Western Hills Christian Church: “You are family here!”

Volume XLIV,Issue 17, August 26, 2009

While the "RETURN THE BLESSING" Sunday has come and gone it is still not too late to turn in a special offering and/or a pledge toward the building project. You will find pledge cards at the information center and you will find special building fund offering envelops in the pews.

So far we have received $42,000.00 in cash donations toward the building fund and at last count, $2,100 per month in pledges. To accomplish our goal of paying off the building in two years, we need around $4,800.00 per month in pledges or additional cash gifts. I know God will provide for us as we step out in faith. The kids in children’s church are collecting aluminum cans to redeem and use the funds toward the building project. If you have any cans, please see Jackie Green. What a great way to get everyone involved in the project.

It will be interesting to see how he blesses different families over the next couple of years so that we will be able to pay off our debt. God continually amazes me as he provides for us in unusual ways. You may be thinking that you can’t afford to give to this project. He tells us ask and we will receive. I believe in that promise and I hope you do as well. Keep praying and God will provide.

I will begin a series on Discipleship taken from various scriptures during the month of September.   Discipleship is something we don’t discuss in the church or in our society. However, it was the key method by which Jesus trained his key followers so they would be able to carry on the work when he left. We will take a close look at the importance of discipleship and some ways by which we can become disciples of Jesus.

Since there will be a lot of construction taking place around the building, please be careful. There will be periods of time when the gym will not be available for use, so please contact the church office before you schedule any activities in the gym.

Dave

July 13, 2009

Dear WHCC family,

For the past several years we have been slowly renovating our main building to update and improve God’s house. Now we focus our attention on the Family Life Center. The FLC has been a blessing on numerous occasions to all of us in one way or another, but it has not been without its problems. Poor drainage around the building and a perpetual leaky roof have somewhat tarnished the image we all have of the building. In fact, the Expansion Committee seriously considered demolishing the building, but after having a thorough evaluation of the building performed it was decided that the best use of God’s resources would be to correct the existing faults of the building. The cost of demolishing, and building a replacement for the FLC was estimated to be in the neighborhood of 1.5 million dollars!

The plan is to replace the A/C units on the roof with new A/C units on the ground. The ,new roof includes gutters and downspouts which, in conjunction with drainage work on the ground, we believe will stabilize the building, making the other modernizations a sound investment in the future use of the building. The cost of the pitched roof, electrical work to support relocation of the A/C units, and the A/C units themselves represent 2/3 of the $275,000 cost of the project. The remaining 1/3 will be the more visible improvements to the FLC facilities. It is our hope that these changes will result in lower maintenance and operating costs for the FLC as well as improved ministry opportunities.

We hope you agree with our assessment that the Family Life Center has been a wonderful ministry tool all these years. We hope you also see the value and eternity-focused purpose in renovation. Finally, we hope you will consider participating in this effort, first by praying for our team as we continue to seek God’s will during the construction phase, and secondly, by making monetary contributions to help cover the associated costs.

Before making your contribution or pledge, please seek God’s will for your part in this project. You are not responsible for anyone else’s actions, but you are responsible for your response to God and His commands. Let His Word be your guide, not your fears, not your emotions, not your opinions, only His Word.

Invest in the Kingdom on Sunday August 16th by returning the enclosed pledge card filled out in response to God’s blessing in your life!

Serving our Lord Jesus Christ,

The Expansion Committee

Gather People to Christ, Serve People for Christ, Mature People in Christ

Proverbs 4:11-12
¹¹ I guide you in the way of wisdom
       and lead you along straight paths.

¹² When you walk, your steps will not be hampered;
       when you run, you will not stumble.

Volume XLIV, Issue 12, June 10, 2009

In my VBS class of 5th & 6th grade students, we have been studying about God’s care for us and how we can show God’s care to others. This study has reawakened my awareness of the need to care for those around us. As we have gone through this study, we have learned that God is always with us and that God is all powerful. With those thoughts in mind, we can conclude that God has the ability and desire to take care of us.

So what does that really mean on a day to day basis? When God took care of the Israelites as they traveled in the wilderness, he provided them with food and water. It was a very obvious caring process. Is he that obvious today?

I think he is that obvious, but only if you see life around you through the eyes of God. Who provided you with your job? How have you been able to remain healthy for so many years? Why are you able to worship without fear of retribution? When you view life through the eyes of God, you begin to realize that it is God taking care of you and providing for you. He truly does want what is best for us because he loves us, It is just that simple! It really is.

Why do I worry about life around me? Why am I not able to let go of my worries and concerns and just let God take care of me? Maybe it is because you really don’t believe God can take care of you. Living in the freedoms that we enjoy in our nation, we sometimes forget that it is God that allows these freedoms. We can even begin to think that we have provided those freedoms for ourselves. It is that attitude that keeps us from letting go of our worries and giving them to God.

If we truly believe that God is with us and powerful enough to care for us, then at some point in our relationship with God we need to acknowledge his Lordship in our life. Until we humble ourselves and submit everything to him, we will not be able to release our worries to him.

It is my prayer that all of us will continue to see God at work in our lives and trust him to take

care of us. I know he will, because he has promised he would. Now it may not be life we want him to care for us, but he will do what is best for us.

Dave