Thanks and Praise
As we celebrate with thanks the 231st anniversary of American independence this Wednesday, July 4, let us pray that our leaders and all citizens of this nation would seek a deeper dependence on God, whose bounty has been showered on us, and whose mercy alone sustains us.
Our Little Folks Fellowship Nursery School completed the year with a circus performance and party for the families. Six children were graduated to kindergarten, and 18 are enrolled for September. Praise God for them, the LFF Board, and the devoted staff: Trudi, Michelle, and Marie.
Priscilla is thankful for the gathering of hundreds of alumni of Silliman University, where she studied, taught, and came to faith. She is in Toronto to meet the new President, and her former students and colleagues. A Presbyterian school founded in 1901, Silliman University is a leader in higher education in the Philippines.
Needs and Concerns
Let's pray for both Wayne and Carole, former members of this church. Wayne, our Presbytery Executive, has lost both his parents within the past six months. Carole is now in Phoenix, Arizona, with her mother, who seems to be dying. May God grant strength and the peace of Christ to this family.
Ellen, a good friend and colleague of Margaret, has only recently retired, and is undergoing tests for a mass near her pancreas. Please pray that the diagnosis will be favorable, that Ellen will be healed, and that she and her family will experience God's nearness throughout this ordeal.
Hundreds of people in Texas, Oklahoma, and California lost their homes and their livelihoods last week to the ravages of flood or fire. Some also lost their loved ones. Pray for these survivors, and for those who have come to their aid.
Let's pray for all those who are separated from their loved ones by war, imprisonment, or economic hardship. Pray, too, for those who are missing, and those who wait for them. Lord, have mercy.
As armed conflicts rage in Lebanon and in the Palestinian Territories, pray that just proposals and diplomatic efforts, prompted by the Holy Spirit, will be offered and accepted as alternatives to aggression.
Announcements
PASTOR BART IS ON VACATION for the next few weeks, and will return to work on Monday, July 30. During this time, e-mail messages will not be checked. But phone messages will be checked daily by an Elder.
COPIES OF OUR CHURCH'S ANNUAL REPORT are available on the back table. Please pick one up and carefully read it.
TIMELY ARRIVAL on Sunday morning, before worship begins, is a matter of care and respect: for our visitors (who always arrive early), for those leading worship, for the Lord, and for yourself. The pastor and Elders are committed to starting the service promptly at 10:00 a.m. Your cooperative effort will be noted and greatly appreciated.
FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S UPDATE: Your contributions support our missionaries, pay the salaries of church employees, and maintain the building. As of May, there is an 11% shortfall toward our budget. June is the last month of our church's fiscal year. Please give generously, in order to provide the financial resources to accomplish our church's mission.
Offering Target Surplus/(Deficit) % of Budget
May, 2007 9,353 12,000 (2,647) 78%
Year-to-Date 118,149 132,000 (13,851) 89%
Our guest preachers for the next several weeks will continue to lead us through the "grand sweep" of the Bible. Please read ahead to prepare yourself for their messages from God's Word.
For Sunday Please Read Preacher
July 8 Mark 10 - Luke 11 Virginia Coakley
July 15 Luke 12 - John 5 Sam Houston
July 22 John 6 - 21 Wren Collé
July 29 Acts 1 - 18 (To Be Announced)
Image of the Breckenridge Broom Brigade is from http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~livcomo/images/brigade.html
Image of Revolutionary War battle flag is from this excellent Library of Congress site entitled "Religion and the American Revolution". Go! and read! Happy 4th!!
