Thank You Notes
Dear Highland Lakes Family, We would like to thank you for the gift of encouragement and hope during the difficult time of my illness and recovery. We are so grateful for your support — visits, calls, food, and especially the prayers. Thank you for being there for us. We are truly touched by all you have done. We thank God daily for you. With love, Charles and Barbara
We want to express how grateful we are for your attendance at Don’s funeral. Thank you for taking time to be with our family and for your expressions of love. Thank you for the visits, cards, flowers, for the delicious meal prepared for our family and especially for the prayers. Our sincerest appreciation to you all, The Bryan Family
Dear Joe and members of the Highland Lakes church of Christ, Thank you, Joe, for the lovely memorial service for my beloved mother. Thank you, church, for the support of my parents and the very fine meal you prepared for us. In Christian love, Patty & Ted Young
A very special “thank you” to Linda Lively! She is a marvelous quilter and when the necessity arose to find a lovely “good-bye” present for our Dollene Pearson, Linda was happy and willing to pick out the material for a beautiful and appropriate quilt. She pieced the parts together and oversaw the quilting process. All of it resulted in a terrific job. Thanks again Linda! We are grateful that God sent you our way!
With Heartfelt Sympathy
Randall Hallmark, former elder at the church of Christ at Buchanan Dam, passed away on Tuesday morning, January 31st, at the Kingsland Care Center. Randall & Dorothy attended here for a while before he had been put in the Care Center. Services will be at Putnam Funeral Home at 2 pm on Friday, with interment at Bluffton. Our heartfelt love, prayers and sympathy go out to all the family and friends.
Helping Hands Pantry News
Baby and toddlers’ clothes are needed.
Thank you!
The Treasure of a Young Mind
The Children’s Educational Program is in need of more volunteers. Our current teachers would welcome some helpers and we are always looking for those who would teach! If you would like to help a young mind understand their God…..we have a ministry for you! If you can help, please mention it to Joe or one of the Elders.
Beautiful Footnotes
We are always excited with news from our fellow laborers in the gospel with whom we have the privilege to help support efforts to take the word of our God to the lost in various places around the world. We gladly pray for these efforts. We want you to remember to also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world as they are persecuted for serving our God. The following report summarizes some of the findings on 2016 persecutions of Christians by the watchdog group, Open doors. Keep praying for Christians everywhere that we all show Christ as Lord daily in our lives. For the elders, Ken D
8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (ESV)
2016 Was Worst Year Yet for Christian Persecution
Christianity is the most persecuted religion in the world, reported Open Doors last week when releasing its 2017 World Watch List. The list ranks the top 50 countries where it’s most dangerous to be a Christian.
According to the watchdog group, which has tracked and ranked global persecution against Christians over the past 25 years, persecution has worsened for the third year in a row, with 2016 being the “worst year yet.” Over 215 million Christians now live in countries where they’re exposed to verbal harassment, physical violence, and even death because of their faith. North Korea, known for its secretive authoritarian government, remains the most dangerous country for Christians—for the 14th year in a row.
The report also brings to light the fact that persecution fueled by ethnic nationalism, especially in Asia, is quickly on the rise.
“Persecution rose globally again for the third year in a row, indicating how volatile the situation has become,” said Open Doors. “Countries in South and Southeast Asia rapidly rose to unprecedented levels and now rank among such violent areas as the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa.”
Other findings of the report include a rise of 62 percent of killings of Christians in Nigeria, and an average of 40 incidents per month of beatings and church attacks in India. The report also showed that now “Christians are being killed in more countries than before for their faith.”
The top 10 nations over the 25-year span are:
- North Korea
- Saudi Arabia
- Iran
- Somalia
- Afghanistan
- Maldives
- Yemen
- Sudan
- Vietnam
- China
Highland Lakes church of Christ 