Messenger. The. A Publication of Community Bible Fellowship November 2016

Transcription

1 Messenger The A Publication of Community Bible Fellowship November 2016

2 Every 3rd Wednesday we offer a supper at 6:00 PM, and at 7:00 PM we offer a question-answer time with Cajun. The meal will be provided by the church with a donation basket to help with costs. Questions will be answered on a firstcome, first-served basis. If possible, please your questions beforehand to Cajun at pastorpauley@ gmail.com. ed questions will be answered prior to opening the floor for further questions. On these evenings, Bob Hoffman s Bible study will still be an option for adults. Also, Mandi Andresen & Mark Barnhouse will offer a Bible study for kids, ages Choir practice will be canceled on these evenings to allow everyone the chance to participate in the meal, fellowship and chat. Upcoming Christmas Series Mark your calendars and be sure to join us in December for our Christmas series A Call to Christmas. We will be looking at four calls given to us over the four Sundays of Advent. They are A Call to Prepare, A Call to Provide, A Call to Protect, and A Call to Praise. The message each Sunday will be accompanied by a short drama echoing the day s message. We look forward to having you and your friends & family join us for this special series. Annual Congregational Meeting Please join us on November 13th for our annual congregational meeting. Missions: The Carews in Africa What a blessing it was to have our African missionaries, Les & Caorl Carew, visit CBF last month! We hope you took the chance to visit with them while they were here and look through the interesting items they had at their table. If you feel led to support them and their mission in any way, please contact them soon. They will be in the U.S. until January; their contact info is below. Be sure to mention CBF if you join their Facebook group. Les & Carol Carew 1053 Quakenbush Rd., Unit B, Snow Camp, NC Phone: lescarew@gmail.com carewconnection/?ref=groups 2 The Messenger - November 2016

3 From The Deacons by Roy Langley Let the project begin! We have procured the loan for the electrical project. You may start seeing some Ameren trucks and workers. Materials are due to arrive with the electrician this week. Hopefully, he ll be starting very soon! Fall is here, and winter is just around the corner. Please refrain from adjusting the thermostats; the deacons will adjust them accordingly. If there is a problem, please let one of us know. Thank you! Gardeners that have used the east lot, we hope your season was bountiful! Thank you for tithing part of your produce back to the church. It was very beneficial for the church family. As the season comes to a close and you are finished with your harvesting, please remove all the residual materials to the compost pile. If you are going to use that area again next year, you may want to prepare the area by planting a cover crop or covering the area to minimize weed growth. That should help tilling be a bit easier next year! As always, we appreciate all the help and dedication we receive. Your faithfulness helps keep our work light and our service joyful! Landscaping Report by Cajun Pauley Though there is still a lot of work to do, landscaping is beginning to wind down for the season. The last of the weeding on the beds is taking place. One last pruning of the trees will soon be done too. There are three larger jobs left that you will hopefully see done in the next couple of weeks. 1. We ll be moving the last of the compost from the pile to the east of the main sanctuary to its new location at the far east end of the field. 2. The pile of mulch at the far east end of the walking path will be moved to behind Cajun s office where we are working on creating an outdoor area for counseling. 3. The enormous brush pile that we accumulated this year will be burned down. The area around it will then be cleared and three bee hives will be installed. We re hoping they ll not only enjoy the enormous fields of clover to the east of our property, but that they will also pollinate our gardens, landscape beds and orchard. Next season we hope to sow wildflowers all through the ditch to the south of the property. Not only is the purpose to be beautiful, but also to provide something flowering all season long for the bees and butterflies. Basically we re hoping to turn the entire southern length of our property into an extended butterfly garden. We hope you ll like it. The gardens are also winding down and buttoning up for the season. We re harvesting the last of the crops, mulching all the vines and covering the beds so that the worms can do a good job preparing them for next year s efforts. Pray for our gardens. Thank God for them. And consider helping out. 3 The Messenger - November 2016

4 Serving Children by Mark Barnhouse This year at Community Bible Fellowship we have expanded our outreach opportunities through Compassion International, serving kids around the world. Late last year we were able to work with the decorating team to create a permanent location in our building that can be used by the Outreach Team to have a constant presence to help children in need through Compassion International. The Compassion Wall has been used to show current and upcoming events, as well as pictures and letters of our sponsored kids; have a place for new sponsorship packets; and show awareness literature and scripture verses. In February, we hosted a child sponsor Letter Writing Party. During this event we discussed the letter writing process and the importance of our letters to our sponsored kids, and how we are building relationships with the letters we write and receive. We all took time to write a letter, too. We also looked at the Compassion website and learned more on how letters can be written online and also how pictures can be added to them. The best part - another child was sponsored during this event! The Mother-Baby Child Survival Program was introduced to the congregation in the month of May Mother s Day. This program focuses on mothers and their babies ages 0-3 years old. We had a short presentation at the beginning of service and had information displayed on the Outreach/Compassion bulletin board for the entire month. The donation/funding information on the brochures allowed people to take the packet and send out from home. The last Sunday service of July, we had the representatives from DCFS, Safe Families, and Compassion available for the congregation to talk face to face and one on one. Thanks to Pastor for his message directing us to God s heart and our responsibilities concerning orphans. We had some additional interest with each group, and we hope and pray we do all we can, encouraging everyone to take part in some way. We had our last Compassion event for the year in October Compassion Sunday. This is our annual event specifically designed to encourage child sponsorship which focuses on children ages 4 and up. The child sponsorship program allows us to help kids and their families with the financial burden of poverty, but more importantly, they get to hear the good news of Jesus Christ and all He has done for us. We also get to build 4 The Messenger - November 2016

5 a relationship with a child through letter writing and pictures. These children are from all over the world, but they are all facing life in poverty and the difficulties it brings for them and their families. We are blessed to have many congregates participating and serving in the child sponsorship program. We hope people will continue to enjoy serving these children. We hope with these different service opportunities everyone can find an avenue which works for them and their families to reach out, serve others, and serve God. 5 The Messenger - November 2016

6 Is America Christian? by Cajun Pauley President Obama has said that America is no longer a Christian nation. Is he right? There was a day when the church was literally at the center of the town. In fact, the church was often the first public building built, and the rest of the town was built around it. What do we find at the center of our cities now, if not commercial towers and shopping malls? There was a day when the church s steeple or cathedral towers made it the tallest building in the town, drawing the eye and pointing the mind toward heaven. Today, our tallest buildings are all dedicated to wealth and prestige, and they dwarf even the greatest of Earth s cathedrals. There was a day when the church regulated men s daily time schedule with their bells. They called men to remember times of prayer or to rejoice in the nuptial bliss of a newly married couple. Most men used to regulate their household clocks to the sound of the church bells. Today, our schedules are run by factory whistles and by punching in to time clocks. Those who aren t governed by their jobs are governed by the TV s programming schedule! There was a day when the church determined the seasons. The church invited mankind to enjoy the changing seasons with God in various feasts, holy days, or solemn convocations. The church was asked to bless the spring plantings, and the church was where people gathered to celebrate the harvest. Today, the seasons are determined by Walmart. The retailers determine when we should begin to think about Christmas, Easter, Valentine s Day, or (God forbid) Halloween, and every seasonal celebration oozes with crass materialism. News reports are made on how much money was made and what effect Christmas shopping will have on the economy. So, I guess the President is right. America is no longer a Christian nation. We are clearly a nation of conspicuous consumers, greedily sucking at Mammon s teat. No one can be a slave of two masters, since either he will hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be slaves of God and of money (Matthew 6:24 HCSB). 6 The Messenger - November 2016

7 Preparing Your Home for Winter by Billie Nicholson Nov 10, Have you taken time to give your home a winterprep review? If you get to these projects before the weather gets nasty, you will enjoy the work more and help extend the life of your home s components and make your property safer as well. Here are a few suggestions. 1. Heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems are first on the list. If you re using a fireplace or wood burning stove, inspect the firebox and flue system to ensure they re clean of soot, creosote and free of cracks or mortar voids that could be a fire hazard. If you have a gas or electric furnace, give it a run through before the temperature changes to catch any problems before you need to turn on the heat. Change the air filters to provide maximum efficiency and improve indoor air quality. Clean the whole house humidifier and replace the evaporator pad. Change batteries on smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Remove window air conditioners or cover them with insulated liners to prevent drafts. Make sure ceiling fans are moving in a clockwise direction to push warm air down. Check exposed ductwork in attic, basement and crawl spaces. Use a sealant to plug any leaks. Check all the weather stripping around windows and doors for drafts. Replace it as needed. Caulk any gaps. Do you have an alternative heating system should the electricity fail? Service and test generator. 2. Gutter, roof and drains should be examined next. Look for missing, damaged or warped shingles and replace them before they begin to leak. Check the flashing around chimney, walls, vent pipes and skylights for deterioration. Seal joints where water could leak in with roofing cement and a caulking gun. Check the gutters and downspout fasteners and secure if they re loose. Gutter covers help keep out debris. Clean your gutters if you don t have them. Make sure downspouts extend away from your foundation to prevent flooding and water damage. Cover all vents and openings to prevent insects, birds, rodents or other vermin from getting inside to make a warm nest for the winter. 3. Outdoor plumbing parts are susceptible to freezing during cold weather. Burst pipes can cause some of the most expensive repairs in your home. Insulate any exposed water or drain piping in any uninsulated space (like crawl space, attic, or outside walls) with electrical heating tape or foam insulation. Turn off the water supply to any exterior faucets and drain them. Adding an insulated cover can help, too. Disconnect and drain all garden hoses. If you are shutting down a seasonal property, be sure to turn off the water supply and drain the plumbing system. 4. Outdoor furnishings should be put away. Remove cushions and store all inside. Do the same for any outside toys, like boats, RVs, jet skis, motorcycles and lawnmowers. Do not drain them. Fill the tank if it is metal and add a gas stabilizer. Run them to get stabilizer into carburetors. 7 The Messenger - November 2016

8 November Birthdays & Anniversaries 11/5 Aiden Dowd 11/6 Jenny Stropes 11/7 Matt Ewing 11/8 Shaila Warren 11/17 Ray Norton 11/19 Dody Kelly 11/21 David Hemphill 11/22 Danny Warren 11/22 Stephen Stanford 11/25 Andrea Konie 11/27 Randy Dixon 11/27 Chelsey Duncan 11/28 Benjamin Peters 11/30 Ray and Brenda Leng Mark Your Calendar Every Wed., 7:00 PM - Bible Study, led by Bob Hoffman; Room N2 11/5 8:00 AM - Women With a Purpose; Chapel 11/6 2:00 AM - Daylight Savings Time Ends 11/6 2:00 PM - Young Adult Bible Study; Sipes Residence 11/13 11:30 AM - Annual Congregational Meeting 11/13 4:00 PM - High School Youth Group; Activity Room 11/16 6:00 PM - 3rd Wednesday Supper; Sanctuary 11/16 7:00 PM - 3rd Wednesday Bible Improv; Chapel 11/16 7:00 PM - 3rd Wednesday Kids Bible Study; Activity Room 10/19 7:00-11:00 AM - Blood Drive; Chapel 11/19 8:00 AM - Women With a Purpose; Room N2 11/19 3:00 PM - Galesburg Rescue Mission 11/20 2:00 PM - Young Adult Bible Study; Sipes Residence 10/27 5:00 PM - Junior High Youth Group; Activity Room CBF Financial Report - September Monthly Year To Date Total Income $13, $165, Total Expenses $16, $122, Net Operating Income ($ ) $22, SE 3rd Street Aledo, IL Phone: office@cbfaledo.org 8 The Messenger - November 2016