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Vol. 46, No.
31 SOUTHSIDE ORACLE October 17,
2003
The Bulletin Board
Baptized – Aline Sturomski was
baptized last Sunday night. She is a friend of Laurie Giombi.
(Please contact the
church office for her address.) We wish her God’s blessings
in his service.
The Southside Give-Away last Saturday
once more was a great success. The number of items contributed was much
larger than ever before and the attendance of those coming to the Give-Away
was also up. Many people worked hours preparing for it. Our thanks to all
who helped and especially Denise Eppler who directed it.
The first Christian Workers’ Meeting
of the season will be at 9:00 a.m., Tuesday, October 21st, at
Southside. Michael Blakley of Northtown will speak on “The Pain and
Pleasure of Ministry” and Bobby Valentine’s presentation will be “The
Panoply of God: Background of Paul in Ephesians.” The meeting is open to
all and is regularly attended by people from different area congregations.
The Sick – Lisa Gustafson had a
successful throat procedure last week and is doing well.
ATTENDANCE
RECORD
Two years ago Last year
Last week Goal
Bible
classes 143 115
146 170
Morning worship
239 219 *209 250
Evening worship
52 71 65 80
Contribution $3616.17 $4159.47 $4006.71 $4200.00
A children’s program called Fall Fest
for those 12 and under will be Saturday, October 25, from 6:00 – 8:30
p.m.
Singing Class – For those interested in
learning new songs and improving our singing, there will be a singing class
at 4:30 p.m. each Sunday.
Calendar of Events
October 18 - Annual W.C.Y.C. meeting, Mandrake Road
Church, Madison, 10:00 a.m.
October 21 – Christian Workers’ Meeting, Southside,
9:00 a.m.
October 25 – Ladies’ seminar, Hampton Ave. Church,
8:30 a.m.
October 25 – Fall Fest for those 12 and under, 6:00 –
8:30 p.m.
November 8 – Couples Connect Night, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.
November 9 – Elders/deacons meeting, 4:30 p.m.
November 9 – Praise and Palate, 6:00 p.m.
November 15 – Senior Thanksgiving dinner, 12:30 p.m.
Thank You for the
Petunias
Flower shows feature flowers from the earliest
tulips to the last poinsettia, but no one ever exhibits a petunia. Brides
carry flowers from the edelweiss of the mountains to the lilies of the
valley, but no bride would consider carrying a petunia. Everyone ignores
the petunia, but it goes right on blooming. It is time someone appreciates
it.
Church leaders should be sensitive to flowers
because flowers remind them of people. In fact, any group of people has
about as many varieties of “plants” as does a garden. Every group has its
“roses” which must be handled with kid gloves to avoid pain or hurt. Every
group has its “irises” which are susceptible to rot if they are not
constantly in the sunshine. We could go on and on from “asters” that wilt
to “snapdragons” that rust. There are stubborn “glads” that simply cannot
be bent once their stem is formed, and the tender “morning glory” which
blooms in splendor at the beginning of the day and fades at noon. Every
variety of folk need some special attention to make them bloom – except for
the petunia.
So you can understand why petunias are dear to
any church leader’s heart. They are the folk who go on doing their part
without special attention. No one fuses over them nor pampers them nor
cultivates them. No one praises them for their dependability or loyalty.
But like the petunia in the garden, they do not seem to mind. They cause no
trouble; they create no commotion; they just keep blooming the best they
can.
So at the end of an especially difficult and
disappointing day, there arises from the church leaders a very special
prayer: “Dear Lord, thank you for the petunias.”
__W. R. Craig
The Soul of a Child
The soul of a child is the
loveliest flower
That grows in the
garden of God.
It climbs from weakness to
knowledge and power,
To the sky from
the clay and the clod.
To beauty and sweetness it
grows under care,
Neglected, ‘tis
ragged and wild.
‘Tis a plant that is tender,
but wondrously rare
The sweet, wistful
soul of a child!
Be tender, O gardener, and
give it its share
Of moisture, of
warmth, and of light,
And let it not lack for thy
painstaking care
To protect it from
frost and from blight.
A glad day will come when its
bloom shall unfold;
It will seem that
an angel has smiled,
Reflecting its beauty and
sweetness untold,
In the sensitive
soul of a child.
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