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May 2008 NewsletterFrom the Pastor I want to look at some of the Godly patterns for marriage and family. The family structure is being slowly destroyed, and we need to make sure we know God's plan. Community Outreach Fund Church of the Good Shepherd has established an account (Community Outreach Fund) for anyone who would like to give a special offering above and beyond their regular tithe and offerings. This may be the result of an inheritance you have received or memorials given to the church at the time of the death of a loved one. This account will be used to further our vision at the Church of the Good Shepherd of reaching the hurting, the lost, and the broken. It will be used for outreach to those in the communities around us. Some of the uses could be special events in and for the community. It could go towards large purchases of equipment to continue to reach the children in the communities around us such as buses and vans. These purchases will be approved by the deacons an on as-needed basis. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Thank You Spring 2008 Mission to Biloxi
We did drywall work for four days and then did framing work the last day we were there. Judi and another lady did support work for the team by doing 38 loads of laundry and fixing our meals each day.
Thank you to those who prayed for us and supported us in other ways. If you would be interested in making the next trip, it looks like it will be in October of this year. Talk to us and let us know so we can pray about this with you. Elmwood Spring Kids Club This Spring our group leaders are as follows: 1st grade, Sandy and JR Laborie, and Pastor David Miller; 2nd grade, Gwen England and Darlene Schetter, 3rd grade, Tess and Allison Gonyer; 4th grade, Tony Allion and Heather Hatcher. Forty children registered for Kids' Club, we average about 35 each week so far. The kids have a time of worship, a game, an activity, prayer requests, and memorize scripture at each meeting, which is a little less than an hour. Some of the children have already memorized John 1:29, "John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.'" Spring Club will run 6 weeks, with May 19 being our final meeting. Arkfest 2008 Arkfest, formerly, Ark-in-the-Park, is a CGS summer children's ministry for not only our own children, but the children from the surrounding villages and communities. During these four evenings in July, a vast army of volunteers of all ages will share their God given gifts and talents with children and their families. There will games, contest, crafts, snacks, and activities, as well as high energy worship and visual Bible lessons. It will be our desire for the children "to hear with their own ears" and see with their own eyes that there really isn't anyone like our Lord. Please pray about how the Lord would have you share His awesome love this summer. Volunteer sign up sheets are available at the Arkfest table in the foyer during the months of June and July. You may also register children, pick up additional volunteer sign up sheets, ask questions, see clips and pictures from previous Ark events and return your sign up sheets and registration forms at the Arkfest table. Volunteer sign up sheets should be returned to Judi Robinson by Sunday, June 1st.
The Lord Helps Us Psalm 32:10 "He who trusts in the Lord, shall be helped." For one reason or another, I have found myself in many harrowing experiences in my life, and whether it is because of my own foolishness or life happening, the Lord is always faithful to help me. Acts 26:2 says "I have had God's help to this very day," and if we think about all He's done for us, we will agree. God promises to help those who put their trust in Him. God is so gracious (Isaiah 30:18 "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion"), and God is so loyal to His promise ( Jer. 1:12 "...I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it,") that He doesn't ask me, "What did you do this time?" or "You got yourself into this one, now get yourself out." He just looks at a heart that cries, "Help me, Abba, I'm in trouble again and I can't help myself out, but your word says that my help comes from You." (Psalm 121:2). I have found that it is not enough to read the Word or just know it, but we must be doers of the Word, standing on it in faith even in the face of trouble or evil. Have you ever felt like the troubles you've had were like the gates of hell in your face or at your front door? Well, Jesus said the gates of hell shall not prevail against his church, and we are His church. Scripture says, "For whatever is born of God is victorious over the world; and this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith." I John 5:4 Our faith is the victory that conquers the world. God counted Abraham as righteous because of his faith. Romans 4:2 "For if Abraham was justified by good works he has grounds for boasting? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness." So, in the face of trouble we can release our faith by speaking the word of God . Psalm 138:7 says, "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me: You will stretch forth your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand will save me." When we hear the word enemy we all get a picture of something. Unfortunately, we think of people as are enemies but we have spiritual enemies: sin, addictions, bondages, cancer, sickness are a few. There are many scriptures promising us God's help. Two scriptures I use often are: "No weapon formed against me (or my family) shall prosper." Isaiah 54:17, and "The Lord delivers me from every trouble, and my eye shall look in triumph at my enemies" Psalm 54:7 Sometimes our help will come immediately and sometimes we need to endure, but He is faithful. Psalm 103:20 tells us "His angels watch to perform His word." Isaiah 55:11 "The Word does not return void without accomplishing what it was sent to do" and Psalm 119:38 "The Lord establishes His word and confirms His promise to me." II Chronicles 16:9 says, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those whose hearts are blameless toward Him." A few years ago, I would not have thought I could stand on that scripture (put any hope in it) because I didn't think my heart was blameless toward Him, but the Word says differently. According to Romans 10:4 ". . .the purpose of the law was fulfilled in Him as the means of righteousness (right relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres to and relies on Him." Our righteousness is by faith in the blood of Jesus, not by our performance. Romans 3:24 "All are justified and made upright and in right standing with God, freely and gratuitously by His grace (His unmerited favor and mercy), through the redemption which is provided in Christ Jesus. Whom God put forward as a mercy seat and propitiation by His blood through faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over and ignored former sins without punishment. It was to demonstrate and prove at the present time that He Himself is righteous and that He justifies and accepts as righteous he who has faith in Jesus." David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: Romans 4:6 Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1. know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified. 2. Galatians 3:11 Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." Romans 4:16 says, "Therefore, (inheriting) the promise is the outcome of faith and depends (entirely) on faith, in order that it might be given as an act of grace to make it stable and valid and guaranteed to all his descendants-not only to the devotees and adherents of the Law, but also to those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all." Galatians 3:29 says, "And if you belong to Christ (are in Him Who is Abraham's Seed), then you are Abraham's offspring and (spiritual) heirs according to promise. in the same way that Abraham pleased God by faith, we can please God by our faith. Therefore, I am very thankful to be Abraham's offspring and heir to God's promises, justified by faith in Jesus. More Scriptures on the Lord is our Helper:
Pointman Monthly Update Summer Camp Update Global Impact Missions Trip Send questions to info@goodshepherdwayne.org |
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There are hundreds of families in this area who are still living in FEMA trailers because there just aren't enough contractors
and volunteers to get the work done. While we were there, CNN reported that there are still over 40,000 families in FEMA trailers throughout the
Gulf Coast. Hard to believe when we live up here, but we saw many of those trailers while on this trip. 
We were busy and blessed by the many gracious and thankful people we encountered while there. The fellowship we shared with
other Christians while working in Mississippi was great! We came home tired, but blessed. 
Kids' Club has a new meeting place. This spring the kids are meeting in the conference room at the Community Center (old EHS Building) on Mondays
after school. So far this has been a good move for us. We now have tables and chairs for doing projects as well as ample room for worship and games.