WITH DEEPEST SYMPATHY

We were all saddened to hear that our beloved shepherd, one of our elders, Don Bryan passed away on Wednesday, January 18th. At that time, he was in the hospital at Temple, where his condition was finally diagnosed.

Our heartfelt love, prayers and sympathy go out to his wife Norma, his and her children and to the extended, grieving family, including the church family, and to all the friends who knew him. We will miss him greatly.

At the time of the printing of the bulletin, funeral arrangements were in progress, therefore not known.

Visiting for the Master—2017

This Evening, After Worship! Our visitation program has served us and the Lord well since its inception in 2007, and we desire to continue this ministry in 2017. A reorganization meeting is planned for TODAY, following the evening worship service. Pizza will be served in the Fellowship Hall prior to an evaluative discussion of the program and suggestions for the New Year. If you would like to be involved in this ministry, a sign-up sheet is posted at the rear of the auditorium.

Ladies —- you are invited To the Annual Ladies Day

On Saturday, January 28, 2017 9 A.M. to Noon

At the Bertram Church of Christ, 535 N West St, Bertram, Texas

Lunch Served

Theme:  “When Life Gives You Lemons . . . “

All ladies are cordially invited. If you are planning to go, let Evelyn Moore know before Jan. 25th. RSVP will have to be made by January 25th, 2017.

Helping Hands Pantry News

PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED: Bar Soap and Plastic Bags

Thank you!

THANK YOU

Dear Prayer Warriors,

I think of all of you very often and smile. You welcomed me in for Wednesday night Bible Study. Then you lifted me up in prayer during my illness. Your prayers were answered.  God bless each of you!

Mary Tillman

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

17 O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear 18 to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more. Psalm 10:17-18 (ESV)

Working with the Cherokee Home for Children through supporting their work in caring for children in need is a wonderful blessing to them and for our congregation. Continue to keep this ministry in your thoughts and prayers. For the elders, Ken D

Cherokee Home Weekly Notes

Thanks to you, the Children at Cherokee Home are Blessed.

School is out for the holidays and some of our children are away with family or friends. Many remain on our campus with fun activities set up by their house parents. All of our children are safe and doing well.

We could not fulfill our mission to “Provide children safe and nurturing Christian homes during times of family crisis”, without your continued help. Thank you.

We hope your received our recent letter and responded with a gift. If you have not given yet to our “more than s’mores” campaign, please consider doing so today. Your gift is very much needed and appreciated as we try diligently to provide for the physical, social, and spiritual needs of our children.

Place – A Safe and Comfortable Place

“Home” is an important part of what we do. During a radio show interview a few weeks ago, when one of our girls was asked what she most liked about Cherokee Home, she noted that she liked being able to take a shower every day. Providing a safe, warm, and clean home is among many things we do here, but it almost always the first thing we are able to do.

Our boys have been in our newest boys’ cottage almost two years now, and we have started the construction of a cottage just like it for the girls. The photo here is one of our boys in his room. Thank you for giving him a safe and comfortable place.

Some Happenings at the Home in January

The Aggies for Christ are on campus all week, helping make the campus more beautiful and making faith-building relationships with our youth.

On the 7th, Delton McGuire spoke about Cherokee Home at the Concan (Texas) Church of Christ in the morning at 10 a.m. then at the Rocksprings Church of Christ on the morning of the 15th at 10 a.m.

On Friday, the 13th, school was out for the San Saba County Jr. Livestock Show in San Saba. Many of our youth did show their pigs. The sale followed on Saturday, the 14th. Please consider your support for these very important programs.

Welcome!

Scotty Adams placed his membership with us a week ago on January 11^th, a Wednesday evening. He comes to us from a church of Christ in the Houston area. We welcome Scotty (his preferred name) to our congregation at Highland Lakes and hope for a good and blessed relationship as we all work together in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Please add his information to your current directory, which is available from the church office.

Helping Hands Pantry News

PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED: Toothbrushes and shampoo

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 h e l p, please mention it to Joe or one of the Elders.

Visiting for the Master—2017 Next Sunday Evening!

Our visitation program has served us and the Lord well since its inception in 2007, and we desire to continue this ministry in 2017. A reorganization meeting is planned for Sunday, January 22nd, following the evening worship service. Pizza will be served in the Fellowship Hall prior to an evaluative discussion of the program and suggestions for the New Year. If you would like to be involved in this ministry, a sign-up sheet is posted at the rear of the auditorium.

THANK YOU NOTE

Thank you for praying for my family: Howard & Louise Johnson, and Patty Loffler. Everyone is doing better at this time.

The glory and power is the Lord’s.

In Christian love, Barry & Judy Womack

With Sympathy

Johnnie Beryl Griffith passed from this life on January 10, 2017. She had been a member of this congregation for many years, but had been in the Kingsland Care Center for the last few years and at the time of her death. She was 94 years old.

Memorial services will be held at 2 pm on Wednesday, January 18, 2017 at the Putnam Funeral Home and Crematory Chapel, with Joe Winnett officiating. Our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with Johnnie’s family and all those who knew her.

A Written Note Is Always Best.

If you have any announcement that is important and/or of interest to the whole congregation, or if you would like to have your prayer needs appear in the prayer list (even if you have told other people about it): it is a very good idea to give the secretary a written note with the facts of your requests, as early as possible in the week, no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday. Then it can be incorporated in the upcoming bulletin.

BEAUTIFUL FOOTNOTES

It is exciting to hear of the progress of the Nigerian Gospel Chariot. Please keep this effort in your prayers. For the elders, Ken D

Gospel Chariot Missions (From Fourth Quarter Report 2016)

Hi Everyone. HAPPY NEW YEAR and we pray and hope this finds you all doing well. We have some wonderful news and that is that we have raised the funds for the New Nigerian Chariot and have paid for it and it has arrived at the body builders for it to be built. That is wonderful news and we need to thank everyone for helping in this regard. All we need now is to pay the remaining amount for the body to be built and fin d the working funds.

THREE THOUSAND SOULS BAPTIZED IN 2016

2016 has yet again been a wonderful and fruitful year with this ministry helping baptize over 3,000 souls. It’s hard to keep an exact figure, but we estimate around 3,000. A year ago our target was to try baptize 2,000. Brethren, as these chariots are mobilized, more and more souls will come to Jesus. It’s amazing and so exciting as GOD GIVES THE INCREASE. Then there are congregations that are being planted due to brethren using these chariots for the planting of congregations. To be truthful, it is very hard to keep up with all the good taking place as our African brethren reach their own continent with zeal and zest for Jesus.

From me to you, all I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you. We are now going into 20 countries in Africa. I am doing research on the DRC (Congo) in Central Africa and there is nothing really going on there. We’re also working with our West African brethren regarding Mauritania and Mali where we can strike out from The Gambia and Senegal. Not a place I want to personally do mission work, but our African leaders are pleading with us to partner with them on this. They are the very leaders who oversee our Ghana Gospel Chariot and so God continues to open doors.

Thank you all and Thank You God our Great Provider

This is the new Hino 500 4×4 truck which has been purchased and is now at the body builders in South Africa being transformed into a Gospel Chariot. Exciting news – there are 161 million souls in Nigeria and we have a great team ready to work and oversee this new addition. Thank you to all for helping make this happen. All we need now are the work funds to keep these wheels rolling once the chariot has been built. We will ship it to Nigeria from South Africa. We were hoping on building it in Nigeria, but our Nigerian brethren encouraged us not to due to quality of work and corruption in the country.

These are the leaders in Nigeria who will network with other leaders in Nigeria. They are Peter Ugure, Godwin Isaac and Biodun Owalabi. Please pray for the manufacture of this Big Nigerian Gospel Chariot.

To God be the Glory. In Him. Love, Brother George Funk

Helping Hands Pantry News

PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED: Toothbrushes and shampoo

Thank you!

Visiting for the Master—2017

Our visitation program has served us and the Lord well since its inception in 2007, and we desire to continue this ministry in 2017. A reorganization meeting is planned for Sunday, January 22nd, following the evening worship service. Pizza will be served in the Fellowship Hall prior to an evaluative discussion of the program and suggestions for the New Year. If you would like to be involved in this ministry, a sign-up sheet is posted at the rear of the auditorium.

Correction!

(In regard to last week’s announcement):

David & Sheri Zoller welcome great-granddaughter Madeleine Noemi Hernandez- Burks, born December 22, 2016. She weighed 9.1 lbs. and was 20 inches long. Elisabeth Burks and Eddie Hernandez are the proud parents.

Men’s Prayer Fellowship

All men are encouraged to attend the monthly Men’s Prayer Fellowship. The men meet every second Saturday of the month at 9 am in the Fellowship room. This will start up on the coming Saturday, January 14th, 2017.

A Written Note Is Always Best.

If you have any announcement that is important and/or of interest to the whole congregation, or if you would like to have your prayer needs appear in the prayer list (even if you have told other people about it): it is a very good idea to give the secretary a written note with the facts of your requests, as early as possible in the week, no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday. Then it can be incorporated in the upcoming bulletin.

Beautiful footnotes

Doing Good

9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 2 Thessalonians 3:13 (ESV)

15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.1 Peter 2:15 (ESV)

17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. 1 Peter 3:1 (ESV)

It is obvious that God intends us to be like our Heavenly Father and do good. Every year our congregation supports the work of various missionary efforts, most on a regular monthly effort of financial aid to help support the work of spreading the gospel. Highland Lakes church of Christ also supports other gospel and benevolent efforts through the year with one time contributions to specific support requests presented to the elders. What follows are some of the efforts we supported during 2016 on behalf of the congregation. Thank you for your efforts in doing good and supporting these efforts financially and in your thoughts and prayers in the supporting of good works. For the elders, Ken D

 Support of Bible distributions through Eastern European Missions.

 Supported limited mission trips to Uganda, Rwanda and Lithuania by Christian college students.

 Sending John & Tina Brewer, as our representatives, to observe the work at the South African Bible College on its 50th anniversary.

 Sending the Winnetts to a Polishing the Pulpit conference in Tennessee, some of the elders to Elderlink workshop in Georgetown, as well as sending some of our members to the Central Texas Bible Teachers Workshop in Austin.

 Helping support the World Christian Broadcasting in the preaching of the gospel around the world over the radio.

 Assisting our fellow worker, Sylvester Imogoh, in the drilling of a new water well that will assist his family, his neighbors and provide opportunities there in Nigeria.

Helping Hands Pantry News

PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED:  Deodorant and plastic bags again

Than you!

OUR SYMPATHY

Our heartfelt condolences are extended to Guy Hastings. His brother, Clarence Hastings, Jr., passed from this life on Christmas Eve, December 24th. Services took place on Wednesday, December 28th, in Belton.  Our love and prayers are with Guy, Charlotte and all the family and friends who knew Clarence.

Congratulations . . .

. . .to the happy great-grandparents, Sheri & David Zoller! We rejoice with them, the parents, and other close relatives and friends over the safe delivery of Madeleine Noami — Burks, who was born on Thursday, December 22nd to Elizabeth Burks & Eddie Heriberto Hernandez. She weighed in at 9 lbs. 1 oz., measuring 20 inches long.

May God always bless her and the family richly.

Beautiful Footnotes

“At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ….“  Colossians 4:3 (ESV). Paul, as a missionary of God’s gospel asked the Colossian Christians to pray for the working of the gospel in the lives of those Paul spoke to. In the following note the Welches ask for our prayers that the door may be further opened there in Cambodia. Please pray for this effort and our fellow workers, the Welches. For the elders, Ken D

Greetings from tropical Cambodia. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The rice harvest is in full swing, the breezes are b lowing in cooler temps and the rainy season has finally ended. Cambodia is especially lovely during the holiday season. We hope the weather is pleasant where you are and that you get to enjoy a white Christmas.

We are thanking the Lord and thanking you that although the preparations began a lifetime ago, this month we begin our journey into the mission of God in a new community. We have been praying for our new neighbors and others in the community long before we have met them. We are so blessed by the Spirit of Jesus to be in this place at this time, serving Him, working in His vineyard, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God. It is only the Lord who already knows of the result from each conversation, each new relationship. We trust, not in our own strength, but in Him alone! As of the first of December, we rented a new place in a housing development with more of a communal spirit than other places we have lived. We looked hard and prayed a lot about finding the right community to make disciples and plant a church. We are confident that God has already answered our prayers which continually plead to Him for the Spirit of God to be already working in this neighborhood. We hope to join Him here. Our part is to be holy, set-apart, good-hearted neighbors in the community, ready for sharing the hope that we have, intentionally turning conversations to the spiritual, and sharing/studying the truth from God until all have had a chance to hear His Good News.

Your part, in partnership with us is to pray.

Pray for the example we are to the neighborhood, especially as our Christian example differs from “good neighbor” Buddhists around us.

Pray that hearts will be open to learning about the real Jesus whom they’ve not yet had chance to know.

Pray that the Name of Jesus will be praised and glorified by the fruit of our hearts, hands and lips.

Pray that we will discover heads of households who will receive the good news with joy and zeal, followed by their whole family putting on Christ as Lord and Savior.

Although it is perfectly normal not to give or to know names of acquaintances in Cambodia, we hope that in the next note we send we will already have the names of some of these folks so that you might pray for each by name. In the meantime please keep praying and praying for this community called Lotus Lake.

Our prayer for all of us is that we walk and live by Spirit of Jesus in every nook and cranny of our lives. May He fill us to overflowing with joy, peace, faith, hope and love.

JOY TO THE WORLD—THE LORD HAS COME! HIS GLORIOUS KINGD OM IS FOREVER AND EVERMORE!!!

Eternal love and blessings, Dennis & Sharon

Holiday Schedule

Today is Christmas day and we are only here for the morning worship assembly. We will not meet for evening worship so that we will have time with our families.

Helping Hands Pantry News

PANTRY ITEMS NEEDED:  Deodorant and plastic bags

Thank You Note

CMS William Starling, the son-in law of Donna & Bobby Feuerbacher, received about 80 Christmas cards! He wants to say “thank-you” to everybody!

William (Bill) will retire from the military and come home on January 17th, Pray for his safety until then and also for a safe return to the USA and his home.

In Sympathy

Our Sympathy is extended to Stephanie Winnett, wife of Jace and daughter-in-law of Joe & Teri. Stephanie’s grandfather, Larry Hock, passed away on Monday, December 19th. He had lived in Midland.

Beautiful Footnotes

13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”  Romans 10:13-15 (ESV)

The apostle Paul directly shows a link in the saving of sinners, the saving news of the Gospel, and the faithful believers who support and send out those who live and proclaim the gospel. Through the blessings of the Father, the love of the Lord Jesus and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Highland Lakes church of Christ has been privileged to be involved in supporting outreach efforts locally and abroad to those who have not heard about the Lord and His saving grace. The will of God and the generosity in giving by this congregation has made this all possible.

As 2016 comes to an end and as we as a congregation look at how we will help in furthering the gospel in 2017, let us review at some of what we are budgeting to support in mission evangelism. We will be helping support:

George and Quentin Funk in their work with the Gospel Chariot Missions;

Richard and Becky Emperado in the Philippines;

PJ Krupalini in India;

Dennis and Sharon Welch in Cambodia;

The W orldwide Spanish Literature Ministry;

Sylvanius Obi and Mike Udam in Nigeria;

Comfort Mufunda as a preaching student at South African Bible College;

Ben Crommedy as a preaching student at Sunset International Bible Institute;

Sylvester Imogho and World Bible School effort in Nigeria;

The Cherokee Home for Children;

Our food pantry and clothes closet ministry;

We will also look for opportunities to support one time requests for other efforts that are benevolent in nature and those that support spreading the gospel.

This space will continue to share parts of the stories, reports and correspondence of those we help send out the gospel of our Lord Jesus. Remember we all can and should support these with “beautiful feet” with our contributions and prayers. For the elders, Ken D