Prayer Meeting Report

We had a good half hour of prayer together last night. A good mix of people & ages. Nice to see people hanging around in parking lot afterwards. Made me want our own place.

Also, i've posted the congregational letter to prep for Sunday 6:00pm over at http://morestill.blogspot.com/2004/09/letter-went-out-usps-today.html

Tonite at Hope

For those whose schedule allows, I'll lead a time of informal prayer & fellowship. Children will gladly be welcomed in this laid back time. 6:00-6:45 at Hope Church (corner Tower & 24th). Also, Don Walker, the pastor of Hope and generous friend of Christ Community, is at his father's funeral today. A wreath from CCC is there as well.

Opportunity to Pray & Mutually Encourage, post-Jeanne

A very informal gathering for prayer & fellowship will be held Wednesday from 6:00pm to 6:45 at Hope Community Church (corner of Tower Road & SW 24th).
Don't feel pressure to be there, we know this is last minute but felt like getting together might be helpful to many.

Call if you need help...

If you need help, large or small, don't hesitate to call one of the numbers listed in the post below.

Service Cancelled

The elders have decided to cancel all Sunday morning activity due to Hurricane Jeanne. If you need help preparing or, in the event of disaster, help recovering contact Rob Pendley 359-6597, Ray Treadwell 682-5476, Frank Stankunas 258-3241, Steve Lammers 377-4035, or Jason MacGregor 359-6604.

Elders are monitoring, watch robpendley.blogspot for announcement

Gainesville.com The Gainesville Sun Gainesville, Fla.

We are watching to see what is the wisest course for Sunday morning gathering.
If you need help getting ready for hurricane, call Frank Stankunas 332-9258 or 258-3241 or Jason & Kelly MacGregor 359-6604

Save the Date

The LLC and Elders agreed that we need a church meeting to talk church business on October 3rd at Hope Church, 6pm.
Agenda and background info will be sent to members & regular attenders, USPS on Sept 29th.
Please be in prayer for this meeting.

Pensacola hurricane relief

This is from our Presbytery... contact Ben Harris if you would like to help...

We are gearing up to help those in Pensacola. They need chain saws and
roofing help among other things. Ben Harris from Pinewood is coordinating
for us and would be glad to give you information as he is in regular
communication with Ron and Judy Haynes who are our Disaster Coordinators for
the denomination. Ben's email: bnharfla@msn.com and phone: (904) 610-0818.

Haiti Relief

The elders and LLC approved sending $800 emergency financial relief to Haiti...
An additional word about Haiti from our denomination's mercy efforts :
<> Donations needed: Mission to North America (MNA) initiated an appeal for gifts to provide relief because of the Haitian floods that occurred during the summer; this appeal was just barely underway when Hurricane Charley hit Florida. In addition to his work in Miami, MNA Haitian Movement Leader Dony St. Germain leads church planting in the southern part of Haiti. In addition to the summer floods, Dony reports that Hurricane Jeanne caused extensive damage to a church building, individual homes and an economic development project in the southern part of Haiti. Therefore, additional financial resources are needed for Haiti as well; Haiti's needs will be considered as a part of the overall hurricane relief appeal.
<> Medical volunteers are needed for Haiti: medical personnel, if you can consider responding to this need, please contact Dony St. Germain at (786) 543-2004, or email:
donysha AT aol DOT com At this time, we are not seeking other types of volunteers for Haiti; only medical.

Resources on dealing with tradedy/suffering

Covenant Seminary - Resource Files: " Help me learn more about"

The Best Children's Program Going

The Family: Together in God's Presence

In my place condemned He stood

Sunday we'll sing together:
Bearing shame and scoffing rude,
In my place condemned He stood;
Sealed my pardon with His blood.
Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Next Tuesday the women will hear words like this:
The gospel humbles me out of my pride, showing me that I am a sinner.
But it also values me out of my fear, showing me what Jesus was willing to do for me.
--Tim Keller, Practical Grace Series on 1 Corinthians 13

Stop and wonder for a bit, would you?

Prayer For You

Almost Every Wednesday at 1:30 i meet w/ Ty Keys and Marion CLark (Other local pastors) and pray... you are always prayed for generally, and if i'm aware of special needs, you get that prayer. Feel free to debbie if you ever have an urgent prayer need for this weekly meeting.

9am Sunday I begin teaching class on Conflict & Peacemaking

Getting To the Heart of Conflict: What causes fights and quarrels among you? Idols of the Heart, Idolatry

A Declawed Jesus?

“To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies.” Dorothy Sayers

Congregational Letter link

http://morestill.blogspot.com/2004/09/congregational-letter.html

MNA : Hurricane Relief Home Page

MNA : African American Ministries Home Page

Home devotion for Sunday

Because we cancelled our service at Oak Hall, consider doing this devotional at home.

Read Psalm 147 and/or 148. Both speak graphically about our God's power and goodness. He is sovereignly/totally controlling Hurrican Frances and will send the mph wind and inches of rain that He necessary to most clearly communicate His power and goodness.

After reading the psalm(s) ask: What reasons does this psalm give us for praising God? Stop and do that. What comfort can be derived from knowing that our Father in Heaven rules the wind and the rain?

Scripture also clearly teaches that God is near to the broken-hearted. And there will be broken-hearted in Florida on Monday. Perhaps from our own church family. Pray that God will send His Spirit to strengthen the suffering and mobilize His church to help the same.

The poem/hymn below from William Cowper (1700's) always helps me hope in Christ at times like this:

God moves in a mysterious wayHis wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the seaAnd rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable minesOf never failing skillHe treasures up His bright designsAnd works His sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;The clouds ye so much dreadAre big with mercy and shall breakIn blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,But trust Him for His grace;Behind a frowning providenceHe hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,Unfolding every hour;The bud may have a bitter taste,But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to errAnd scan His work in vain;God is His own interpreter,And He will make it plain.

Praying with you and for you,

Rob

Hurricane and Sunday

Well, those of you enrolled in our yahoo group should have gotten an email telling you...
the Dive-In is cancelled and we might rescedule...
What about our Sunday gathering for worship at Oak Hall? Not sure yet, i'll be in contact with the elders and other leaders and let you know via this website. We'll probably try to make a decision by 5pm Saturday. If the power goes off before that and you still have access to a phone... call 359-6604 and we'll have a voice mail there to inform you of the plans.

How do I pray? It is right and good to ask God for mercy. It always is. Our primary loyalty is to His work to awaken people to their need for Him and His strong love for them. So, dependant upon His wisdom on the best means to that end, we boldly present our requests and leave it to His good will.