February 2012newsletter.pub - Gethsemane Church of Christ

Volume 7, Issue 2
February 2012
Sharing God’s Love By… Loving God, Loving Others, Serving In Love
The Gethsemane
Gospel Light:
Jesus Loves the Little Children
Bill’s Corner
Martha’s Reflections
Announcements
Children’s Ministry
Student Ministry News
Additional Announcements
Upcoming Sermons
Vision Statement:
A community…
...of compassion for the lost, the
broken, and the hopeless.
...where everyone
experiences the
transforming love of God.
...where everyone is
discovering their God-given
abilities and gifts.
...where everyone is being
equipped for significant ministry opportunities.
...of missionaries who are taking
the transforming love of God to
Mechanicsville,
surrounding areas and the world
through service and
personal relationships.
...of individuals and families
who are nourished through
prayer, empowered by the Spirit
and directed by the Word of
God.
...where everyone is anticipating
and preparing for the appearing
of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
Jesus Loves the Little Children …..
At Gethsemane, we have designated February as the “Love” month.
We want to share our love with children all over our community, including the unborn. We will be collecting diapers and wipes for the Pregnancy Resource Center in Richmond. Donations may be dropped off at the
appropriately marked areas in the church vestibule and
fellowship hall.
“For You formed my
inward parts; You wove me in
my mother’s womb. I will give
thanks to You, for I am fearfully
and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works,
and my soul knows
it very well.”
Psalm 139:
13-14
Jesus loves the little children, all thc children of the world, , red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world Bill’s Corner
Brief History of Dave Lucas
and the Watchmen
The original Watchmen
began at Gateway Christian
Church in St. Albans, West Virgin
,
ool
sch
ia. Young men, still in high
ing
began to sing at the church dur
programs and later traveled with
their preacher for gospel sings,
revivals, reunions and special pro
in
e
cam
men
grams. Several young
and out, but the originals that
stayed with it were Gary Templeton and Rick Ranson. When these
young men went to Kentucky
Christian College in the fall of
1969, they met up with Dave Lucas.
age
an
ting
put
of
15. He had dreamed
for
r
evangelistic team togethe
C
many years before arriving at KC
and had held 31 revivals before
enrolling at KCC at the age of 17.
Dave had been preaching since
h
The original group that started wit
:
Operation Evangelize was a trio
Gary Templeton, Rick Ranson,
Paul Williams (Paul writes for The
Christian Standard), and Steve
Clark on the piano. They traveled
that way for many years after
launching in January of 1971 at
Peebles Church of Christ in Peebles, Ohio.
The team was always an evangelistic team, not a stand alone music
group. For a couple of years the
team contracted with KCC to recruit students and in one year re4
cruited over 250 students. In 197
io
they moved to Chesapeake, Oh
to set up their base of operations.
I am excited to announce
to you a very big
event that is coming to Gethsemane
Church of Christ.
We will be having
a late winter revival, March 4-5, featuring Dave Lucas and the Watchmen.
During this meeting special
music will be provided by the
Watchmen Quartet with preaching
by Dave Lucas at both Sunday morning worships, Sunday evening at
6:30 PM, and Monday evening at
7:00 PM.
For more than 20 years Dave
Lucas and the Watchmen, of Operation Evangelize Ministries, crisscrossed the country leading in
camps, retreats, revivals, conventions, and various meetings, for the
purpose of preaching Christ. Literally thousands gave their lives to
Christ, thousands recommitted their
lives to Christ, and countless others
committed to full-time vocational
ministry as a result of this work.
In high school I became a fan
of Dave Lucas and the Watchmen.
Any time they were within a couple
of hours from my home, I would go
see them. They were my heroes and
a huge influence in my decision to go
into ministry. I was able to fulfill a
dream when I spent four years singing full-time with the Watchmen
from 1988-1991.
In the last four years there
has been a reunion of the Watchmen
with three different mixes of guys
who were with the group (actually
four mixes if you count a couple of
guys stepping in for one song last
September). Now, after more than 20
years, there will be a reunion of Dave
Lucas and the Watchmen as they are
teaming up once again for a revival
meeting.
I am so excited about this.
Dave is my all-time favorite preacher. So, I’m encouraging you now to
mark your calendars because you
won’t want to miss it!
Dave Lucas
Refresh
The Watchmen
from Restoration
Destination,
November 2011.
Area Wide Ladies Retreat
Camp Rudolph
“Under Construction”
April 19-21, 2012
Souper
Bowl
$3,325.2
$3000
$2500
$2000
$1500
$1000
$500
S
t
O
P
h
U
n
g
E
R
Isn’t this exciting!? We have
exceeded our
goal and will
be able to pack
over 13,000
meals, and I
Souperexpect that
more donations
bowl
will continue to
come in up to
the last week
before the 29th.
Thank you for
your
generosity!
Meet in the
pavilion on
January 29 at 6
p.m. We will
pack the meals
and then enjoy a soup supper.
Don’t forget to bring your favorite soup to share and some
cookies or brownies.
Martha’s Reflections
Is It Really a New Year Already?
Christmas was upon me before I knew
what was happening, and at this writing,
we’re half way through January 2012. Can
we please slow this ride down? I know
what they say about the years racing by
when you get older, but I refuse to believe
that I’m that old! Does anybody else think
that someone has sped up time?
Really, though, I usually hit the ground
running once January comes, but this year
I’ve had a hard time getting back in the
swing of my routine. Actually, I don’t
think I have a routine any more, and I
think it’s a good thing because there is no
“down time” in ministry for our Lord.
Every season brings its own new challenges and opportunities. We’ve already begun
a new semester of Wednesday night classes. I think there is at least one class that
will interest any adult.
Whether you’ve been married one year or
50+ years, Balanced & Blessed, led by
Bill Wines, will have some great information and insights on how to make your
marriage even better. If you’ve decided
that 2012 is going to be the year that you
are going to get your parenting act together, then Kenny Dunn will be happy to help
you as he leads Dr. Kevin Leman’s ValuePacked Parenting. This parenting series
will be followed by another session of Dr.
Leman’s instruction specifically for parents of adolescents called Running the
Rapids. Maybe you can identify.
Bob Russell’s excellent study on some of
the major characters of Genesis is being
taught by George Bayer. The more I study
Genesis, the more I think that most of our
questions can be answered in that one
book of the Bible. Then, I am happy to be
leading another women’s Bible study that
features women of the Bible. So far, we
have looked at the lives of Eve and Sarah,
and I have gained new insights into the
way that these women fit into God’s plan.
Who would have thought that there was
anything new to learn about these most
familiar women? But since God’s Word is
living and active, there is always something that we have missed or a new comprehension to be gained, depending on our
season of life or circumstances.
So, if you haven’t been participating in the
Wednesday night classes, it’s definitely
not too late to join us. I know that you will
be blessed by the teaching, discussion, and
the fellowship.
Also, this is a wonderful time to try Sunday School if you’re not already part of
one of the adult classes. New studies are
just beginning, and I might be a little biased, but I think we have some of the best
and most dedicated Sunday School teachers you’ll find anywhere. And what a bonus—there are classes, including nursery,
for your children of any age.
Last, but not least, there is always room in
the Worship Choir for more singers who
love praising the Lord through music and
helping to enhance the Sunday worship
services. Our line-up of winter and spring
music is some of the best music we’ve
ever had, and the choir is a fun environment. Most of you will only hear the
songs that the choir presents one time, and
we work really hard to make sure that we
get the message across to stir your heart,
make you contemplate our Lord, and just
bless you. But, I’ll let you in on a little
secret—the choir members are blessed far
beyond all that because those songs actually become a part of us, etched on our
hearts and minds. If the Lord has gifted
you with a voice to sing, why not use that
gift in the Worship Choir. If you have any
questions, contact me, and I’ll be happy to
talk with you.
Well, whether time has sped up or not,
2012 is here—let’s do our best to be
God’s hands and feet in our world this
year.
--Martha
Winter Wednesday Nights Women from Bible times can teach us a
lot about life. Depression, brokenness, joy,
marriage, body issues, being single, hospitality. Author Gien Karssen helps make 24
women of the Bible come
alive by asking, “What
place did God have in her
life?” Each answer will
motivate you to live your
life wholeheartedly for
God.
Women today will find at
least one biblical woman
to be surprisingly like themselves.
Teacher: Martha Wilkerson
Welcome New Member: Betty Rae Johnson 29147 Sunshine Road Ruther Glen, VA 22546 Betty Rae’s Birthday: June 9 Betty Rae placed her membership on Jan. 8 WEEKLY AVERAGES FOR
DECEMBER:
Average December Attendance:
8:30 a.m.: 178
11:00 a.m.: 213
Total: 391
* Christmas Day Attendance was
285 and is not included in the
average attendance figures.
December Average Weekly
Giving: $11,200.00
December Required Weekly
Giving: $11,630.00
Fiscal Year-to-Date Average
Weekly Giving $10,859.00
As this new year begins, let’s
continue to remember our
college students who are
away from home. Let’s be
faithful to encourage and
pray for them.
Tyler Wines
CCU
2700 Glenway Avenue
P.O. Box 274
Cincinnati, OH 45204
Heather Colbert
J. Sargeant Reynolds
Richmond, VA
Michael Crumpler
Longwood University
P.O. Box 487
Farmville, VA 23909
Lindsay Rauguth
212 W.Little Creek Rd, Apt. 9
Norfolk, VA 23505
(Lindsay attends ODU)
Mary (Rachel)Grimesey
P.O. Box 2633
George Mason University
4450 Rivanna River Way
Fairfax, VA 22030
Ron & Jeri Furr’s
Florida Address
19333 Summerlin Road
Lot 172 Siesta Bay
Fort Myers, Florida
33908
If you would like to send a card
to Dan Griffin his address is:
HealthSouth Rehabilitation
Hospital of Virginia
5700 Fitzhugh Ave.
Richmond, VA 23226
Home Address:
2550 Mountain Rd.
Glen Allen, VA
23060
New Address
for Matt Barfels:
Matthew A. Barfels
7 Sturgis Street
Ft. Bragg, NC 28307
Ph.# (617) 306-9901
Email: [email protected]
We would like to thank the wonderful
Christian friends at Gethsemane for
the prayers, cards, phone calls, visits
and food. This is rather belated but it
has been drawn out since September
1’s back surgery, broken ankle and
knee replacement. God has been so
good through you.
Love,
Stanley and Clara
Dear Gethsemane family,
Thank you so much for your powerful
prayers, cards with such heartfelt
sentiments, beautiful flowers and
meals. It meant so much to have our
church family to lean on during the
long days after my mom’s passing.
The blessings of love that we received
from all of you were so abundant,
they spilled over on to my dad and the
rest of my family.
God Bless.
Love, Mike & Laurie Bowes
Dear Church Family,
We want to thank you so much for the
flowers given in memory of Rumley C.
(Buddy) Martin. They were lovely
and meant so very much to us all.
Donald & Teressa Pearson
& Family
To Our Christian Family at
Gethsemane,
Thank you all for the prayers, cards,
calls, and visits during Mama’s recent illness and death. The flowers
sent to the funeral were also appreciated and beautiful. We will miss her
at church and at home.
Sincerely,
Gary, Jerry Martin,
Landra Lynn & Families
Dear Church Family,
Thank you to everyone for the birthday cards and well wishes on my
birthday.
Sincerely,
Daniel Talley
The ZONE Children’s Ministry NEWS
“Beloved, let
us love one
another….
1 John 4:7-8
WINTER
WEDNESDAY
J.A.M.
Children’s Programs on
Wednesdays from
6:30-7:30pm
Fun games, surprises and service
projects!
4th & 5th Graders!
Ground Zero Preteen Convention
It’s almost here!
March 23rd & 24th
$35 per person (early registration)
(register by Feb. 6th!)
It’s 24 hours of fun with
AWESOME worship
CONCERTS with Kids Rock Band,
Crazy-Funny Main Speakers,
Pizza!
Cool Minute–To–Win-It GAMES!
Bring your friends! They will love
it too!
See Lori to register and for more
info., go to SMOV.net
Elementary and Preschool Sunday
worship series. Kids will see how they
can worship God every day in their
own lives!
Children’s Eas
ter Event
Saturday, Marc
h 31st
10:00am—Noo
n
Preschool
through 5th
grade
Vacation Bible School
June 24-28th
6:30pm-8:30pm
Student Ministry News
Oxygen is a worship service for Grades 6th thru
12th….come join us for music led by our own
student band, Bible teaching, communion, games,
prizes, skits and fellowship.
Our Schedule (Sunday nights from 6:30 to 8:00 pm) is subject to
change….here are some dates to remember..
 Sunday, 1/29...Students will join in on the Souper Bowl in the Pavil-
ion, packing meals for Stop Hunger Now.
 Sunday, 2/5….Students will enjoy a special Super Bowl party in the
Pavilion. If you want to play flag football, join us @ 6 pm...or just
come for the party @ 6:30 to half time.
 Sunday, 3/4….Students will attend Gethsemane’s revival to hear an
exciting message from Dave Lucas (no relation to George:))
 Sunday, 4/8….Easter Sunday, NO OXYGEN
Student Christmas
Party 2011
KICK
KICK--OFF @ 6:30 —LEAVE @ HALFTIME
Announcements
Free Firewood
If interested, please call
Rita Sams at 966-5739 for
more Information.
NEW SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDIES BEGINNING
Bereans Class—studying the New Testament book of Acts—find
out all about the beginnings of the first church. (Class located in
Rm. L7, Lower Level of the Auditorium)
Faithbuilders Class—study
based on the book, Heaven Is
for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His
Trip to Heaven and Back (Class located in the
Choir Cottage)
Find Us Faithful Class—Men Are Like Waffles,
Women Are Like Spaghetti: Understanding and
Delighting in Your Differences (Class located in
the Pavilion)
Spaghetti Dinner & Silent Auction
To Benefit Oak Hill Christian Service Camp
Saturday, February 4
5
Gethsemane Church of Christ
5146 Mechanicsville Turnpike
Mechanicsville, VA
Dinner served from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Silent Auction closes at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets
$8 for adults (age 12+)
$4 for children ages 5 to 11
(under age 5 free)
See your camp director or contact Michelle
Mende by e-mail ([email protected])
or phone (804-569-3991) for tickets
If you have items that you would like to donate for the silent auction, please call Angie
Gordon at (540) 872-1202 or e-mail her at
[email protected]
STAFF:
Upcoming Sermons
Senior Minister:
Bill Wines
February 5
“A Community of Anticipation”
Children's Director:
Lori Dunn
February 12
“ What’s Love Got To Do With It?”
February 19
“ Loving God and Loving Others”
February 26
“ Serving In Love”
Director of Education &
Choir Director:
Martha Wilkerson
Secretary:
Darlene Ferguson
Office & Church Phone
804-779-2044
Sunday Worships
8:30 & 11:00 AM
Sunday School
10:00 AM
www.gethsemanechristians.org
Gethsemane Church of Christ
5146 Mechanicsville Turnpike
Mechanicsville, VA 23111
Address Correction Requested
Non-Profit
Organization
U.S. Postage Paid
Permit No. 5
Mechanicsville, VA