Brownsville Church of Christ Gospel Meeting

October 28-November 1, 2024

Different Speakers for Each Service

Monday Evening - Tony Huntsman

Tuesday Evening - Micah Webb

Wednesday Evening - Jeremy Joy

Thursday Evening - Brian Price

Friday Evening - Rick Fleeman

Services are at 7:30 PM each weekday evening.
Sunday services:  9:45 AM Bible Study; 10:30 AM Worship; 6:30 PM Worship

The Empty Pew

Preachers have a distinctive view of the congregation as he stands before them and delivers the message from God’s word. As he teaches the lesson, he subconsciously assesses the audience, and immediately knows if the attendance for that day is good or is lacking. As human nature would have it, members have the habit of sitting in the same place for each service they attend. If the congregation is small, the preacher has probably memorized each member’s or family’s designated pew. So, when those pews are empty, especially for several services, it is a matter of concern for the following reasons:

• Is someone sick? Do they need prayer, comfort, or ministered to? “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” (James 5:15a)
• Are they suffering from loss or tragedy? Do they need God’s comfort that can be given through us? (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
• Are they at odds with a fellow member? Jesus taught us conflict resolution, even if it needs mediation. (Matthew 18:15-20)
• Is the new convert struggling with their commitment to God? Mature Christians should encourage them. (Romans 15:1)
• Have they been offended by truthful presentation of the scriptures which convict the world of sin? (John 16:8)
• Have they willfully missed worship while pursuing pleasure? This is idolatry, is sinful and requires repentance. (Hebrews 10:24-27)
• Have they become distracted by life? Work and family obligations can lead us on the gradual road to unfaithfulness. (Colossians 3:1-2)

These are just a few of the things that can concern the preacher (or elder) as they observe the empty pew.

Jay Launius – 2024
Maud Church of Christ
Maud, Texas

Trunk or Treat 2024

Thank you to all who helped create a night filled with treats and bunches of smiles.

There were approximately 70 children who attended, and 20 decorated trunks participated. We were also honored by the presence of emergency responders and law enforcement.

October Sunday A.M. Ministers

October 20th Jeremy Powell

October 27th Jason Daughterty

Potter Children's Home

Thank you to the family here at Woodsfield we were able to send a total of $4,203.00 for the Day of Prayer & Giving for the Children.

From Washington to Woodsfield.... Thank You for Praying!

They say that getting what you want in life is more about WHO you know than WHAT you know.  The more life I live on this earth the more I realize the accuracy of this axiom.

And it’s accuracy goes into the spiritual realm as well.

You’ve never met Glenn Reagan.  You know nothing about him.  But I know him.  He is my friend.  And I know Bob Burrow.  He is my closest friend.  And I know most of you.

So, when Glenn’s car was hit head on by a distracted driver and he was sent in very critical condition to our local hospital, I immediately prayed.  I then thought of other Spirit-filled believers whom I believed God would listen to.  So I asked Bob to pray.  Bob asked you all to pray.  And together we did.

Glenn’s accident occurred Saturday night.  On Tuesday night, he remained on life support.  On Friday of that week he walked out of the hospital and went home.  One week later he returned to teaching his Bible class.  Did he just get lucky?  Was he saved solely by the seat belt and the air bag?  Or did God heal him?  I know what I want to believe, and I do in fact believe it.

But, I want you to know, that even if Glenn had succumbed to that crash, even if the outcome had been     horribly different, I would still be grateful to you!   You prayed and your praying strengthened my spirit.  Your texts asking about my friend uplifted me.  When I shared your concern with Glenn, he was uplifted!

James says that the “prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”  The power of prayer is not manifested alone in the end result.  A prayer has power as it is being prayed. 

All of you reading this can speak to the occasions when you did not get the end result you asked for.  I asked God to restore Randy and keep him in this world.  He did NOT do that.  I’ve asked him repeatedly to take Emma to Heaven where she would not be in such a sufferable condition.  He is NOT doing that.  Yet those prayers are powerful and healing in a mysterious, spiritual, hard-to-explain way.  The act of prayer is innately effective.  It is soothing to the soul.  And when those with whom you have a strong spiritual bond are praying for you and with you, oh how it can soothe multiple souls.

The folks here in the Aberdeen congregation have been repeatedly asking me about Davey Landefeld.  They don’t know him.  They know nothing about him other than his current plight, and that he is my friend.  And so they are praying — and praying — and praying.  We are begging God to heal Davey.  But even if he does not, our bond we have with each other thru Jesus Christ and the Spirit will be strengthened, and our faith in our God the Father will not be diminished.  The power of prayer is not in the final answer alone.  The power of a prayer is in the praying itself!

So, thank you again for caring enough and loving enough to pray.  You have reminded me that life really is all about WHO you know.  I thank God I was given the opportunity to know the Woodsfield family.  I  thank God for allowing me to know Him, to know his Son, and to receive the gift of his Holy Spirit.  God is good all the time, and all the time God is good! 

Chuck Schultheisz

Clothes Closet

The Clothes Closet ministry will not be accepting any clothing donations until further notice. They are also asking if someone is interested in helping Jean Antill in the closet, please contact Sue Dearth at 740-472-0237.                             

2024 Area Wide Singing Schedule of the Church of Christ

August 30th – Pursley Church of Christ, 901 Tyler Hwy, Sistersville, W.Va.

September 13th – Sunrise, 598 Old Turnpike Rd., Parkersburg, W.Va.

September 20th Wingett Run, Wingett Run Rd., Wingett Run, OH

October 11th North End, 1301 West Viginia Ave., Parkersburg, W.Va.

October 18th New Concord, 13333 Maple Lane, New Concord, OH

October 25th Lower Salem 9660 OH 821, Lower Salem, OH

November 15th Camden Avenue, 2900 Camden Avenue, Parkersburg, W.Va. 26101

Who Will You Serve?

In 1979, Bob Dylan broke into a new era in his recording history and released a song, “Gotta Serve Somebody.”  The gist of the song is a biblical concept—all of us are in servitude to someone in life, no matter how great or powerful we are.  The repeated phrase throughout the song, “it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord” was the reminder of the only two masters one can serve.  At first, the song was criticized.  John Lennon came out with a song of his own ridiculing Dylan’s, entitled “Serve Yourself.”  Eventually, however, the song caught on and became a hit; now it remains one of his best-known songs.

In many ways, the song was personal for Bob Dylan.  During this same period, Dylan surrendered his own life in service to Jesus.  The song is a window into the mind and heart of Dylan, a newly converted Christian, who was wrestling with his own fame, notoriety and eternity.  It took a lot for Dylan, who already possessed a successful musical career of over a decade, to change directions and write this song.  He would go on to release 3 albums of gospel music in the late 70s/early 80s.

We’ll explore more on this topic of service, but for the sake of this bulletin article I’d like to pose one question:

Would you have had the guts to write this song?

It’s easy to be a dedicated Christian in a pew or in the company of fellow believers, but it’s another thing entirely to take that message out to the street and proclaim it to an audience that is anything but.  Lennon’s response and mockery of the song is a perfect example of the reaction many in the world have to the message of the gospel.  I hope that I would be so bold.  I hope you would be too.

                                                                                                                        Scott McFarland

Becoming the Man (or Woman) God Wants You to Be

One of the greatest gifts of the Christian life is the promise of growth.  God lays out an opportunity in Scripture not just for our ultimate salvation, but our ongoing sanctification (a fancy word for God making us holy and maturing us).  While most of us are aware of our salvation and the promise of it, I’m not as sure we take full advantage of the process of sanctification.  There are probably reasons for this, the first being that it is not always pleasant.  The process of getting better at anything in life often entails work and being uncomfortable.  Not many people enjoy being uncomfortable, yet that is one of the ways in which God grows us.  Another reason I can think of is the need for a lot of humility.  Being able to grow involves admission of weakness—our ignorance and our need for help.  This is hard for us; we don’t like being weak!  Yet, if we look at examples of spiritual growth in the Bible, these people needed to admit their faults and weaknesses before God could use them.

We'll look at how the process of sanctification through the lens of one of Scripture’s greatest examples: Paul.  We’ll see how Paul’s allowing God to work through him, his admission of weakness and need for God, and his ongoing sanctification gave him incredible opportunities.

I hope we as Christians can regain an understanding that God is not just concerned with what happens at the end of your life, but what happens throughout it.  We cannot become the people God wants us to be without submission to His process of sanctification.  Salvation and sanctification are not just future opportunities; they are right now.

                                                                                                                        Scott McFarland