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Vol. 47,
No.12 SOUTHSIDE ORACLE
May 21, 2004
The Bulletin
Board
Baptized – Nina Bermudez was baptized at the morning worship Sunday.
We rejoice in her decision to put on Christ.
Contact us
for her address or phone number.
Celebrating God’s Family – Last Sunday was a great day for Southside
as we all met together for worship at 11:00 o’clock instead of having two
morning services. The children had a separate worship that enabled us to
find seating for everyone. After worship we enjoyed a potluck together
and followed that with a congregational meeting. We concluded with a
brief devotional. No evening worship was conducted. We return to our
regular schedule this week.
Southside Retreat – Those interested in going to the Southside Retreat
at Fallhall Glen on May 28-31 should sign up on the sheet on the bulletin
board. There is a choice of cabins/lodge rooms on a first come basis.
See the Alexanders for questions.
ATTENDANCE RECORD
Two
years ago Last year Last week Goal
Bible classes
147 138 153
170
Morning worship
225 216
252 250
Evening worship
62 63 no service
80
Contribution $3806.15
$4244.06 $4544.75 $4500.00
The Sick – Hank Karbiner will have knee replacement surgery May 24th
at St. Luke’s Hospital….Al Gray will have hip replacement surgery May 26th
at Waukesha Memorial Hospital….Remember those who are recovering from
hospitalizations including Gertrude Bahn, Ann Tevik, Elfriede Wandsnider,
and Aline Sturomski.
Craft Day – Saturday, May 22 from 10:00 a.m. to noon is the
re-scheduled time for a craft program at the church building. See the
specifics on the bulletin board or contact Cheryl Morgan.
Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp – Every year we have numerous
children and staff who attend one of the youth camping sessions. Help is
needed in staffing at several levels. If you would be willing to work at
camp for a week or two, contact Tim Shilts. Southside has a scholarship
fund to send children who do not have the means to go to camp. If you
would like to help send one of our young people to Fallhall Glen for two
weeks, see Wayne Alexander or Tim Shilts. If there are children who
would like to go to camp but cannot afford it, contact either Wayne or
Tim. This is what the scholarship fund is for. Please do not hesitate to
use it.
Calendar of Events
May 22 – Crafts Day, 10:00 - 12:00 a.m.
May 28-31 – Southside retreat, Fallhall Glen
June 5 – Building improvement day sponsored by youth
group, 9:00 a.m. - 3: 00 p.m.
June 6 – Congregational picnic after second service,
Whitnall Park, Area 8
June 12 – Juan and Diane Santana renew marriage vows
on their 25th anniversary –
1:00 p.m.
June 20 – July 3 – Junior camp session, Wisconsin
Christian Youth Camp
July 4-17 – Middle camp session, Wisconsin Christian
Youth Camp
July 6-11 – Menominee (MI) Youth Service Trip
July 24 – Blood Drive at Southside
Congregational
Pride
Not long ago I heard a young lady
talking about the congregation where she worshipped. She loved the
elders, enjoyed hearing the preacher, and bragged on the Bible classes.
She closed this ‘testimonial’ by saying, “There’s just no place like it
anywhere!” At first I felt that she was too much in love with
her home congregation and that she ought to realize that there were good
congregations of the saints in many places. And then I had some second
thoughts.
What’s wrong with Christians loving the congregation where they live and
worship? What is wrong with our being a little proud of our program of
work and the joy we have in the worship there? There are too many
Christians that never say anything good about their home church, never
feel any close attachment to the church. It is referred to as “they” and
not “we.”
When a student goes to college and is proud of the school, she usually
does better work. It’s her school; she supports it, she fights for it,
she talks it up! She gets the school spirit! It’s wonderful to see a
man who is working for a firm that he is not ashamed of. He can say with
pride that he is a part of an honorable company. We joke about
grandparents talking about their wonderful grandchildren, but isn’t it
nice? And don’t you like to hear a wife brag on her husband instead of
criticizing him?
It may be that we have heard too many sermons in the distant past on
loyalty to the Church as a whole, so that we started to think it was wrong
to be proud of our own congregation! It seems to me that in the Letters
to the Seven Churches, Christ appealed to their sense of congregational
pride by speaking of the things they had done well and urging them to do
better.
We must put Christ at the center of our heart, but we should remember that
the local church is the concrete manifestation of the Body of Christ, and
we can and ought to take pride in her. When Israel fought the Midianites,
their cry was “For Gideon and the Lord.” Gideon as the Lord’s
servant was loved and honored, too.
Let us build, love, support, and be proud of our own congregation. It is
the Body of
Christ!
__Bobby Valentine
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