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Living Thanksgiving Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, “If the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them.” The truth is we’ve seen the stars so often that most of us don’t bother to look at them anymore. For many of us, the same is true for the blessings in our lives. In the commotion of everyday life, we tend to focus on what we see as problems or obstacles, and take our blessings for granted. As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, our designated once-a-year time to “stay up all night and behold the stars,” as Christians it might be good for us to consider the idea of living thanksgiving – where thankfulness becomes more lifestyle than annual event. While the Bible is clear that we ought to be thankful people, two particular passages from Paul’s writing come to mind when I think about the notion of living thanksgiving. In our Wednesday evening Prayer and Bible Study time, we’ve been discussing the book of Colossians. In that letter Paul places repeated emphasis on thanksgiving as the unfailing mark of a healthy spiritual life. He tells us that those who have received Christ are to LIVE in Christ. And then he encourages Christians to “let your living spill over into thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7, MSG). For the Christian, Thanksgiving Day is every day! Living thanksgiving is our natural response to Jesus Christ and what he’s done for us. Then, in his final instructions to the Thessalonian believers, Paul advised them to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18, NIV). Aren’t you thankful that, as God’s child, you’re not bound by your circumstances? As we live in Christ, our life circumstances have no power over our joy or our peace or our potential to live a victorious Christian life because we serve a risen savior who is God of our circumstances. What does living thanksgiving look like for you? Maybe God has calmed a storm in your life, or maybe instead, he has taken your hand in his and walked you through the storm. Maybe he has blessed you with abundance allowing you the joy of sharing with others, or maybe he has blessed you with need to better understand and minister to the truly needy. Maybe he has blessed you with the health and vitality to enjoy life, or maybe he has blessed you with sickness where he was able to show you things about his nature that you couldn’t see in health. Maybe he has blessed you with additions to your family, or maybe you’ve experienced loss where God has shown himself to be sufficient. On Sunday evening, November 22 at 6:00 pm the Westwood family will gather in the sanctuary for our annual Thanksgiving “event.” We’ll worship through music and Scripture and through sharing with each other how God has blessed our lives. Between now and then, I plan to spend some time in reflection and focus on what it means in my life to live thanksgiving more than simply celebrating Thanksgiving as an annual event. I hope you’ll do the same. In His Service, Mike
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Weekly Activities
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Minister on Call
If you have a ministerial need over the weekend please contact the minister on call: Oct.
31st & 1st Mike Eddinger
7th & 8th Michelle Anderson
14th & 15th Mike Eddinger
21st & 22nd Caroline Allen
28th & 29th Keith Vaughn *Look
every month in the West Wind for the |
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by Associate Pastor Keith Vaughn |
A thank you note has been received from Jim Cooke, Peggy Brown, Jerrall Spencer, Cndy Bolden, Caroline Allen, Greg Glover, Tullie & Jeff Johnson, Darryl Duncan and the Bolden family. Please stop by the bulletin board in Hall A to read their words of appreciation. |
| Wednesday Evenings Pastor's Bible Study We live in a world, and a community, marked by religious pluralism. Every day, we encounter folks from varied religious traditions or those who embrace a myriad of human philosophies at our PTA meetings, YMCA soccer teams, neighborhood watch groups, as well as work and school settings. Often these people know of Jesus, but for many of them, he’s included on a list of important people such as Mohammed, Buddha, Moses, or Socrates. Even Christians can fall into this trap. Some of the Christians in the town of Colosse seemed headed down this road. For them, cosmic forces of one sort or another were as important in their lives as Jesus. Paul wrote a letter from prison in an attempt to restore Jesus, the Messiah, to the center of their lives. For the next six weeks during October and into November, we’ll study Paul’s letter to the Colossian church to examine the question, “Is Jesus central in my life?” Come join us on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Colossians: Big Letter to a Small Church November 4 November 11 November 18 November 25 |
Operation Christmas Child
Nov 1-22
Christmas will soon be here and Operation Christmas Child is a wonderful way to get excited about the holiday season. We will be collecting boxes Nov. 1st - Nov. 22nd. Thank you for your commitment to this unique mission project.
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| Youth Spaghetti Lunch Fundraiser November 1 Spaghetti, Salad, Bread,
Dessert & In order to show the importance of stewardship
to our youth we will be tithing 10% of all fundraiser profits. This
month the tithe will be given to the Global Missions Offering.
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Friday Family Fellowship & Bar B Que November 6 On Friday night, November 6 we will
enjoy another “Friday Family Fellowship” event at Westwood
in the fellowship hall. We’ll begin at 6:00 pm with a covered
dish dinner followed by a time of fun and bluegrass music provided by
the Westwood Back Porch String Band.
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World Religions Lecture November 10 12:30-2pm Butler Chapel at Campbell Guest missionaries from around the globe engage in a discussion moderated by Dr. George Braswell. For information about this lecture, please contact Dr. Braswell at worldreligioncenter@campbell.edu or leave him a message at 1-800-334-4111, ext. 1506. |
We will be collecting Thanksgiving food items at our Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 6:00p.m. Please join with your deacon and bring any of the following items to share: gift certificates for turkey/meat, bags of rice, noodles, stuffing, cans of chicken broth, green beans, corn, peas, yams, cranberry sauce, pumpkin, gravy packets, etc… Everything should be NONPERISHABLE. These boxes will be filled as you enter the sanctuary for the service and we will dedicate them as a part of our service. They will be delivered prior to Thanksgiving to selected families. More information to follow over the next few weeks.
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Advent Service November 29 Our annual Advent Service with candlelight will be held on Sunday, November 29th at 6:00pm. The choir will sing Shine On Us accompanied by the orchestra. Our children’s handbells will offer the Prelude. Please mark your calendars to attend this special service.
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GriefShare December 5 Surviving the Holidays Seminar There is a $10 charge per person that covers seminar booklet and breakfast. Bring a picture of your loved one to share for the memorial service at the end of the seminar. Please call the church office and register in advance.
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Mission Statement A
community of believers Mike Eddinger,
Pastor
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November Sermon Topics Theme: The God You're Looking For November 1 November
8 November
15 November
22 November
29
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Sunday, Nov. 1 ~ 11:30a.m., Spaghetti Lunch Fundraiser
Sunday, Nov. 8 ~ Youth Pizza Shop! Nov. 13-15 ~ High School Retreat, Camp Chestnut Ridge Sunday, Nov. 15 ~ 6:30p.m., YAC Sunday, Nov. 22 ~ 6:00p.m., Thanksgiving Service Wednesday, Nov. 25 ~ No Meal or Activities
Sunday, Nov. 29 ~ 6:00p.m., Advent Service
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