May 4, 2008

Did you see the great news on the front of this bulletin? NEXT SUNDAY will be our first worship service in our new facility.  This will entail a lot of work this week in helping all of our teachers move their classroom materials and chairs in order for them to be prepared to teach their first class in their new classrooms.  If you are available to help us move, get with the elders to find out where you can be of the most help.

I am sorry I cannot be with all of you today.  Today I am privileged to be speaking for the 7th and Beech congregation in Durant for their annual “Friends and Family” day.  John Curtis, the preacher there, has been a good friend for several years and, of course, this congregation has supported Lane Heitz with the college program there for quite some time. I will be speaking for them three times today and then Pam and I will return home later this evening.  Please keep us in your prayers as we travel.      

As you may have noticed last week, there are some new classes occurring on Sunday mornings.  I have been given the great privilege of teaching a combined teen’s class on Sunday mornings and several of our men will be alternating teaching the adult auditorium class.  We have several men who have grown and matured in a wonderful way over the past few years.  I think you can see that this congregation is going to be in good hands for a long time to come.  I really appreciate these men and their willingness to step up and work anywhere they are needed. 

In conjunction with our move into our new facility this coming Sunday, we are having 24  hours of prayer this Friday and Saturday.  I want to encourage each of you to get involved in this special time of prayer.  I can think of no better foundation for our move into our new facility than to pray about it and for it for a solid 24 hours.  There are a lot of things people can’t do.  Not everyone is a carpenter, not everyone is an electrician or plumber.  Not everyone can haul gravel or run equipment, but everyone can pray.  This is the one area in which every single member of  his congregation, from the oldest to the youngest, can participate.  And, in a 24 hour time period, everyone can find 30 minutes to pray to God on behalf of this congregation and our work for the Lord.  If you have not yet signed up for a 30 minute session, the list is on the bulletin board in the foyer.  We will have prayer requests sheets ready to hand out today and Wednesday evening.  These sheets will help give direction to your prayers and all you have to do is add your own personal requests to the list.

And, one other thing, please don’t stop praying when the 24 hours is over.