Highland Lakes church of Christ

PLEASE CHECK

. . . the “Continue to Remember” list and the “In The Military” list periodically, updates are very important! If you think that your name or the name of a loved one needs to be removed (or added), please let the secretary (Helga) know! And as always, a written note or an e-mail is best.

Please cut out the “Continue to Remember…” list for your own prayer sessions. We need to reduce this list; of course, continued prayers are very important.

Your help is very, very much appreciated!

HELPING HANDS PANTRY

Needs – Tooth paste, Bath soap, deodorant

Thank you for your support of this ministry!

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Under the direction of our elders the deacons are working to implement an organized safety program for Christ’s church. A designated member to serve as a Safety Monitor will be watching the church surveillance cameras, responding to the intercom by the front door, and designated to call 911 if needed during all church worship services. Volunteers to serve as a Safety Monitor would be assigned to work on a rotational basis. A signup sheet will be on the rear table of the church for members who want to volunteer to serve.

TODAY, SUNDAY, MAY 27^TH . . .

 We have a special guest speaker, Kirk Eason from SABC (Southern Africa Bible College). He will give a special report in the combined adult class and he will also preach. We welcome him and his wife Christy again and look forward to what he has to share with us.

 We will have our fellowship meal after our morning worship assembly.. Hosts & hostesses are: Cary & Brenda Miller, Lynn & Kathy Patterson, Pat DeVore and Vicky Parr. Afterwards, we are dismissed for the remainder of the day with no PM service.

WITH SYMPATHY

♥ Leana Futrell’s brother-in-law, Arvis Eaton, passed away on his 76th birthday. He was buried in Briggs, TX, on Tuesday, May 23rd, where he had been living.

♥ Paula and Gail’s 90 year old uncle, Ray Benjamin Evans, the youngest one of their uncles, passed from this life on Wednesday, May 23rd. This many talented husband, father, and grandfather was a musician, farmer, gold miner, lumberjack, hunter and builder, a gentle and kind man, loved by all of his family. He will be missed. Ray will be laid to rest in a small town just outside Portland, Oregon. Arrangements are pending.

Our love, heartfelt prayers and sympathy go out to everyone in these two families.

 THANK YOU NOTES

I want to thank everyone for their prayers, the cards and the kind words that I received at the loss of my brother, Clyde. It is a blessing, at a time like this, to know others are thinking about you. Thank you so much and may God bless each of you.  In Christian love, Pat DeVore

I want to thank everyone for the telephone calls, cards, and prayers during my recent stay at the hospital. Your thoughtfulness was truly appreciated and helped my mental health tremendously. We have one more doctor’s appointment to get through before they declare me well for the present. I love you all, Paula Welch

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

“and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” 2 Timothy 2:2 (ESV)

We are blessed to be able to help support students at Southern Africa Bible College and the following reports on one graduated student we supported and introduces you to our newest student. Please keep the students and SABC in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

SABC Supported Student Report

Amanda Chumalo, our previously sponsored student is doing great!! She graduated and is well respected for her ability to teach children as well as train teachers. She is now working for the Tswella Church of Christ in Soweto, a congregation that is growing fast and reaching many in the community. They hired Songezo, a classmate of Amanda’s, to preach for them. They have grown from 120 to over 200 in the last 4 months and had 17 baptisms…as of three weeks ago!

Initial Student Report from our new SABC Student

I come from a family of six; three siblings and I’m the second born in the family. I was born in the Germiston Hospital and grew up in Katlehong till I was seven years. We then moved to a house in Germiston and I attended school there. My immediate family are members of the Church of Christ. I completed my grade 12 with a bachelor’s degree entrance last year and found a temporary job for the festive holidays in a company known as Rolig Grindod. I served as a helper on the Lord’s Table, rendered the Lord supper and a few devotions in the Germiston Church of Christ.

During my grade 12 I was confused about what I should do after school but had an interest in medicine. I attended a gala dinner at SABC after lectureship and I experienced a positive atmosphere among the students at SABC. After the dinner I had a chat with Edward Nkosi and he advised me to attend for a year and see what it’s like. I liked the idea because I was still confused about my career choice and that brought me to SABC eventually. I then was inspired to stay for three years. I gave up home and my career to learn more about my maker and to build a stable spiritual foundation.

I hope to complete the three years at SABC then go on to study medicine. More than anything I would love to be righteous, achieve humility and be more Christ conscious. During my studies I want to also fulfil the great commission even though medicine will take most of my time but I’m hoping to preach also.

Greetings in Jesus name, Luyanda Lungile Mendziwa

WORLD BIBLE SCHOOL

Last week, 780 lessons were mailed to students in Nigeria that we are teaching. Thank you, Henry K, for taking the two big bags to the Post Office!

REMEMBER OUR SPANISH WORK!

Salvador San Tillan is ready every Sunday morning to teach a Bible class in Spanish. This is a worthy endeavor. Do you have friends who would benefit from this Spanish Bible study? Let them know about it by giving them a warm, personal invitation. Those who already come, make them feel welcome and at home in our fellowship.

IMPORTANCE NOTICE

Under the direction of our elders the deacons are working to implement an organized safety program for Christ’s church. A designated member to serve as a Safety Monitor will be watching the church surveillance cameras, responding to the intercom by the front door, and designated to call 911 if needed during all church worship services. Volunteers to serve as a Safety Monitor would be assigned to work on a rotational basis. A signup sheet will be on the rear table of the church for members who want to volunteer to serve.

NEXT SUNDAY, MAY 27^TH…

 . . . we will have a special guest speaker, Kirk Eason from SABC (Southern Africa Bible College). We will hear him give a special report in the combined adult class and he will also preach. We are looking forward to having him with us again.

 This is also the Sunday for our monthly fellowship meal. Hosts & hostesses: Cary & Brenda Miller, Lynn & Kathy Patterson, Pat DeVore and Vicky Parr.

HELPING HANDS PANTRY

Needs – Tooth paste, Bath soap

Thank you for your support of this ministry

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

We are thankful to work with the Emperados in the Philippines to spread the gospel and thank God for Richard and his family’s dedication to this work. In this article they share what the family is doing. Please keep them in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

Dear Family & Friends,

Howdy! I know it has been awhile since you have heard from us…summer months are just a blur around here…trying to catch Richard at home long enough to sit down and write is really hard. Ever since he & Grant returned from China the end of March, he has been on the go.

We packed up the girls’ house in Cebu in April and moved the three kids to a townhouse in Dumaguete, Negros to get ready to start college in June. Moving them wasn’t easy…due to the road construction going on the highway in front of their street, we could only get the Hino (our long jeepney) down their street past midnight, load in the dark, and be out by five a.m. We had to make two trips like that, driving 7-9 hours one way due to road construction, only to go a little over 100 miles.

We are happy to share that starting June 11, we will have three freshman college students attending Silliman University. Jennylyn plans to study Elementary Education, Jennylou plans to study psychology, and Grant wants to study history. We have had struggles trying to get them enrolled, due to some paperwork issues since the girls were adopted & their birth certificates were not registered by a local government twenty years ago, like they were supposed to be. We had to go back to the adoption courts, get their papers reissued, have their birth certificates reissued, then sent to Manila to be registered. Richard and the girls have been working on all of that for over six months. We are still waiting for the birth certificates to get here. We also faced challenges because they were homeschooled and all three kids have dual citizenship, but Richard was able to use his charm to get it done. I love this man! He has the patience, kindness, and the ability to talk to whoever he needs to into helping him. The kids are really excited to start this new chapter of their lives. Silliman University is a small private Christian school, started by American missionaries back in 1901. I think they have around 10,000 students. Dumaguete is the capital of Negros Oriental, and it is built around the university. Their house is near the ocean and about a 15 minute walk to the school. They don’t have jeepneys in the city here, everywhere they go, they will have to ride motorcycle trikes. At least now, we will all be on the same island. Our house in Calag Calag is only about 2 hours away. We hope to have an internet connection at their place soon, so that will make it easier to keep in touch.

Much love, Richard & Becky

WITH SYMPATHY

Clyde Brownlow, Pat DeVore’s brother, passed away suddenly Monday, May 7th, in Amherst, TX. His funeral took place on Thursday, May 10th, at 10 AM at the first United Methodist church in Amherst.  Prayers, love and sympathy are going out to Pat and everybody in the family and to those who knew and loved Clyde.

HELPING HANDS PANTRY

Needs – Plastic bags

Thank you for your support of this ministry!

IMPORTANT NOTICE

Under the direction of our elders the deacons are working to implement an organized safety program for Christ’s church. A designated member to serve as a Safety Monitor will be watching the church surveillance cameras, responding to the intercom by the front door, and designated to call 911 if needed during all church worship services. Volunteers to serve as a Safety Monitor would be assigned to work on a rotational basis. A signup sheet will be on the rear table of the church for members who want to volunteer to serve.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

Titus 3:8 – “The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people.”

The opportunity to be part of Cherokee Day 2018 last Saturday was a perfect chance to see the value of the work of the Cherokee Home for Children including great fellowship, food and the new girls’ dorm.   Continue to keep the kids and staff of the Cherokee Home in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

Our congregation has been blessed to support this good work for many years and this year marked Cherokee’s 60th year of helping kids in their mission:

• To provide a Christian home environment for children dependent upon others for care
• To promote their growth physically, emotionally, and educationally
• To develop the child in the teaching of God’s word
• To guide the young person toward a devoted life of good citizenship in the world, and ultimately in the Kingdom of God

IT’S ALMOST THAT TIME AGAIN…. .

Summertime is approaching and with it comes Bible Camp in early June! For several years now our congregation has been involved in sponsoring the children of the congregation so they can attend the “Heart of Texas Bible Camp” in Brady, TX. We would like to continue this ministry in 2018.  In the past some members have chosen to sponsor a child and relieve the church of the cost. If you would like to help in this worthy cause, please talk to one of the elders. – Joe

The cost per child is $125.00 which the church will pay for our kids who want to attend.  The sessions are:

Session I (June 3rd-8th) — Ages: 4th — 7th grade

Session 2 (June 10th-15th) — Ages: 8th —12th grade

HELPING HANDS PANTRY

Needs – Plastic bags

Thank you for your support of this ministry.

DINNER TOGETHER

The group will eat together on Thursday, May 10th, at the Hoover Valley Café @ 5:30 PM.  Everyone is invited for a time of good food and fellowship.  The sign-up sheet is on the table in the back of the auditorium.

IN SYMPATHY

Henry Kattner’s nephew, John William Stradley, passed unexpectedly from this life on Monday, April 30th. He lived in Slidel, Louisiana. A military funeral took place in Slidel, TX, on Friday, May 4th at a military cemetery.

Our love, sympathy and prayers are going out to Henry and everyone in the family.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

Psalm 60:12 (ESV) “With God we shall do valiantly”

What wonderful work can be done with God’s help. In the following report the Emperados share some of the plans for the work in the Philippines. We pray God will help bless that work to His Glory. Please keep the Emperados and the work in the Philippines in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

As we turn to make plans for the next three years and five years….we hope to see the School of National Evangelism & the Seyer Training Center we have going at our place in Negros…continue to grow and help young Christians with the ability to earn a vocational skill & biblical training to be self-supporting evangelist. We would like to recruit more short term teachers from the U.S. who can come for a week or two, and teach a Bible class or share a vocational skill. We would like to see and have between 10-15 students each year enroll, so our budget, dormitory, and facilities can be used fully.

We hope in the next two years to finish planting churches in capital cities by the end of 2020. We still need to find sponsor for the last three capital cities. We of course, will have ongoing nurturing & follow up work in young churches planted, on a monthly basis. I know now, that Mati & Tandag churches planted last December 2017, which are located in a more Muslim area down in southern Mindanao, will take more work to establish and a different approach due to ongoing conflicts in nearby areas. Thankfully we have some great partners down there, who are stepping up and helping with monthly follow up work right now. We will continue to visit struggling churches and help put MOSES workers in place when funds are available. We hope to be able to continue helping the two orphan families we have been working with for the past ten years. We don’t have plans to add any new orphans to our care right now, our hands are full, and the budget is stretched tight, but if God showed us another great need….this was a work that was not on our radar until God brought them to us in a MOSES class in the mountains. We are thankful for all those who have helped us help these kids.

In Him, Richard & Becky Emperado

IT’S ALMOST THAT TIME AGAIN….

Summertime is approaching and with it comes Bible Camp in early June! For several years now our congregation has been involved in sponsoring the youth of the congregation so they can attend the “Heart of Texas Bible Camp” in Brady, TX. We would like to continue this ministry in 2018. In the past some members have chosen to sponsor a child and relieve the church of the cost. If you would like to help in this worthy cause, please talk to one of the elders.

The cost per child is $125.00 which the church will pay for our kids who want to attend.

The sessions are:

Session I (June 3rd-8th) — Ages: 4th — 7th grade

Session 2 (June 10th-15th) — Ages: 8th —12th grade

– Joe

A THANK YOU NOTE

From some Food Pantry/Closet Clients to Highland Lakes church of Christ:

Thank you very much for you agape love, your prayers, your hugs, your words of encouragement. And the yummy food and nice clothes, etc. We love you all! Signed by:  Dorice Miller, Debra, Becky Hellinger, Melinda Moore, the Sotos, DeAnna Hardesty and many more.

 CHEROKEE DAY

Cherokee Day is scheduled for Saturday, May 5th, 2018.

At 11:30 AM a “Welcome” is extended to the visitors, followed at 12:00, noon, by the delicious BBQ.Besides a number of festivities, there is also a formal dedication of the new girls’ cottage, “Liberty Cottage”. Guests are invited to tour the campus. This is also the celebration of 60 years of serving children and families.

A Cherokee flyer is on the bulletin board in the little hall by the Lord’s Supper prep. room.

FELLOWSHIP MEAL

It’s. . . Sunday, April 29th at Noon! Join us for a wonderful time of fellowship and food.

Hosts & hostess are: Ken & Gail Darnell, Bill & Mary K. Flanary and Myron & Janet Fietz.

HELPING HANDS PANTRY

Needs – Deodorant, shampoo, bath soap, toothpaste

Thank you for your support for this ministry.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

Our congregation has been blessed to be involved with the spreading of the gospel in many places. Dear to our heart is the work in Nigeria, West Africa, where we have many connections in God’s work there. It is exciting to hear of Nigerian disciples working so very hard to make more disciples for the kingdom. What follows is a report from Mike Udam, a Nigerian WBS follow-up preacher whom we support, concerning the Great Workshop held in Nigeria this spring. Keep them in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

WBS GREAT WORKSHOP – A TOOL FOR EFFECTIVE EVANGELISM

The world Bible School great workshop is a four day gathering of preachers who do follow up work for world Bible school and those who use world Bible school materials as evangelism tool. In Nigeria the annual workshop holds once every year and was introduced by an American missionary Doug Wheeler in the early 90s and it has survived till today.

This workshop is designed to be a capacity building workshop to develop men to be able to face the challenges of following up on WBS prospective students. It is also a platform for a coordinated evangelism within the location of hosting. The great workshop is the biggest WBS organized workshop not to discuss with students but to discuss with the follow up workers. It is sponsored by congregations in the USA who have WBS follow up workers here in Nigeria.

Between 2015 and 2018, over 30 souls have been won to Christ through this workshop. In Warri 2017, a Muslim was converted into the body of Christ. In 2018 a Pentecostal pastor was converted and a strong follow up team is keeping an eye on him and his denomination.

Another important aspect of the Great Workshop is the equipment of the follow up worker for greater service and functionality. At the end of the workshop participants are usually equipped with a pack containing, Bibles, books, tracts, DVDs/CDs and other study outlines. The pack is accompanied with the workshop book containing lecture notes of the conference.

As the director of the WBS Great Workshop, my responsibilities include coordinating the entire activities before, during and after the workshop. From selecting the theme to appointing the speakers and ensuring that the workshop goes well lies on my table. This year’s workshop had 8 speakers taking topics within a theme REPOSITIONING THE CHURCH FOR HIS SECOND COMING. An American missionary and president of African Christian schools foundation Chad Wagner was one of the guest speakers. 649 participants were registered. Two of the participants came from the Cameroon. 7 souls accepted to obey the gospel and were immersed into Christ.

The high point of the 2018 Great Workshop is the unveiling of the newly constructed Nigeria Gospel Chariot. A lot of brethren were excited knowing now that we can storm the rural area with the gospel. The 2019 Great Workshop is scheduled to hold at Mbaise in Imo state of Nigeria.

God bless you

Mike Udam