to clean up. We really appreciated the teenagers, as well, who served as crew leaders and the children who attended and had a great time! Dan was a terrific panda and KaraKay a great leader. Thanks to Jeff and Linda and all the church for their support. We re looking forward to next year. How great God is! The Education Committee Many thanks to everyone who made VBS a success! Amy Rodriguez, the VBS director, did a wonderful job! Many thanks to all those who held specific roles: *Bamboo Crew Leaders & Helpers: *Preschoolers- Renee Alexander-Tyler & Jordan Degner, Brendan Grant, Tina Vance Hailee King, K lyn King, Madison Lewis, *Power Points & Lights Trudy Sprinkle Jazmine Ruose, Jelsie Rose, Brayden Trimble, Olivia Tyler & Jeffery Sirmans * Rowdy Wrap Up Karakay Kovaly *Bible Adventures Angel Grant *Sing & Play Opening Session & the *Chaddars Movie Mania Dustie Degner Panda Dan Kovaly * Clean Up & Snacks Joy Bivins *Snacks Janet Bilyeu, Mary Ellen *Crafts Kenny Williamson Rodriguez, Mary Sturgeon *Games Jonathan Tyler *Peter & Clean Up Joe Stringer And everyone else who contributed supplies, money, prayer and hard work! We appreciate you and couldn t have VBS without you!

11 Wednesday Nights Will Start Up Again, This Wednesday, August 24 at 6:15 pm This week s Snack Supper will be Frito Pie We hope you will join us for an exciting time! WEDNESDAY NIGHT SCHEDULES 5:30 pm Bell Choir-Sanctuary-Lead By: Robbie Pepper (Start on Sept. 7 th ) 6:15 pm Snack Supper only $ Fellowship Hall/Gathering Place 6:45pm Youth Lead Worship - Fellowship Hall/Gathering Place with music, devotionals, & skits. 7:05pm Adult Bible Study (All Ages) The Believers or Aquila Pricilla Class Room. The first night Jeff will be offering a preview of Financial Peace University, this class will officially start on Sunday, September 11 th at 7pm. The next week Janet Bilyeu, will start a study on Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan. Have you ever wondered if we re missing it? It s crazy if you think about it. The God of the Universe the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor loves us with a radical, unconditional, selfsacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We got to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions? This is the place for you! Youth Groups: Nursery: Babies through 3 years old. Lead By: Amy Rodriguez (Available from 7:00 to 8pm. Parents/Guardians must be on site to utilize this service.). PCYF: 4 years old to Kindergarten Lead By: Kenzie Clendennen CCYF: 1 st & 2 nd Lead By: Gayla Rigdon & Sue Burrell JYF: 3 rd, 4 th & 5 th Lead By: TBD* & Joe Stringer Chi Rho: 6 th, 7 th, & 8 th Lead By: Dan Kovaly & Katrina Neff CYF: 9 th, 10 th, 11 th, & 12 th Lead By: Angel Grant & Karakay Kovaly *If you feel called to provide this special ministry to this age group, please contact Angel or Karakay. News from The HPA Children s and Youth Committee A meeting was held a on August 13, 2011 and they elected our own, Dan Kovaly, as the chairperson for this very important Area Wide Committee that oversees all the camps and retreats! They also published tentative retreat and camp dates as follows: CFY Conf. June 3-8, 2012 Chi Rho Camp June 11-15, 2012 Junior Camp July 16-19, 2012 Please mark your calendar and look for more information later this year! Chi Rho Retreat Feb CYF Retreat Feb , 2012 Jr. Retreat March 2-4, 2012

12 Looking for Idea about what BIG events are happening on Wed. Nights this Fall? Here s the Youth Calendar: August 24 th August 31 st September 21 st September 28 th October 26 th November 16 th November 23 rd December 7 th December 14 th December 21 st December 28 th First Wednesday Night Big Kick Off Blow Out Silver Ring Thing for CYF and Chi Rho, Cool Crafts for JYF, CCYF, & PCYF FCC Open House Trunk or Treat Youth Lead Thanksgiving Worship No Wed. night activities for Thanksgiving Break Caroling Santa Party and Angel Tree No Wed. night activities for Christmas Break PISD Early release Date No Wed. night activities for Christmas/New Years Break. Adventures in Church Camps During the Month of July Once we returned from CYLS on July 2 nd Dan and I had 4 days in Pampa that we spent preparing and packing for General Assembly in Nashville. Robbie, Dan, and I left on Thursday morning and drove to just outside Ft. Smith, AK and stopped for the night. The next morning we continued our traveling into Nashville and checked into the hotel. Opening Worship started the next evening so we took the time to sleep and try to recharge our batteries for the adventure ahead. I attended the business sessions and daily worships as well as 2 youth ministers gatherings, a breakout session about how to hold holy conversations on delicate issues within our society and a breakout session about transforming congregations and how to facilitate multigenerational leadership and a nurturing attitude for all age groups. I would also like to schedule a time to meet with the elders and provide this information to them and see if we could have a congregational bible study and discussion on these topics. We arrived home on Friday, July 15 th and that evening we assisted Janet with the dinner for the ROTC mission trip.

13 On Monday, July 18 th we left for Junior Camp with the following campers in attendance: Jakob Wilson London Rowell Dalton Williamson Kambrie Neff Denver Rowell Chace Williamson Hylee Gomez Avery Sprinkle Carter Sprinkle Jayden Holland Kenny Williamson and Kenzie Carter also attended as sponsors. It was wonderful to spend time with this age group! They are such an active group and so much fun! We hiked to the falls on the Ceta Canyon side and spent time playing games and worshiping with them! They now love singing Pharaoh Pharaoh and many are now riding the van on Sunday mornings to come to Sunday school. We returned home on Thursday, July 21 st. On Saturday, July 23 rd we traveled to LBCR for 8ers camp for special training due to the delicate subject matter of 8ers and sex camp. Dan and I were both counselors and we were able to work together, the first time ever, as small group leaders! I attended last year as was able to be the group leader. Being Dan s first year he learned the materials and the general set up of 8ers and we really enjoyed working together during this camp. We were even able to provide a morning watch, or morning meditation, together! This is also the start of our training for keynoting 8ers camp. CLER ministeries, the ministry that provides 8ers camp has asked we come to Midland the first weekend in January (Jan. 5 th to 7 th ) to start the second phase for keynoter training. Jelsie Rose attended from our congregation and Paul Carruth, area minister for youth and emergent ministry, provided transportation for Jelsie and Chase Nabours (from Fritch, FCC) to camp. We arrived home on Saturday, July 30 th. On Monday, August 1 st we left for the Leave Your Mark Mission Trip and Rock the Desert. The mission trip was amazing! In the mornings we painted a house for an organization called Christmas in Action who serve the needy of Odessa and Midland. In the afternoons we visited a variety of different places. On Monday we visited Disciples Village

14 Retirement community where Dan and Corban provided a few songs to sing, we played bingo, and had an ice cream party. On Tuesday we visited High Sky Children s Ranch which is a foster home we played games and had another ice cream social. Many of the youth were highly impacted by this visit. The next day we visited a community center and provided labor for serving lunch and staff for games for under privileged children. The concert series started the next day and we enjoyed it while it lasted, but ended up coming home a day early because there was so much dust. It was an amazing experience to watch our youth change through each experience, you can tell the Holy Spirit has touched them in ways they hadn t experienced before. Another exciting event this summer was the creation of the God Squad. They visited the worship committee and asked to provide Sunday morning worship on 5 th Sundays and take full ownership of Wednesday evening worships. They met earlier this month and planned out Wed. night worships, be on the lookout for more information, coming soon. Again, I thank you all for the grace and privilege of serving our fellowship, Blessings~Karakay Once again it is time for a new pictorial directory. It seems impossible that it has been 4 years since we have had our pictures made. Our church family has grown and changed in many ways and we all need a wonderful reminder of our time together. The dates for pictures are Wednesday September 28th, Thursday September 29th, Friday September 30th and Saturday October 1st. Someone will be in the foyer with sign up sheets every Sunday so you can pick the right time for you and your family. Over the next 2 weeks only you will also have the option to sign up online at We are looking forward to hearing from each and every one of you. Thanks in advance for your cooperation. If you have questions you may call Dixie