The Champions Spirit
Volume 68, Issue 11
March 22, 2009
In This Issue
FRIENDS...PLUS!
Friends...such important people to us! No man is an island. No man stands alone. We all need those friends with whom we can share our feelings, those on whom we can lean in times of need. We are blessed in the church here at Champions to have such friends—spiritual family, really—who bless us in such wonderful ways. There are others who make an impact on our lives as well. They might be our fellow students, co-workers, or long-time acquaintances. They have blessed our lives. Why not return the favor and bless their lives by inviting them to come with us to “Friend Day,” next Sunday? Not only will we have the opportunity to share with them the activities of the day, we will also have the opportunity to invite them to meet the Friend of Friends through the Holy Word.
Plus...gathering at the park! We hope that the friends who bless our services next Sunday will also go with us to Spring Creek Park! In the setting of God’s wonderful outdoor world we will enjoy a “pot luck” meal together, worship briefly, and then enjoy an afternoon of games and sharing.
Plan to bring enough food for you and a visitor next Sunday. Bring casual clothes to change into (or make a “flying stop” at your house on the way to the park.) Invite someone to share in this day with you. Remember, it is a great opportunity for us...and for our FRIENDS...PLUS!
—Larry Keele
FAMILY MATTERS...
Welcome to the services of the church of Christ in Champions! We thankfully acknowledge all of our guests and hope that you will come again when possible. Please fill out one of the visitor’s cards found by the song book racks—and come again soon!
Our teachers were honored last evening at the yearly Teacher’s Banquet. (Special thanks go to the youth group for their work with the set-up and clean-up.) Marcia Chitwood received special recognition for the great work of service she has given to the teaching of our children.
Thanks goes to Joel Smith and Jason Jackson for their work installing the new projector in our auditorium. Their work blesses us all and will help to make the images clearer.
We are making a concerted effort to get out on time each Wednesday evening. Our goal is to make it possible for parents of school age children to stay for the devotional period and to feel confident we will be out by 8 p.m. Everyone can help make this possible by moving quickly from classes to the auditorium.
Thanks to Susan Sammons for making the posters reminding everyone of our Friend Day!
Parting Thought: Blowing out another’s candle won’t make yours shine any brighter!
HAVE A BLESSED WEEK!
Jeremy's Junction
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42).
There are many Christians out there who miss out on one of the main aspects of worship. True, they sing the songs, they participate in the communion, they listen to the teaching of the Word, and they participate in the community prayer. However, once the final Amen is given, they rush out the door not realizing that they are not participating in one of the most edifying aspects of worship.
Fellowship among the saints was a vital part of their worship. Some areas in the first century even devoted time during their worship (which was much longer than ours today) to just let people fellowship. The ability to share our lives with each other and to communicate our struggles is paramount. We need to enjoy the company of each other and let our friendship blossom into something that is able to strengthen us during the week.
There are opportunities for fellowship happening all the time. Some people come to church early to visit with each other. Many people stay longer afterwards to visit. Some gather for lunch and dinner groups to go somewhere and fellowship at a restaurant or someone’s home. We have activities such as potlucks and TNT's to give people the opportunity to eat and fellowship together. In just a couple of weeks we are going to have a picnic and have time to fellowship with each other. I believe that the issue of having the heart of a fellowshipper is much more important than many people want to believe. We need to remember that fellowship is an important part of the worship experience.
Just consider that in Heaven, we will be worshipping and fellowshipping for eternity with God and each other.
—Jeremy Guerin
John's Jogs
Next Sunday is our “FRIEND’S DAY” in which we will invite friends to come to church with us and go to the picnic at the Spring Creek Park north of Tomball on Brown Road after church.
WHAT IS A FRIEND?
- “A friend is the one who comes in when the whole world has gone out.”
- “A friend is one to whom we may pour out the contents of our heart, chaff and grain together, knowing that the gentlest of hands will sift it, keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness blow the rest away.”
- Friendship means the greatest love, the greatest usefulness, the most open communication, the noblest sufferings, the severest truth, the heartiest counsel, and the greatest union of minds of which brave men and women are capable.
A friend of mine in Michigan wrote this poem that tells us something about having a friend:
THE VALUE OF TRUE FRIENDSHIP
Do you have a friend that cares for you?
Who knows your faults yet loves you too?
Who comes to your aid when things go wrong,
And cheers you up like a happy song?
Well I have a friend that’s close to me,
And helps me be the person I want to be.
When I’m feeling down with a load to bear,
Here she comes with some homemade care.
This friendship thing is a two-way street,
There’s nothing on earth quite so sweet.
Than for a friend to call when you need a lift,
God knew what we needed, so He gave us this gift.
When my prayers are offered to God each day,
I thank him for the friend He sent my way.
For the joy and happiness she always brings,
And the secrets we share, among other things.
She doesn’t deceive me nor try to impress,
Just comforts and helps me when I’m under stress
We laugh and we share many uplifting events,
To have a true friend is good common sense!
There’s something about a friend’s warm smile,
It lingers in memory for a very long while.
If you are without any very close friends,
You need to go make one before this day ends.
Sally Cleghorn – July 1998
How many friends will you invite next Sunday?
—John Qualls