Our YOUTH GET-TOGETHER on Sunday went very well. We had 51 youth from nine area churches attend. Youth from Garden City, Meade, Lakin, Colby, Hugoton, Satanta, Minneola, Ulysses and even Moriarity, N.M. were present. We bowled for 2 ½ hours, had a devotional and then shared a meal here at the building. Garden City shared the hosting of the event with us.
Thanks to John Turner for leading singing and Wes Baldwin for the devotional talk on "Nothing to Fear." Also, thank you to the men who cooked (Tracy Caffey and Glen Lubbers) and all the ladies who worked on the meal for us (Cathy Tyler, Lynda Caffey, Mary Smith, Nina Foster, Kristi Anderson, Jennifer Baker, Cheryl Baldwin ). Jennifer and Janet Newman did the registration. Others provided snacks, ran Power Point and did other acts of service. Thanks to you all! Our youth enjoyed their time with Christian teens from other churches.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL is just around the corner. The dates are July 29 to August 1. Our theme is Here am I: Mission Possible. We will be looking at missionaries and ministers in the Bible: Isaiah, Samuel, Moses and Jesus.
We have numerous open slots for you to volunteer and serve for this event. We need teachers and leaders for various activities. Please look at the list on the window of the nursery and find an activity to sign up for!
Summer is BIBLE CAMP season and our youth attend several camps. There is a table outside of my office with applications that several area camps have sent us. Consider sending your children, and consider going as an adult staff member! Camp is as exciting, fun and challenging for the adults as it is for the youth and kids. You will make friends with great Christian people from all over.
I think it is important to encourage our youth in their faith in all the ways that are available to us. The July issue of the Christian Chronicle has an article entitled, "Are We Losing Our Young People?" Flavil Yeakley’s research indicates that 45% of our young people leave the church after graduating from high school. Outside the Bible Belt that figure is as high as 80%.
Why do they leave? One minister quoted in the article says, "We never had them." They attended, but they never caught the gratitude for salvation, appreciation for body life or evangelistic fervor. Another couple says we expect the church to do too much of the training and teaching when we as parents need to be doing more of that at home.
One way to retain children is by involving them in actual mission work. Youth today want to do. Discussions about topics do not bind them as a group or generate interest like taking a mission trip does. (John Turner is planning/leading an inner city mission trip for our youth to Dallas this August! Let John know if you are interested in going).
One thing is certain ... we have to do all we can as a church and as families to implant the Word of God in the hearts of our children. Youth events, VBS, Bible camps, Bible classes, worship services, family discussions, mission trips, Christian friends ... we can’t leave anything out!!
Please look at the schedule of activities for the rest of this summer and decide where and how you will help in these various ministries to our youth. Thanks!
On a more regular basis, think of someone in this community that you can be in ministry to: a single-parent family, an older person, a child from your neighborhood or ball team. Visit in their homes, invite them into your home for a meal, pick them up for Bible class. Not only will such mission efforts potentially help these people and encourage us who do them, it will impress upon our children that we have a heart for God and his people. It is also preparing our own kids for a lifetime of faithfulness and mission!
Note: I will have some copies of the Christian Chronicle article on the table in the lobby for you to read.
Warren Baldwin
ULYSSES CHURCH OF CHRIST WEEKLY NEWSLETTER JULY 1, 2007 THOSE SERVING US TODAY
SONG SERVICE: Jason King
OPENING PRAYER: David Higgins
LORD’S TABLE: Bill Brown, Brian French
SCRIPTURE READING: Shane Sullivan, Rom. 12:1-2
SERMONS: AM: Living Sacrifices; PM: "Out of This World"
ANNOUNCEMENTS: Jason King
CLOSING PRAYER: Neal Haddock
POWERPOINT: Rick Trejo
BACKROOM/AISLE: Rob Berry
IN OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS
The Carters, Ronnie Lofland, Ronnie Williams, Sophie Baldwin, Lloyd Martin, Jared Rowe, Jordan Gauldin. Those expecting: Cinda Wolf, Erica Maple & Amy Carter.
Those with cancer: Les Ballard, Mary Turner, Levie Hughes, Gayle Caffey, Dewaine Moses, Darlene Lucero, Debbie Perry, Janett Smith, Larry Tremmel, Darris Hanes, Ryan Maturey, Valdene Huffman, Sharon Simpson, Teresa Haliburton, Lorraine Cook, John Stewart, Butch Wolf, Mark Lott, Teri Anderson, Ed Applegate, Don Williams, Norma Dudley, & Joyce Smith’s Aunt Irene & friend Rowena, Bobbie Wilson.
Military: Matt Jones, Mark Aycock, Chris Maturey, Matt Cook, John Wilson, Dave Knight, Jerry Baker, Nick McGraw, Travis Kaufman, Kenneth Schwindt, Curtis Keene, Timothy Newman, Brian Kelly, Trafton Wieland, Mark Newman, Brad Anderson, Chris Brown, Jamin Hartman, Monty Duncan, Brett Scarborough, Nick Lane, Marcus Betzold, Kenny Henley, Cyrus Cole, Danny Graves, Peter Gangwer, Chance Carter, Corey Shelbourne, Jacob Bauregard, Tyler Humphreys, Bruce Travis.
AREA HAPPENINGS (info on board)
Lariat Creek -July 8-14 - 7th-9th grade; 22-28 - 9th-12th grade.
Silver Maple - July 8-14 Jr Session; 15-21 Sr Session; July 22-28Jr./Sr. Session.
July 29-Aug 1 Ulysses VBS
SERVERS NEXT SUNDAY
Opening Prayer: Ken Kistler
Song Leader: John Eveleigh
Lord’s Table: Richard Brollier
Assist Lord’s Table: Karl Baker
Scripture: Warren Baldwin
Closing Prayer: Keith Steele
Power Point (Sun & Wed): Tracy Caffey
Care Groups
Wed PM Song Leader: John Eveleigh
Aisle Workers/Backroom: Rob Berry
Greeter: Ken & Pat Kistler
Elder in Charge: Maple
Weekly Budget needs: $2668
Last Weeks Contribution: $4370
Attendance Last Week: 90
TODAY
Elder Contact: Ted Maple
Greeters: Ted & Paula Maple
Birthdays: Sadie Manzano, Michael Tyler
The Youth will be meeting at the Baldwin’s home this evening at 6:00.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
There are sign up sheets in the hallway for VBS; Loaves & Fishes; Sunday Night Youth program & Ladies Night Out. Please sign up.
Dear Church Family, I need to add my thanks to Joyce’s and the Tuttles. I’m just a little bit slower (blame it on my age). It is still hard when I enter the auditorium and don’t see Roy sitting on the front row or leading the singing. I guess we all will miss his "Move to the front." He would have enjoyed the singing - it was great - also the dinner was really nice. Thank you for all you did for him and his family. The Mawhirters.
Here is Lloyd Martin’s address: St. Alexius Medical Center, Room 3408, 900 East Broadway, Bismark, ND 58501
Our sympathy is extended to Terri Vardeman and family in the passing of Terri’s father, Larry Barnard. Also, to Rick Trejo and family in the passing of Rick’s grandmother, Ursula Galvon.
We were going to have an ice cream social going away party for Justin & Shiella Vardeman on July 7 but will put that on hold until we can get with them to see what date will work due to the passing of Justin’s Grandfather.
The Ulysses Church exists to reach the lost, to continue to grow as a family of God, to serve our fellow man, to worship God, and to do all this in the spirit of unity.
