WITHIN THE FELLOWSHIP:
- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Mike Hughes 7th; Dean Kulp, Eden Vogelzang 8th; Sarah Nowling 9th; Josh Heebner 10th; Jeff Maxwell, Jethro Smith 11th; Bonnie Doran, Earl Jaunzemis, Dolores Reed 12th; Tom Merritt, Rachel Tyson 13th.
- HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! David and Beth Guntz 9th; Rock and Astrid Rau 10th; Irv and Denise Kulp 12th.
THE SERMON TITLE this morning is A Cause for Lament. Disaster has struck among God’s people. Filled with the sights and smells of death, the air is so thick it is hard to breath. The temple is gone, and people wonder if there is even a God to worship. How can life go on? How can this be possible for God’s chosen people? Does God even care that His people are suffering? Lamentations is a book of profound sorrow. Not only are its verses filled with heartache and pain, it is written in the midst of the loss of Jerusalem into the hands of pagan peoples. Among other things, it represents a loss of the established witness of God’s rule and reign on earth.
THE SACRAMENT of Holy Communion will be shared at the service of worship this morning. We invite all members of the church of Jesus Christ to share in this sacrament.
SPIRITUAL COUNCIL meets this Tuesday evening at 7:30 in Rm. 125. Elder prayer meets at 7:00.
ARE YOU READY AND WILLING? It may be possible for Leidy’s Church to sponsor an Afghan refugee family. This is no small task. It would require a core team of 6 to 12 individuals working together. It would be labor and time intensive. If you might be interested in being part of such a project, please contact the church office soon. This would encompass housing setup, transportation, community connections, education liaison, budget mentoring, friendship, perhaps English tutoring, and other matters depending on the particular family being sponsored. Bethany Christian Service would provide orientation, encouragement, resources, and other helps all along the way. The goal is to have the refugees self-sufficient in six months time.
DELIVERED! On Tuesday evening all the Refugee Boxes generously donated by members and friends of Leidy’s Church were delivered to Bethany Christian services in Allentown. Aaron Vogelzang and Jeff Schatz (with assistance from the Vogelzang boys!) loaded and transported and delivered the boxes with great joy and efficiency. The folk at Allentown were so THANKFUL for the boxes and also impressed at the way the boxes were packed and labeled. They anticipate the boxes will be true blessings to the families who receive them and who have a long journey ahead.
TOUR ROME, VENICE, ETC. Always wanted to see Rome, the Coliseum, the Vatican, and the Arch of Titus? How about Venice and her watery avenues? Or, cross the Alps via the Brenner Pass and glide into Innsbruck? Next September is your opportunity. The destination is Oberammergau and its famous Passion Play. But we take the long way to get there. September 16-25, 2022, are the dates to set aside. Cost is $4,598, though there is a $100 discount for those who register before November 1st. For more information, contact the church office or speak with John Niederhaus.
CHRISTMAS APPROACHES, well, make that, thinking about Christmas approaches since the Operation Christmas Child boxes are now available for each of us to grab one or two. Martha Wolgemuth has assembled them and placed them at strategic points throughout our facility. Read the article in the October Newsletter for a detailed explanation of how the program works – and it does work! Boxes are due back to the church no later than November 7th.
GETTYSBURG GET-A-WAYS are being put in place. Two tours are offered this year: 1) The General Survey tour that covers the entire battlefield and all three days of the battle; 2) The Union Fifth Corps at Gettysburg that focuses on this one army unit for the first time. Cost for either tour is $100 p/seat. Lunch, drinks (no coffee, of course!), snacks, and illuminating commentary are provided. Departure time is 5:30am with an anticipated return time of 8:30 or 9pm. Fuller descriptions may be found in the October Newsletter. Call the church office to register for either or both of the tours. Proceeds will go toward the Gospel Gleaning project.
GOSPEL GLEANING PRAYER POINTERS
- Dealing with deception and temptation is part of the Christian life. As we pray for God’s ongoing work among the Erukula people, that’s a good point to remember. Psalm 119:85 provides one expression of what believers are subject to: The arrogant have dug pits for me, which are not in accord with Your law. What’s in view are hidden traps meant to ensnare believers and take them away from the faithful living out of God’s truths. It helps if believers know where some of those temptations and snares originate: from the arrogant, those who dismiss the Lord and His Word. May the Erukula believers (and us!) be aware of and avoid such pits.
- Please pray for the 2nd Worship Leader Training that begins in Cameroon today and continues through the 8th. Ask God for safety and success for travels (many travel for several days to attend). Pray that many equippers of worship leaders will emerge from these trainings. The worship leaders are invited to apply to lead trainings in their own local regions. Pray for brother Colbert (Global Disciples Regional Prayer Coordinator) as he mentors the emerging leaders. In the two weeks of training, there are 46 participants who will take part in two separate trainings in Cameroon from Central African Republic, northern Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon.
CONSISTORY meets this Wednesday evening at 7:30 in Rm. 125.
CARD SHOWER – Regina Kogel will be celebrating her 80th birthday on October 10th. She would be so happy to hear from you. Her address is: 2101 7th St., Emmetsburg, IA 50536, or you may place them in Tosha Kogel’s mailbox and she will make sure her mother gets them.
THE RUMMAGE SALE is just around the corner on October 13th and 14th. We need your help to set up on Monday and Tuesday, October 11th and 12th from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. We also need workers during the sale on Wednesday and Thursday ($2 a bag day) Pack-up begins at 6:00 on Thursday. Please plan to support this outreach where people in the community can get a good bargain on used clothes and other household goods.
LADIES OF LEIDY’S meets this Tuesday evening at 7:00 in Rm. 123.
WE GIVE THANKS for our two wonderful pastors! We’d love to show our gratitude (even though we know they don’t like all of the attention!) for the many ways they bless us during the year…please feel free to join them and your fellow members for a lunch after church service on October 17.
THANK YOU from Sherman and Karen Focht for the prayers for both of their healing and for the cards they received. It is a blessing to be part of such a caring church family.
A/V HELP NEEDED: We are in need of people to work in the booth on Sunday mornings. Contact the church office or speak to Sam Im (imsamuel@gmail.com).