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Vol. 47, No.
47 SOUTHSIDE ORACLE February
4, 2005
The Bulletin Board
The
annual Wisconsin Christian Youth Camp Benefit Dinner and Auction
will be at Southside on Saturday, February 19th at 6:00 p.m. If you
have new or craft items to donate to the auction, bring them to the building
or contact Wayne Alexander. If you plan to attend, please sign up on the
camp bulletin board so the number of attendees can be determined. If you
can help with food preparation, contact Wayne.
Family Fun Night will be this Friday at Jubilee Christian School, 3639
W. Ryan Road in Oak Creek from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. For information contact
Daryl or Nina Miller.
The
Sweetheart Dinner will be at the church building on Friday, February
11th at 7:00 p.m. It looks like it will be very well attended. If you plan
to come, see the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.
The Sick – Russell Kleinhans was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital last
Sunday with chest pains. It was determined that his problems were not heart
related and he was able to go home on Monday….Gertrude Bahn entered St.
Francis Hospital Monday. She is in room 3305.
ATTENDANCE RECORD
Two
years ago Last year Last week Goal
Bible
classes 151 156
104 170
Morning worship
237 232 *215 250
Evening worship
71 61 43 80
Contribution $3853.67
$5022.41 $6685.75 $4900.00
(*) first service,
113; second service, 102
First Impressions
I
have often wondered about the first impressions of our visitors. Obviously
not all will react in the same way. To the ritualist we may seem to be too
informal. The Pentecostal, on the other hand, may think we are too low key.
A
few years ago we visited a middle-sized congregation in another state. The
people were friendly and genuinely interested in us. The singing of
well-chosen hymns of praise was inspirational. The worshippers were
reverent. The sermon from God’s word related the divine message to
everyone’s needs in the first of a series of lessons on the family. It
applied the Scriptures to the strengths and weaknesses of human families.
But the speaker was not judgmental and was clearly attuned to the needs of
the hurting in our midst.
We
left spiritually edified. What came through loud and clear was that this
was a family of people who cared about one another – and others. Their
attitudes were those of love, even when a problem in the church family was
publicly addressed. It wasn’t just the words - it was the caring attitudes
nurtured over a period of time.
In
my opinion this is what the average visitor is looking for. He isn’t
particularly concerned about correct doctrine, though this is vital. He
isn’t wanting to be entertained, though he wishes to be spiritually edified.
Much
has been written about meeting the wants of people, like the Janesville
church that began a drive-in come-as-you-are service. We are not in the
business of fulfilling people’s wants; we must rather address their
spiritual needs. This requires that we be a caring spiritual family willing
to open its arms to the broken-hearted.
__Monroe
Hawley
Calendar of Events
February 4
– Family Fun Night, Jubilee School, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
February
11 – Sweetheart Dinner, church building, 6:00 p.m.
February
13 – Elders/deacons meeting, 4:30 p.m.
February
13 – Praise and Palate, 6:00 p.m.
February
15 – Christian Workers’ Meeting, 9:00 a.m.
February
19 – W.C.Y.C. auction/dinner, church building, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
February
25 – Men’s night out, Romine’s, 6125 S. 27th, 6:00 p.m.
March 12 –
Area-wide Men’s Breakfast, Southside
March 13 –
Praise and Palate, 6:00 p.m.
March 15 –
Christian Workers’ Meeting, 9:00 a.m.
March
18-20 - Southside Youth Rally
April 23,
24 – W.C.Y.C. youth rally with Soul Concern
April 29
–30 – John Clayton seminar
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