STUFF   Dave Shaner

Come experience the power of giving as we conclude the Take God at His Word series. As you read the last chapter of your booklet with your family during the week, pray that God will open each heart to His promises. This series has been very beneficial to me personally. My own giving has been challenged. Giving really is a matter of faith. When you take God at His Word, you will experience blessings far beyond the material. It has been said, 'The last part of a man to be converted to Christ is his wallet.' God does not need your money. Everything already belongs to Him. When he has asked us to be generous givers, He is not doing so such that He can accumulate more things. He is commanding these things for our benefit. But our own sinful nature holds back, because we think we have to take care of ourselves first. God wants us to put Him first in everything. When you do so, He will make sure that you are taken care of. Although it may not be universally true, David said, 'I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.' - Psalm 37:25. Jesus said, 'But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.' - Matthew 6:33. 'These things' refer to the material things in life that we need. Can God's people experience times of need? Of course we can. Jesus did not even have a place to lay His head. But when God is the focal point of your life, He will take care of you. Maybe these hard times are designed to drive us back to God. Maybe our faith is being tested. But the Lord is always concerned with you and will bring you through difficult times. You can count on Him.

April 27 has been designated by Cascade Christian College as a 'Day of Destiny.' They are asking for congregations throughout the U.S. and particularly the Northwest to take up a special collection on that day to retire the old 'Columbia' debt. By doing this, the property becomes theirs and they would no longer have to rent it. It will take a huge burden off of them and allow them to expand as needed. In addition any of our own students who attend there will receive a $500 scholarship simply by their home congregation participating We would like to ask you to plan for this. More details will be coming in the next few weeks.

With only two weeks left, we are working hard on leadership events, as the clock ticks down to the anticipated trip to the convention in Phoenix April 17th - 20th. Airline tickets have been purchased at $254.11, and everyone is scrambling to get his part paid. If you have odd jobs any of us could do to raise funds, please let us know. Also, we will be having a garage sale in the Bus Barn April 12th. Please call if you have items to donate, and be sure to come to the sale. Thanks!

Donations of 'stuff' are needed!!!

Dear Ladies, come learn 'The Way of Agape' together. This is a study of how to love someone with God's agape love rather than our own human love. We will begin this Wed. night , 6:30 - 7:30, tentatively meeting in the Prayer Room. For more information see Linda Bruner or Georgette Rude.

To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. To expose feelings is to risk exposing our true self. To place your ideas, your dreams before the crowd is to risk loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try at all is to risk failure. But to risk we must. Because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. The man, the woman, who risks nothing does nothing, is nothing.

To risk for Christ is to win with Christ. Gal. 2:20. Church be all you can be for Christ! There is one life, it will soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last. Phil. 4:13 We 'Can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.'

Therefore humility, humanity and the heart of Christians caring and doing for others is always the right risk.

-The Elders

All ladies are welcome to an evening of fellowship and dessert. We always have a great time and it is a wonderful way to get to know one another beyond the church walls.

Date: Thursday, April 10 Time: 6:30 p.m.

At Joanna and George's house, but George is not invited!!! Any questions please call Joanna Wuest or Loretta Robinson.

Be ready for another round of Family Feud at our monthly game night, April 11, 6:30 p.m. in the small auditorium. Bring snacks and games. Join the fun.

For those interested in providing food for the Rupnick family. You may drop it off at the building, and Judie Sanborn will deliver. Call her at 623-3538.

We have a family in need of three beds. One for an adult, and two children ages 21/2 and 4 years old. If you are able to help, please call the church office.

We are going to miss you SOOOOO much! Our hearts go with you to your new home in Enumclaw, and we know you will be a blessing to the Lord's work there as you have been here. God bless you.

April 8 - Prayer Breakfast 6:30 a.m. at JB's

April 8 - CCS Fundraiser - Rescue Concert at NIC

April 10 - Ladies Night Out at Joanna Wuest's

April 11 - Game Night in the Sm. Aud. at 6:30 p.m.

April 12 - LTC Garage Sale in the Bus Barn

April 17 - Garden of Prayer Meeting 6:30 p.m.

April 17-20 - LTC Convention in Phoenix

Jan Almond is at home and doing better. She still has a ways to go, but God is so good.

Kathy Shaner is recuperating at home. The progress will be slow. Please continue to pray.

Joe Jovanovich, Jeff Nirk's father, had a heart attack last week and is in the coronary care unit at KMC.

Ken Arnold is in intensive care unit with pneumonia at KMC.

Sue Waddell, Margie's daughter-in-law, is recovering from surgery.

Chester Martin, Teen Pearson's brother, is getting stronger following his recent heart surgery.

Benjamin Madsen is doing well and has gained some weight. He is expected to come home from the hospital today.

Pam Dunbar and Teeny McMunn, friends of Leeann Freshour, are both dealing with breast cancer.

Toni Glynn, Betty Wilhoite's daughter, is suffering with rheumatoid arthritis, but is improving.

Jesse Rupnick continues to battle cancer. Special prayers are needed as he begins chemo treatments three times a week.

Pray for Dawn Morgan as she recovers from cancer.

Service Men & Women - Pray for Michael Kish & Steve Howard, while they are away serving our country.

Pray for The Togo Team as they continue to do the Lord's work among the Kabiye people. They are under more stress as a result of the war in Iraq, but the work continues to grow with God's blessings.

Please pray for our youth group to continue to be strong in Christ and to reach out to share Christ with our friends.

In the passing of a dear friend last week, Dominick Sorino of the Marchese family, please remember to keep his family in your prayers during their time of loss.

Continue Praying For......

John Hughes*Chris Flick*Virginia Filbeck
Dora Tucker*Anita Haman*Rick Howard
Edna Scott*The Frisk Family*Ruby Whittle
Ray Huseby*Lenore Waldo*Jerri Gwin

A special ministry write a card / letter to service men who have no one to write to them. Addresses are on the kiosk, or talk to Sandra Welch.

Mike's Memos....

from - Daily Devotional by Brent Riggs

Ecclesiastes 10:18 Because of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands the house leaks. (NKJV)

Aaahhh... being lazy. Doing nothing except what you feel like doing. That would be such a perfect life. Right? Wrong. Very, very wrong.

If God would have you rest, it is not laziness. If God is giving you a time of relaxation, quietness and refreshment, that's not laziness either. There are appropriate and God-given times for all those things. But the Bible has much to say about laziness and none of it is good.

Laziness is doing NOthing,

when God would have you doing SOMEthing.

If you're watching TV when God would have you studying your Bible, that IS laziness. If you're sleeping in on Sunday morning missing church because you were out late Saturday at the movies, that IS laziness. If you can't find time to pray in the morning because you wore out the snooze button, leaving only enough time to get ready and fly to school or work, that IS laziness.

Laziness is doing something easy, when God would have you doing something hard. Laziness is playing golf when God is trying to get your attention about the widows at church who need your assistance. Laziness is finding time to watch a lot of movies but never finding time to conduct a Bible study. Laziness is not praying because it's too hard, so you read a Christian book instead. Laziness is spending lots of time doing e-mail or playing computer games, and not getting your homework done. Laziness is spending hours in front of the TV when your home or family needs attention. Laziness is sitting around at work trying to fill your time with anything that will make the clock tick faster instead of doing your best for your employer.

What does God have to say about laziness:

The lazy are poor stewards of God's possessions - Ecc. 10.18, wasteful - Prov. 12:27, it leads to death - Prov. 21:25, is self-deceiving - Prov. 26:16, it will be severely punished - Matt 25:26. The lazy have time to gossip and meddle - 1 Tim 5:9, they deserve to starve 2 Thess 3:10

Dealing with laziness in our lives is hard work. That is the irony of it. The same laziness you are trying to correct will keep you from making the difficult effort to deal with it in the first place. A catch 22 - too lazy to deal with laziness. Ask a close, trusted friend, your spouse or your parents to help you. Give them permission to be honest with you. The rewards of ridding your life of laziness will be immediate and apparent.

Application: Some of these issues are problems with priorities, but a lot of it is just pure laziness. Are you this person? You will never make progress in this area unless all the excuses are tossed. Wasting God's time through laziness is a very wicked practice. Ask God to forgive you, and give you wisdom in this area.

Top Ramen, canned fruit, Quaker oats. Thank you!

The students at C.C.S. have been collecting box-tops and their coins to help THEIR school. By doing this they have ownership and some responsibility for their education. They are proud to be a part of the effort to get new equipment for their school. Last Friday, $200.00 worth of box-tops were sent out. With this money combined with previous box-top dollars and "Coins For Kids" we will be able to purchase a nice piece of playground equipment. We are proud of the children and are excited about their future.

'For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'

Jeremiah 29:11

We are short one teacher for VBS. This teacher will be teaching the older kids about Esther. Please talk with Michelle Kish or Alyssa Frahm if able to help.

Thanks for all the prayers for Beth and little Ben. Both are doing well.

-Betty Clemetson

Our sincere thanks for all your prayers, visits, cards during Fred's bout in the hospital. He still has problems, so continue the prayers.

-Fred & Opal Bonney

Thank you, family, for bringing food and encouragement to me and my family. The dinners/cards filled us both physically and spiritually. I love you all. Thanks

-Kathy Shaner

Thank you for your continued prayers for my daughter Toni. It looks like the new medication may be working finally. Thank God and you for all your prayers for her!

-Betty Wilhoite

Anyone interested in being involved in a working committee to build, landscape and maintain our new 'Garden of Prayer', please attend this meeting on Thursday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the church kitchen. For additional information, contact Rick or Janet Blanchard (762-5096).

TO SERVE April 13^th, 2003

Contact Warren Brown ASAP if you are unable to serve.

Assembly Times:

Other Bible Study Groups are offered at various times. Please call the office for times and places.

Bible Study Groups:

Statistics:
WEEK OF 3/30/2003

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