BIBLE CLASS TIME CHANGES

**The Wednesday night Bible Class time has been changed to 6:00 p.m. and the Sunday night Bible Class time has been changed to 5:00 p.m.**

December Dates to Note

December 15th – Bus Worker Breakfast

December 24th – 25th – Church offices are closed

December 25th – No P.M. Bible Class

December 29th – Joint Elders & Deacons meeting at 4:00 p.m. in the Fellowship building

December Sunday Speakers

December 8th Tom Strasser

December 15th Jeremy Powell

December 22nd Jason Daugherty

December 29th Zachary Hammond

Potter Children's Home

Dear Brethren,

You’re a true blessing to the children here. I greatly appreciate your steadfast support. I want to thank you for your recent generous gift of $1,853.00.

God is changing lives in this home and you’re an important part of that. We don’t just need money to spend or to meet the budget. We need resources to make an eternal difference in the lives of children.

Psalsms 82:3 tells us, “Vindicate the weak and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.” You have done that with your gift to the children here.

May God continue to bless you in all that you do.

For the Children,

Ralph Brewer

Executive Director

Thanksgiving Fellowship Lunch

Sunday, November 24th after A.M. Service in the Fellowship Building

There are signup sheets in the foyer if you would like to help prepare or serve food for the annual Thanksgiving Fellowship meal. If you have any questions, please contact Karen Robbins.

Daylight Saving Time

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

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.

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.                             

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