Highland Lakes church of Christ

WITH SYMPATHY

• Wanda Marie Wilkerson passed from this life on December 24th. She was 86 years old. Funeral services were held on Thursday, December 28th in the Putnam Funeral Home Chapel with Joe Winnett officiating. Interment took place at Decker Prairie Cemetery, Texas. Our condolences, love and prayers go out to Wanda’s sons, Stan, of Granite Shoals, and Paul, of Tomball, and the extended family and friends.
• Frances Kay York of Lubbock, Texas, cousin of Sarah Hancock, passed away Sunday morning, December 25th. Grave side services were held on Friday, December 29th in Lubbock. Our love, prayers and sympathy are with Sarah and all the family and friends. May God comfort all the families who lost their loved ones.

CONGRATULATIONS

Sherry Sisco and Gary Crabtree were united in holy matrimony on Friday, December 29th, at 8 PM at our church building. Joe Winnett was officiating. Our warmest wishes go out to them with prayers that God will bless their union with happiness and the best that life here on earth can afford. Congratulations!

NEW WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE CLASS

On January 3rd, 2018, a new Bible class will start in the auditorium. We will have one class only. Joe’s lessons will be on the New Testament church.

HELPING HANDS PANTRY

Need:  Tooth paste, Tooth brushes, Shampoo, Soap.

Thank you!

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

3 John 8 “Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.”

This year much good was done for the kingdom. We thank the congregation for its support, thoughts and prayers in working with our brethren around the world in furthering the gospel of God’s truth. Let us continue to pray for and support the spreading of the truth in 2018. For the elders, Ken D

KODAK Digital Still Camera

KODAK Digital Still Camera

Warmest Thoughts And Best Wishes For A Safe, Healthy and Blessed 2018

From:

Ken & Gail Darnell

Troy & Leana Futrell

Joe & Teri Winnett

John G. Brewer

Vicky Williams

Sherry Wills

David & Sheri Zoller

Helga Blackstone

SERVICES ON SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24^TH

Today, on Christmas Eve, we will have Bible classes and our morning worship service, only. After that we will be dismissed for the day.

NEW WEDNESDAY EVENING BIBLE CLASS

On January 3rd, 2018, a new Bible class will start in the auditorium. We will have one class only. Joe will teach, the topic has not been determined yet.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

Our congregation has long supported the spreading of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus to the people of Nigeria with the help of our brethren there in that land in West Africa. One of the local preachers we help support is Brother Mike Udam. What follows is part of his 4th quarter report. Please keep Mike and the church in Nigeria in your prayers that souls will be won, built-up and God will be praised. For the elders, Ken D

ANNUAL LECTURESHIP

November was the month of our annual lectureship. The date of the lectureship 24th and 25th November 2017.The 2017 Ukpagada lectureship which centered on a theme FILL IN THE BLANK SPACE was held and to the glory of God we had a soul surrender to Christ in baptism. It was indeed an exciting thing to come and learn from God in the midst of so many people around the country. The population was over 300 participants. On the 23rd of this month, we shall have a couple retreat here at Ukpagada. It started last year and is aimed at reawakening the spirit of living together as bonded couples to the glory of God. I shall be anchoring the program.

PERSONAL WBS WORK

Recently I upgraded my WBS follow up as over 100 students were enrolled under my supervision to study with WBS. This single act and coupled with the great effort of Emeke Okenwa, one of my team members, we had a combined enrollment of over 600 students. One American, Bobby Mullin, is willing to support our work with a digital scanner so that we can scan answers and send it direct via drop-box to him and that will considerably reduce postage cost.

CHALLENGES

My challenges are revolving around three issues.

1. Money to maintain my car, especially changing my tires twice a year because of the long trips I make across the country on bad roads.
2. Good health to be strong to work.
3. Money to keep me going as I work for the Lord.

APPRECIATION

I want to thank you all that have supported me to work for the master. God bless you all. I am willing, able and ready to work for the master. I have a lot in my head to work for the Lord and need a strong push to help me achieve all that the Lord has deposited in me.

CLOSING REMARKS

On a personal note, I have been preaching daily online on my Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/mikenkonjokudam with over 5000 followers. In this one year a website http://www.evangelismportal.org was built to host 90% of my evangelism posts so that young people in the church can benefit from the stuff there. My regular email to over 600 preachers is still ongoing though not very regular. I have published three books this year. God has been faithful and will continue to be faithful to me. My wife had been my pillar of back support. ~~ Mike Udam

NEXT SUNDAY

Next Sunday, December 24th, is Christmas Eve. We will have Bible classes, followed by our morning worship service only. After that we will be dismissed for the day so families can spend additional time together.

WITH SYMPATHY

Kathy Patterson’s mom, Patricia Reynolds, at age 88, passed away on Thursday, November 30th. She had lived in Monahans, Texas, where on Tuesday, December 5th a graveside service was held for her.

Our prayers, love and sympathy go out to Kathy, Lynn and to all in the family.

THANK YOU NOTES

♥ Teri and I would like to thank the congregation for all the prayers, cards, calls and food that we have been blessed with during her surgery and recovery. Your love and helpfulness has been deeply appreciated.

We also are thankful for the lovely “money tree” that was presented at the fellowship meal. It has been properly “picked” and the fruit will be put to work! It is a joy to be part of such a loving Christian fellowship.   The Winnetts

♥ Also, a heartfelt “thank-you” to all the congregation for my lovely money tree! The “fruit” is highly appreciated and will be put to good use. My love to all!   Helga Blackstone

♥ I, too, appreciate so much the kind gift of the money tree! Thanks too all who were so generous! What you gave will be well used.   Love, Vicky Williams

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

What follows is part two of the latest report from the Emperados in the Philippines. We are thankful to be fellow workers with them. Keep Richard, his family and all of the work there in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

We also dropped by Borongan, Eastern Samar, to visit the church that the MOSES team help plant about 15 years ago. The evangelist there, is Edwin Inso, the eldest of all the three evangelists. Edwin has a school of preaching and he told me that the Borongan church has multiplied into 5 churches. The kingdom formula is really true, that if you plant the “mustard seed”, it will grow. This has happened in several of the churches we have planted like in Masbate, Tagum, and Ilagan.

From Borongan, we drove back to Leyte, and then over to Naval, where we did much of the rebuilding after the big typhoon in 2013 hit. The Nelson Farm is located there, near the Naval church. We have just harvested the rice, and more than one half of the new irrigation system is done. We are so thankful for the North Garland church that helped supply the funds needed to put in an irrigation system so we can grow & plant rice & corn year round, even in the “dry season” of March-May when we have very little rains. The rice & corn is used to help widows, our orphans & students, and other members in need.

Our final lap of the trip was visiting the Baybay church, which we planted 12 years ago with the help of North Garland & Sugar Grove. They had just recently celebrated there anniversary a few weeks ago. They have elders and a promising campus ministry at Visayas State University. Michael was able to teach classes there on the book of Acts again that Saturday and Grant preached Sunday about “The Narrow Way”. Grant always has a history lesson to go along with his Bible lesson, folks enjoy listening to him preach.

We made it back to Cebu on Nov. 27, to celebrate the girls’ birthday with them. We met up Tse Ming again and worked on plans for the church planting. We had to make a day trip on Wednesday to Moalboal, were I taught class on pastoral epistles at the Leyte Christian College extension campus. Tse Ming & Michael had some fun snorkeling and having lunch at the little resort nearby while I had class. Grant was home sick with a fever.

Love,  Richard, Becky, Lyn, Lou, and Grant

HOLIDAY FELLOWSHIP MEAL

Sunday, December 10^th at noon, after our morning worship assembly, we will have our Holiday/Fellowship Meal, in the Fellowship Room.  This is a very special meal when all bring their favorite food and stay for good fun and fellowship. Visitors are invited as our special guests; there is always plenty of food! As always, afterwards, we are dismissed for the day with no PM service so you may spend the remainder of the day with family.

 HELPING HANDS PANTRY

Needs:  Tooth Paste & Soap

Thank you!

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

What follows is part one of the latest report from the Emperados in the Philippines. We are thankful to be fellow workers with them. Keep Richard, his family, and all of the work there in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

Dear family and Friends,

Merry Christmas! We hope this quick update finds everyone happy & well. Emperado bunch is doing well. Richard & Grant have been traveling the last couple weeks with our American visitor from the North Garland Church of Christ in Enid, Oklahoma, Michael Manly. They made it back to Cebu on Nov. 27, in time to celebrate the girls’ 23rd birthday. Michael got here the end of Oct. and left Dec. 1. Richard then left Dec. 2 for Mindanao to start the church planting work in Tandag. Before he left, he wrote a report about our time with our American visitor this past month.

6 Weeks with Michael Manly…

Howdy! I want to tell you about the adventures and works for the Lord I have had these past six weeks with our visitor, Michael Manly. After Mike arrived the end of Oct, after being delayed a day while traveling, and resting overnight in Cebu, we headed off to our place in Negros. Mike had been preparing for months to teach a weeklong class on the book of Acts for…..Our S.O.N.E./Seyer students. He did an excellent job teaching & challenging our students to study the Bible more in-depth. He spent his first Saturday there going house to house with the students in Tambo, up in the mountains. The next Saturday, we had MOSES classes back in Tambo, where Mike & Tse Ming helped with teaching and evangelism. Mike also taught our students how to grow a small garden in a barrel, and he worked with students in the afternoon in their welding & automotive classes. He also helped the students harvest the nets set out in the ocean to catch fish to eat. He was willing to help in any way we needed.

When we finished up in Negros, we headed back to Cebu, rested for a day, then Mike, Grant, and I began our journey to Catarman, Samar. It was a long journey, we spent six hours on an overnight boat from Cebu to Leyte, then we drove 8 hours across Leyte to Samar. The Catarman Church was celebrating its first year anniversary. Mike taught classes for a day on Acts. After the class, four souls obeyed the Lord and were baptized. Then on the following day Sunday, Grant had the opportunity to preach. His lesson was on standing firm in 1 Corinthians 15.

After church, we traveled south to Calbayog City, to visit the church we helped plant almost 20 years ago, when we first got started. We visited the evangelist there, Brother Titing Inso and we were so glad to hear about his work. Titing is a very devoted worker and has baptized many people. He is the older brother of the evangelist in Catarman, that I wrote about in my last newsletter. The one year old church in Catarman has grown into three. In fact, this week Inso has baptized two more people and is having a study with three new families, who are desiring to obey the Lord.

Love, Richard, Becky, Lyn, Lou, and Grant

Dinosaurs UNLEASHED!

These books for teachers and others who are interested in them, are here. Each book costs $9.00. Please talk to Joe if you would like to have one.

VISITING FOR THE MASTER

(VISITATION PROGRAM) Team #2 (leaders: Cary & Brenda Miller) will meet on Wednesday, December 6th at 6:30 pm in the library for their assignments.

OPEN HOUSE

You are invited for Food and Fellowship on December 4, 5:30-7:30 PM, for a Come and Go Holiday Open House at the Miller’s Home, 1922 Bluebonnet Lane.

HOLIDAY FELLOWSHIP MEAL

Next Sunday, December 10^th, this is the date for our Holiday/Fellowship Meal. Instead of exchanging gifts, we decided a number of years ago that we would collect stuffed animals and/or dolls to be given to Seton-Care-A-Van. Those toys are to bring comfort to children in the hospital. Only bring toys that have embroidered eyes and make sure they are in the Fellowship Room before Sunday the 10th.  Make your plans to stay for this special meal, which takes place after our morning worship assembly! After that we are dismissed for the day.

HELPING HANDS PANTRY

Needs – Tooth Paste and Bath Soap

Thank you for your continued support of this ministry!

MANY THANKS…

…to all who so generously contributed to these two good causes:

Up to November 13, $925.00 was collected for World Christian Broadcasting.  November (19th & 26th) $7,640.00 was collected for Eastern European Missions.  God’s blessings are with those gifts and the generous givers.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

We are blessed to be able to support the Solar Player work of Sunset International Bible Institute and, as deliveries continue, reports convey the excitement, thanksgiving, and praise that resulted from each delivery trip. This report concentrates on just one of those trips: the journey to El Salvador and Costa Rica made by Luis Melendez, recently returned to the United States from serving as a missionary in Costa Rica and Brandi Kendall, SIBI’s Dean of International Studies for Asia. The 3,000 solar players for Phase III are continuing to be delivered. Upcoming deliveries are scheduled for Ecuador, Cuba and Bolivia. Please continue to keep this work in your prayers help them finish and look forward to the next Phase of the Solar Event. For the elders, Ken D

Covering El Salvador from East to West, by Luis Melendez

We traveled with 240 solar players to El Salvador, from the 20th to the 25th of September. Thanks to God, we had no problem at customs. We then distributed solar players at four events. First, on Friday we gathered with about 60 preachers from the central part of the country. We met in a church building at La Miramonte, San Salvador. Second, we went to the eastern part of the country to San Miguel. On Saturday we met with over 100 church members and preachers from the surrounding cities and towns. Later that day we distributed solar players to 12 Bible students in Santa Tecla, San Salvador. Finally, on Sunday we gathered together with over 60 Christians on the western part of the country in Ahuachapán.  This trip was intense and very successful. We were able to bless about 70 of the 100 El Salvadorian Iglesias de Cristo congregations with solar players. Praise God!

Returning to Costa Rica – I went to Costa Rica on the 28th for a five-day trip. I brought 80 solar players. I arrived at 8:30 p.m. at the Juan Santamaria International Airport. As I was heading out with my luggage to pass through customs, knowing that customs officers can be a little difficult, I prayed to God for a good outcome. Two customs officers asked me to open my luggage, and right away they wanted to know its value. I told them it was a donation to Christians in Costa Rica from the Sunset International Bible Institute. I showed them the letter to prove it, but they were not convinced. They then asked me for the church where I was going to take the solar players. They wanted to know its name and location, so I told them. It turned out that they were from Palmares (the city where I had planted the congregation) and were familiar with the church and its location, so they let me go, tax-exempt. Certainly this was God’s providence in action!

Thanks to God, I was able to give away all 80 solar players to the Christians in Costa Rica. About 15 congregations and a Bible institute were blessed with these gifts. Among those who received a solar player were preachers, Bible students, church leaders, active members, the old and the young, men and women. Those who received a solar player were very excited and thankful. It was rewarding to see their faces full of gratitude and enthusiasm! They promised to use it for the purpose intended and to bring glory to God. All of them sent greetings and thanks to SIBI. Praise God! I personally enjoyed serving in this noble cause. -Luis Melendez