Meadowbrook Christian Church

We want to help you grow in your relationship with Christ.

Messenger
October 2021

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Message from Anthony

The Worship Leader: Always in Defense of God’s Truth

Whether you are in front of the congregation for a Sunday morning service or in the pew next to your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, YOU are a worship leader. Someone is always watching how you worship, how you connect with others, how you defend the faith, and how you prioritize God in your life. Even when you fall down and mess up, people are watching to see how you get back up. You are always leading someone as you follow Christ – whether you know it or not. So what does a worship leader look like? How can we be better worship leaders AND better worshipers as we follow God? Just like a house, it all starts with our foundation – the Word.

The Word means exactly what it says. There is no room for human interjection or rebooting it like a superhero series. What you read is exactly what God intended to write. Sometimes, those words are a bit uncomfortable. Sometimes, we don’t exactly like what they have to say to us. Sometimes the message we’re receiving from the Bible makes our society a bit angry. Too bad. Saying the Word is uncool, culturally rejected, or makes us uncomfortable is not a good enough excuse to try and rewrite the inherent Word of God. The Bible was never intended to adapt to culture, rather our culture is mandated to revolve around the truth of the Word.

As leaders, we must be ever vigilant in defense of this truth. We must be prepared to stand courageously and defend the truth, even in the face of adversity, and even to the point of death. We must claim Christ and the Word fully, not just partially, or we disqualify ourselves and all who follow us from eternity in heaven with the Father. We don’t want to arrive in heaven only for God to say “I don’t know what you were preaching down there, but it certainly isn’t what I said.” No, we have a responsibility to accurately represent God and Christianity no matter the personal cost.

Before coming to Meadowbrook, I lived in Roseburg, Oregon. It’s the heart of the Umpqua Valley, and the home to Umpqua Community College. Many of my professors from Liberty University remember praying with me as the events of October 1, 2015 unfolded. I was sitting in an office less than three miles away when Chris Harper Mercer stepped onto the Umpqua Community College campus and started shooting my friends and fellow residents.

Everyone was in shock at what was happening. None of us had believed for a second that it could happen here, but it did. Worse yet, Mercer was asking his victims a question before shooting them. He asked each one “Are you a Christian?” and issued them an order, stating “If you are a Christian, stand up.” Knowing that he was most likely going to kill them, those students still stood for God. Even when Mercer told them “because you are a Christian you’re going to see God in about one second” they still stood as he killed them.

Here I was, less than a year into my degree for ministry, while three miles away is the reminder of the very real danger to standing up for Christ. Martyrdom doesn’t just happen in faraway places, and the shooting at UCC was a stark and sobering reminder of just what I had signed up for when I dedicated my soul and my life’s work to proclaiming Christ.

What sticks in my mind and in the minds of our community residents is that these students chose to stand when they could have hid. They could have denied Christ, but instead they took up their cross and stood for the truth. If they can do so in the face of certain death, there is no excuse for us refusing to do so in the face of peer pressure.

The Word leaves no room for compromise on the morals and instruction of God. There is no bargaining room, no haggling that we can do to make what is wrong become right. Instead of looking for a way to conform to the culture, we need to ensure that we are right with God. We stand on the front lines of the battle between the forces of a fallen world and the hope of salvation that only comes from Christ. We never know when we will be called upon to give the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the truth.

A true worship leader courageously stands in defense of the Word, no matter the personal cost, because this life is not all there is. The last thing that several of those UCC students did on this earth was proclaim Christ, and what better way to lead others to Him than to follow in the footsteps of the apostles?

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21) – Paul of Tarsus

Meadowbrook Youth Group Meets Thursday Evenings

The kids are meeting on Thursday evenings, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., at Meadowbrook, in the new TEEN Room downstairs.  It is located across the hall from the kitchen/fellowship hall.  There has been lots of fun, fellowship, and games, as well as growing closer to God and each other!

Please see Anthony if you have any questions.

Please plan on attending the next Sisters In Service (SIS) Meeting on Monday, October 25th from 6-7:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall.  The first meeting for the SIS season in September was spent enjoying dinner together, spending time getting to know each other, and planning the 2021/22 service year.  If you have any questions, please contact Cathy Podvin.

 

Missions Update – October 2021 (Update)

IDES – International Disaster Emergency Services

IDES Mission Statement –  “IDES exists to meet physical and spiritual needs of suffering people throughout the world in the name of Jesus Christ.”

  • The IDES organization returned our phone call and reviewed some of the currently available “in person” volunteer opportunities.  Here are a few of the things Meadowbrook could participate in:
    1. Funding and participate in a meal packing event.  This event could be organized in our area either with Meadowbrook alone or with other local churches.
    2. Participate in one of the two large packing events that are held every year that are already funded in Indiana. None are currently scheduled, but we could participate as soon as one is scheduled.
    3. Fund and build sheds on location in Indiana.
  • The MCC Missions Team will be meeting 10/6/21 and discuss what option would best fit our resources.  As soon as additional information is available, it will be announced.
  •  Thank you to our Meadowbrook family for your continued generous Faith Promise offerings that are making a difference in the lives of our community and around the world!

Join in the fun at the Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 24th

A meeting to finalize Fall Festival plans will be held on October 10th, meeting immediately following  church to finalize plans for the fall festival being held on the 24th.

On Sunday October 24th, there will be a Pot luck at noon followed by youth games and bounce house.  Plan on attending and join in on the fun!

 

 

Looking for a way to serve at MCC?

  • Make cookies, brownies, bread (banana, zucchini, etc.) to support our “Fellowship in the Foyer” right after church.  See Joe or Mimi Romaella to help with this ministry!
  • Join a Mowing Team!
  • Join Sisters in Service as they start up in the fall to serve our community!
  • Join the Missions Team!
  • Serve Jesus! All helping hands are welcome.  Please see one of our Elders or Deacons to get plugged in.

1Peter4:10:  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

October Birthdays
Tom Schwartzenberger – October 2
Arleen Rossol – October 3
Kathy Couture – October 8
Gene Paul – October 10
Tamara Elwell – October 11
Carolyn Bennett – October 16
Debi Newton – October 17
Wendy Kapusta – October 20
Pat Wundrach – October 20
Jim Martin – October 24
Nona Wundrach – October 26

October Anniversaries
Denis & Kathy Couture – October 8
Dan & Elaine Bright – October 17
Ron & Theresa Meegan – October 21
Jeremy & Brandy Cox – October 28

 

Fall Festival

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Join in the fun at the Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 24th.  Pot luck at noon followed by youth games and bounce house.

Messenger
September 2021

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Message from Anthony

The Truth About Worship: Part 2 – Worship Is All About The Power Of The Lord

Worship is universal, eternal, and inevitable. No matter who you are, what time period you find yourself in, or to which end of the religious spectrum you align, you will worship. For those of us who worship the Lord, it is important to learn from those who’ve come before, so that we can apply those principles to the future. To this, I would offer our second truth about worship: that worship is all about the power of the Lord.

We serve a God who can create with a word. He can form something from nothing just because He wills it to be so. He has made both the living and the inanimate that we see all around us, and He can do so much more. He heals sickness, speaks peace to our hearts when we are troubled, and loves like we can only imagine. He sees all, knows all, and can do all things. As Christ said – “with God all things are possible.” (See Matthew 19:26) There can be no doubt that we serve a powerful God.

So who are we, that we might come before Him, as powerless as we are and worship? Why does God desire our worship when He has the entirety of Creation and beyond as His domain? (See Colossians 1:16) The simple answer is love. God loves us with an unending love, an unconditional love, and a love that displays a strength more than any physical prowess can hope to match.

God’s love has the power to change everything. As the author of 1 Chronicles (traditionally believed to be Ezra) writes: “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” (See 1 Chronicles 29:11).

God saved us from complete hopelessness and slavery to sin through the love He displayed as Christ Jesus. He demonstrated His power over sin and even death as He declared the debt paid with Jesus’ blood, and the power of death vanquished through Jesus’ triumphant resurrection from the tomb. And God’s power does not end there. Christ promised yet another display of God’s power to His disciples before ascending into heaven – a power that wouldn’t exist only above us as the Father, or beside us as Christ Jesus, but within us so that we might carry it wherever we go. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

And it is because of this Spirit and its power manifested as love that we sing, and we worship, and we devote ourselves to the Lord daily. He is with us, He is within us, and His love gives us a peace and power we’ve never known. “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

So proclaim it boldly, as so many worshipers have before us. “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.” (Psalm 28:7) “The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” (Exodus 15:2)

There IS power in the name of Jesus. There is wonder-working power in His blood. There is power over sin, death, and the trappings of this fallen world. When we place our trust in Him and we keep our eyes on Him, He works through us and within us to change the world around us. We need no better reason to worship.

Meadowbrook Youth Group “Time Change” for the School Year

The kids will begin to meet on Thursday evenings, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m., back at Meadowbrook.  Come and check out our new TEEN Room downstairs, across the hall from the kitchen/fellowship hall!!!  The room has been renovated and is ready to be enjoyed.  There will be lots of fun, fellowship, and games, all while growing closer to God and each other!

Please see Anthony if you have any questions.

Sisters in Service Mission:    We exist to honor God by ministering to those who are in need and encouraging one another to the praise of His Glory.

All ladies are welcome to join the SIS meetings to fellowship in His word with each other and support people in need in the community.  This is an example of what we have done to support the community:  

  • Assembled Blessing Bags and donated them to Lighthouse to give to homeless men and women
  • Gifting children through Rochester Neighborhood House with Christmas Gifts, and Easter Baskets assembled by SIS.
  • In partnership with Sisters of the Cloth, we made fleece blankets and hats for St. Joseph Hospital, we made weighted shawls for Medi-Lodge residents and Comfy Heart pillows for Beaumont and Ascension Crittenden Hospitals for Breast Cancer and Cardiac patients
  • Treated the residents of HAVEN to a home cooked Taco meal at their shelter

SIS Meetings:  SIS meets either on the 4th Monday of the month from 6:30 – 8pm or the 4th Saturday of the month from 10 – 11:30am.  We’ll share the actual meeting dates soon.  

Ladies – plan now to attend the first meeting of the new SIS year on Monday, September 27 at 6:30 pm.  

Garage Sale:  We are so thankful to everyone for helping to make this year’s Church “garage” sale a huge success. Thank you for donating your household items.  We raised $1,956 this year!  We will be able to do a lot of good in the community this year!

There is so much we can do and we ask for your prayers as we plan our new year and make decisions on which organizations and people to support in the community.

If you have any questions about SIS, please contact one of the SIS Officers:

President:  Cathy Podvin

Treasurer:  Debbie Stallings

Secretary:  Lynn Ross

Hospitality:  Karen Robinson

 

Missions Update – September 2021

IDES – International Disaster Emergency Services

IDES Mission Statement –  “IDES exists to meet physical and spiritual needs of suffering people throughout the world in the name of Jesus Christ.”

  • HAITI Update: as of Thursday, August 19, 2021 – IDES partners in Haiti are doing an incredible job of assessing the earthquake damage and coordinating their needs with us.  They are beginning to provide emergency relief and making plans for the future.  IDES has already sent significant emergency funding for immediate needs and is continuing to make funds available as plans are developing.
  • MCC Missions Team will be checking on physical “in person” volunteer opportunities available for our church to participate in, such as meal packing, shed building, etc..
  • The MCC Missions Team met 9/1/21 and decided unanimously  to use contingency funds  to provide “one time” extra support to Ninos de Mexico and IDES.  The decision was based on immediate needs for these two missions we support.
    • Excerpt from the Nino de Mexico request: “After a year and a half of attending classes virtually, the kids are gearing up to return to their classrooms!  They are extremely excited as they look forward to seeing friends and teachers again.  They did well during this difficult last year, but they are really, really, ready to get back to school. Needless to say, the house parents are ready for this as well!  Your help is needed today! New uniforms will be needed for all of our kids and that is going to take a lot of time and money. The new school year starts on August 30th, and that day is going to be here quickly. Each child will need three uniforms, tennis shoes, dress shoes, a backpack, and other school supplies. Right now we are serving 119 children and we are estimating that the average cost per child will be $250.00.  That is a grand total of $29,750!  Your help is really needed!”  MCC will be sending $500 to help offset these expenses.
    • MCC will also be sending an additional $500 to IDES for Hurricane IDA support.
  •  Thank you to our Meadowbrook family for the generous Faith Promise offering that helped make these two extra donations possible!

Looking for a way to serve at MCC and love like Jesus?

  • We need a few handy people to help get our playscape back in shape for the kids. Contact Dan Bright to lend a hand!
  • Make cookies, brownies, bread (banana, zucchini, etc.) to support our “Fellowship in the Foyer” right after church.  See Joe or Mimi Romaella to help with this ministry!
  • Volunteer at Youth Group!  Speak to Anthony Knotts to help out!
  • Join Sisters in Service as they start up in the fall to serve our community!
  • Join the Praise team or Sound Booth Crew — sing or play an instrument!
  • Serve Jesus! All helping hands are welcome.  Please see one of our Elders or Deacons to get plugged in.  We are all members of Christ’s body. AMEN!

1Peter4:10:  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

September

Birthdays:

Ron Meegan – September 5
Phil Johnson – September 7
Jaysun Thomas – September 23

Anniversaries:

Mike & Linda Tingley  – September 10
Hector & Laura Urteaga  – September 12
Tim & Carol Howell  – September 12

Pat & Nona Wundrach  – September 26

 

Sermon Series – Countercultural

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Countercultural depicts a culture whose values and norms of behaviour differ substantially from those of mainstream society, sometimes diametrically opposed to mainstream cultural mores.  This sermon series focuses on how Christians should live in mainstream society.

Messenger
August 2021

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Message from Anthony

The Truth About Worship – Part 1: 

Worship Is All About The Presence Of The Lord

Worship is universal, eternal, and inevitable. No matter who you are, what time period you find yourself in, or to which end of the religious spectrum you align, you will worship. For those of us who worship the Lord, it is important to learn from those who’ve come before, so that we can apply those principles to the future. To this, I would offer our first truth about worship: that worship is all about the presence of the Lord.

Looking to the Old Testament, worship was mostly centered on the fear of the Lord. He is mighty, He is powerful, He is Creator God and so He is to be worshiped by His creation. Moses had to hide his face from the glory of the Lord, and even still, there was a glow about him from the brief exposure to God’s glory. This was an extraordinary event, that Moses would be allowed to be so close to the Lord, given that the price for our sin had not yet been paid in full! God’s presence was evident in Moses and it was clear to everyone. (see Exodus 33:18 through 34:35 ESV)

Looking to the New Testament, Jesus was present among us. He talked with, ate with, and traveled with His disciples and many others, touching people and healing people along the way. When they’d been with Jesus, the evidence was clear in them as well, be it opened eyes, eradicated disease, or even life from death, there was no question of Jesus’ presence in their lives, changing them forever. (see Acts 4:13 ESV)

Finally, once Jesus had ascended, we have the example of Pentecost, where the Spirit of the Lord descended upon the apostles, and they were changed from ordinary men into men who carried the very presence of God within them, teaching with conviction, healing with compassion, and exemplifying Christ without fear for their own well being. Thousands came to be saved because of the relationship these men had with the Living God, and it’s still happening today, in the hearts of believers around the world. (see Acts 2:1-47 ESV)

It seems the common thread to truly life-changing worship for the believer is the presence of God. Without Him, there is no worship, there is no change within us, and there is no purpose to the Good News He’s called us to share. Always seek the presence of the Lord and make sure it’s to His glory when you worship, and the evidence will be clear in your life.

Youth Group activities return to Meadowbrook

Our Youth Group enjoyed the off-campus Thursday evening outings at some of the Meadowbrook family homes.  Many thanks to the hosts for these events!  It was a nice way to relax, enjoy a change of scenery, have a lot of fun, be together, and learn more about Jesus.

The kids will begin to meet on Thursday evenings, between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m., back at Meadowbrook.  There will be lots of fun, fellowship, and games, all while growing closer to God and each other!  Please see Anthony if you have any questions.

Sisters in Service Garage Sale 2021
When: Thurs/Fri/Sat August 19-21
Thursday and Friday 9am – 4pm
Saturday 9am – 2pm
Where: Meadowbrook Christian Church

Acceptable Items:

  • Clean and gently used household items
  • Tools
  • Jewelry
  • Children’s books.

Not Acceptable:

  • Clothing
  • Large furniture, such as sofas and bookcases

Drop off dates for donated items:

  • Sunday, August 15 – bring them with you when you come to worship!
  • Wednesday, August 18 – 9am to 2pm, in the front foyer of the church. Individuals will be there to
    receive your donations.
  • Any day of the sale, August 19-21.

Thank you for supporting the garage sale!

Please continue to lift our Mission Partners in prayer

Shown below are the current Missions that Meadowbrook supports:

            • Asia Christian Services
            • Gideons International
            • Great Lakes Christian College
            • His House Christian Fellowship
            • International Disaster Emergency Services (IDES)
            • Johnson University
            • Kerala Christian Mission
            • New Churches of Christ Evangelism
            • Ninos de Mexico
            • Voice of the Martyrs
            • Karamoja Bible Study Center – Uganda

In the Newsletter, each month, we will focus on one Mission.  This  month we are focusing on Asia Christian Services.  To find out more about this Mission please visit their website: https://www.asiachristianservices.com/

 

  • Myanmar has undergone a military coup.
  • Violence continues in Myanmar.  Please pray for the innocent caught in the middle of fighting.  Prayers are requested for Christians who are sharing physically and spiritually with those in need.  
  • ACS is partnering with IDES in a great relief project to provide food, shelter, and medicines in four devastated areas of Myanmar.  
  • The Good News is that within the turmoil, God is at work and many are believing in Jesus.  Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!”  John 16:33.  Be encouraged as you see what God is doing!  The believers are living as “overcomers”!

Looking for a way to serve at MCC?

  • We need a few handy people to help get our playscape back in shape for the kids. Contact Dan Bright to lend a hand!
  • Make cookies, brownies, bread (banana, zucchini, etc.) to support our “Fellowship in the Foyer” right after church.  See Joe or Mimi Romaella to help with this ministry!
  • Volunteer at Youth Group!  Speak to Anthony Knotts to help out!
  • Join Sisters in Service as they start up in the fall to serve our community!
  • Join the Praise team or Sound Booth Crew — sing or play an instrument!
  • Serve Jesus! All helping hands are welcome.  Please see one of our Elders or Deacons to get plugged in.  We are all members of Christ’s body. AMEN!

1Peter4:10:  “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

Thank you to all the Mowing Teams!  Praise God for our beautiful, green grass this year!

Jeremiah Cox – August 4
Elaine Bright – August 14
Ron Murphy – August 30

 

 

Messenger
July 2021

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Message from Anthony

 

EVANGELISM PT 3: Making Disciples

We are in the business of true, life-changing ministry, that invests in people and their lives, meets the needs that come up around us, and builds relationships that lead to sincere partnerships as teacher and disciple for the gospel. The people whom we evangelize are thrown to the wolves if we fail to disciple.

I remember a young man I baptized named Mark. He was a great guy coming out of a devastating addiction, and he was trying to start over, this time on the right foundation. We had attended a men’s retreat together, and had spent a considerable amount of that time together sharing our respective stories and I would offer bits of encouragement and prayer as he would allow.

As the weekend went on, he was more and more open to hearing the gospel and my story of coming to Jesus. At the end of that weekend, as we were getting ready to head home for church in the morning, I invited him to come. He agreed, and sat in the front row along with my wife and daughter.

As I preached on building our lives on the Word, and laying the foundation on Jesus Christ, I connected with Mark through my words and the time I’d invested in building a relationship with him. He accepted Christ that day and I baptized him following the service.

Over the years now, we have become good friends, and I’ve mentored him through his daughter’s battle with brain cancer, his outreach service during the hurricanes in Louisiana, and through his new marriage.

He is a strong man of faith today, and I am honored to call him friend. But it could have been a different story if I’d have simply led him to the decision and then left him to figure out his faith on his own.

    We are like little children when we accept Christ. We’re excited, scared, and often a little fuzzy on what being a Christian in everyday life is all about. If we don’t partner with a mentor to help us grow and learn when we are young believers, we will often stagnate and walk away from the faith due to our frustration.

Discipleship matters, and without it we would never have seen Peter grow from a loud-mouthed fisherman into the father of the church. Without those that set the example for us, we wouldn’t have learned to exemplify Christ for those whom we disciple.

Meadowbrook families host youth group activities

Our Youth Group met off-campus in June thanks to the gracious Meadowbrook families hosting the kids at their homes.  In July the kids will continue to meet on Thursday evenings between 6:00 and 7:30 p.m. for fun activities and the promise of yummy food!  See Anthony if you have any questions.

July 1 – Anthony & Sophie Knotts home
July 8 – Wendy Kapusta home
July 15 – Matt & Brenda Cox home
July 22 – Anthony & Sophie Knotts home
July 29 – Tim & Carol Howell home

Sisters in Service is holding a garage sale

The Sisters in Service garage sale is scheduled for August 19-21, and will be held on the church grounds this year.  Money raised at the sale will allow us to shower blessings on people in our community.

We welcome all clean and gently used household items, tools and children’s books. Items not accepted: clothing and large furniture (such as couches and bookcases).

More details will be published in the August Messenger. Please see Cathy Podvin if you have questions.

Some recent updates to share with you.

First, we are welcoming Matt and Brenda Cox as the newest members of the Missions Ministry team at Meadowbrook! The team is now four strong, and we are still looking for another member (or two) to join us in praying for, and maintaining regular contact with each of our supported missions.

Secondly — based on the reduced amount of Faith Promise commitments for this year, the missions committee has made the following changes. We are discontinuing support of 3 missions, and adjusting the monthly amounts for the remaining missions. Our hope is that the reduced funds are a temporary situation.

These changes will enable Meadowbrook to continue providing regular monthly support to 11 mission organizations, and also provide approximately $100 toward our contingency fund each month. The contingency fund is used to provide assistance for special requests received from our missions. When additional Faith Promise commitments are made, we will again review our supported missions and make decisions to increase and/or add new missions for regular monthly support. For those of you who have made your Faith Promise commitment, thank you for your part in helping support ministry in many parts of Michigan, the U.S., and the world.

This month, we are sharing two recent updates from our newest mission, South Karamoja Bible Study Center. Duncan Ojiambo is the director of this mission. Their objective is to train up teachers and preachers in the South Karamoja region of Uganda, one of the poorest regions on earth. Meadowbrook began supporting this specific project in 2020.

Duncan’s most recent update indicates that the government in Uganda has placed the country on lockdown for 6 weeks, beginning June 7th. Some of the lockdown resolutions are listed in the following excerpt from Duncan’s letter:

Dear family, 

 I hope you’re doing well. Here in Uganda we are back to Lockdown as Covid-19 second wave escalates. Our president addressed the nation on Sunday June 6th. And he enforced the Lockdown guidelines here below.

 LOCKDOWN……FOR 42 DAYS.
 *Resolutions as stated by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni about Covid-19 as in today’s address!!!*

    1. All schools and institutions of learning should close for 42 days starting tomorrow(Monday) 8:00am.
    2. All teachers MUST be vaccinated before returning to school.
    3. Communal Rites and prayers in Churches, Stadiums and Mosques are suspended for 42 days starting tomorrow.(Preaching should stay on radios, TVs and social media.)
    4. Public gatherings and meetings apart from cabinet and legislature meeting. All the rest have been suspended for 42-days
    5. Travel from Category A countries (mostly India) remain suspended till further notice.

And we received the following prayer request from Duncan just last week:

Yesterday I got a call from some of our students in South Karamoja asking us to stand with them in prayers, the cattle raiding (insecurity) has started in the region. On Saturday last week, raisers (robbers and murderers) from Central and Northern Karamoja ambushed families in South Karamoja and raided cattle, demolished homes and left 2 people dead. Some of our students and church members lost their cattle and other properties. Please pray for security in this region, which has suffered many calamities and hostility for years.

 In Him, Duncan

 Please keep these situations and needs in prayer. Thank you for your faithful prayers and your generous giving.

Cindy Esterline – July 9
Eric Klaus – July 12
Tim Howell – July 16
Carol Howell – July 16
Dona Thomas – July 16
Hector Urteaga – July 18
Ken Small – July 19
Sandy Krugh – July 21
Mike & Sue Rose (Anniv.) – July 21
Mike Rose – July 22
Brenda Cox – July 22
Harry Thompson – July 24
Joyce Tingley – July 26
Eunice Salminen – July 27
Marian Murphy – July 28

Messenger
June, 2021

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Message from Anthony

EVANGELISM PT 2: Focusing On The Home Front

The most important rule of Capture the Flag is to protect your team’s flag at all costs. You never leave it unattended to send everyone after the enemies’ flag, because that leaves your “home” wide open to the enemy! The same principle is true in missions and ministry. You have to take care of the home front before you seek to meet the needs halfway across the world.

Christ gave us the instruction to carry the gospel with us to the ends of the earth, but we often forget that this planet just so happens to be round, and exactly where we stand is “an end of the earth.” Churches die because they neglect their communities in pursuit of doing good in “exotic, far-away lands.” They walk right by the starving people, homeless, widows, and orphans less than a block away from them, and still believe they are fulfilling the Great Commission because they sent a check to Haiti this week.

In no way am I saying that global missions are not a vital function of the church, but it should never trump evangelism and meeting the “mission” in the community that we know and love at home. The more we invest in our communities, the more we can equip missionaries to go out into the world and touch those far-away places as they minister in them.

Christ walked everywhere He went, and He ministered to the people He met along the way. His ministry was a face-to-face, personal one. He knew the value of ministry right where He was, and though He died for the world, He first built a strong core of disciples to radiate out from Himself to impact that world long after He had returned to heaven.

Look what’s coming up for our youth

6/3 – 7/29/21  Off-Campus Youth Group

We’re taking Youth Group to the streets in June and July, meeting in parks, MCC member homes, and other (safe) locations around the area!  Look for a list of times, dates and locations in your Sunday bulletin.

 

Camp season is back at MCC!  See Anthony for more information or help with registration.

6/20 – 25 Elementary (3rd-5th Grade)
7/7 – 7/10 1st Chance (1st-2nd Grade)
7-18 – 7/23 High School
7/25 – 7/30 Junior High

Aug 7 – Summer Slam A one-day project helping hand out backpacks and supplies for students in Pontiac.

Sisters in Service prepares for garage sale

Start saving your slightly-used items, that will become someone else’s treasure, for the Sisters in Service garage sale scheduled for Aug. 19 -21.  The garage on the church grounds has undergone a major clean up in preparation for this garage sale.  More details will be published as the date gets closer.  Please see Cathy Podvin if you have questions.

Here are a few updates from some of our mission partners around the world:

International Disaster Emergency Services (IDES)   Since the military seized power in Myanmar earlier this year, IDES working with local partners, has helped meet needs inside Myanmar, including:

– Supplying $32,000 worth of rice, noodles and other basic foods to hundreds of families
– Providing $30,000 to supply food and blankets for approximately 400 refugee families, along with materials to construct bamboo huts for 100 of these families.
– Distributing $35,000 in relief supplies (food and medicines) to more than 1100 families who were forced to flee into the jungle when their village was attacked and homes burned to the ground by armed troops.

Kerala (India) Christian Mission In the 2020 Annual Report, Rajan Ipe reports “Even though 2020 had many negatives with it, we have experienced several positives also. One of the greatest blessings in our life happened during this time…four of our grandchildren were baptized into Christ.” Rajan also shared how the pandemic affected the church: “People had an opportunity to realize that THE CHURCH is not a building and…to see faithful church members collecting their offering at family worship gatherings in spite of financial crisis and giving it to the Church leadership.” Several members of Rajan’s family, including Rajan himself, have recovered from COVID infection. Please pray for the people of India as the pandemic continues to ravage the country, and for God to work through the ministries and people of KCM.

Asia Christian Services Please continue to pray for our Asian missionaries and the believers in the churches that are already established. Also pray for:

– Peace and an ending of violence and the repressive activities of the ruling leaders
– Some aspect of normalcy so people can work and avoid starvation
– God’s protection of His children both physically and from persecution
– Our brothers and sisters as they courageously show God’s love to a hurting world

Voice of the Martyrs The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has created a digital monster whose eyes never cease watching Chinese citizens and whose brain tracks and automatically punishes their infractions. It is estimated that there is one camera for every two people in the country! In the past three years, the CCP has used technology to facilitate the mass incarceration of more than 1.5 million ethnic, religious and political minorities. Also mentioned in the May VOM newsletter is the Communist Party effort to “update” the Bible. Revisions will include adding “core socialist values” and removing passages that do not reflect communist beliefs. Pray for the Word of God to continue to spread throughout China and the world, and for spiritual strength for believers who face persecution and imprisonment for their faith.

“Pray without ceasing” — Your prayers are important and they make a difference!

This year’s His House Christian Fellowship’s “Cycle the Campus” fundraiser is focusing on the Relaunch of the ministry at the University of Michigan.  Over the last few years, student involvement in His House at UofM has declined, and they feel it’s time for a Relaunch.  The fundraiser, that includes bike rides, 5K runs and 5K walks, will take place on the UofM campus on Sat., June 5, giving participants an opportunity to pray over the campus, students and the Relaunch.  If you feel the calling to support their efforts with a donation or your prayers, contact Ron Meegan at 248-804-1383.

Join a Mowing Team

There are approximately 3 acres of grass surrounding our church building – that’s a lot of grass!  It takes several teams to keep up with the mowing.  Join a Mowing Team to help keep our grounds looking good by contacting Dan Bright, 248-651-6484.

Stephanie Elwell – June 4
Dan Bright – June 5
Eoghan Thomas – June 6
Anthony Knotts – June 8
Patrick Elwell – June 16
Matthew Zaremba – June 18
Jaysun & Traci Thomas (Anniv.) – June 18
Ron & Marian Murphy (Anniv.) – June 20
Sue Rose – June 20
Dick Tenniswood – June 22
Larry & Cindy Esterline (Anniv.) – June 23
Grace Knotts – June 24
Randy & Jerri Gilbert (Anniv.) – June 25
Phil & Debi Newton (Anniv.) – June 26

 

Messenger
April 2021

By

 

 

 

 

 

A message from Anthony

Happy Easter Meadowbrook!

This month we celebrate Easter Sunday here at Meadowbrook Christian Church, alongside every Christian church around the globe. It’s a time to praise God for His love and the incredible miracle that birthed our salvation, and to anticipate all He will do through our restored relationship with Him. We were made to worship, and with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, we are once again free to truly worship!

The more that the Early Church worshiped the Lord, the more they learned how to worship the Lord. The Spirit continually revealed truth to them as they grew closer and closer in their walk with Him on a daily basis. They gave more of themselves as the Spirit filled them more and more with Him. They understood the mission laid before them, and embraced it fully. God has set us on the same mission as the Early Church believers.

We have the ability and mission to reach into our community through impactful teaching and worship services, community events, creating a welcoming atmosphere, youth group, bible studies, LIFE groups, and so much more. As a church body, we have a responsibility to share the Good News everywhere that Christ is alive, and is alive at Meadowbrook. So please, take every opportunity you see to share Christ wherever you go as we embrace how God continues to shape us for the future of His church and His mission.

The work is not done, the building of our hearts is still ongoing, and there is still a story to be told. It’s His story through us that needs to be shared with people who still need to know the hope that Christ brought to earth on the day of His birth, the victory He won at Calvary, the reason for His return to the Father, and the near-approaching triumphant return. There’s a magnificent story in our worship, and it’s told through our lives every day!

 Always In Christ,

 Anthony C. Knotts

Come Worship on Easter Sundy

Easter Sunday service is in-person at 10:45 a.m. and streamed live on YouTube.  Click on the YouTube icon on the upper right hand corner of this website to join in.

Easter Egg Hunt

All kids are invited to hunt for Easter eggs on the front lawn, following worship service.  Happy Hunting!

 

 

Finley Thomas – April 12
Theresa Meegan – April 12
Denis Couture – April 14
Ed Parrett – April 16
Sylis Cox – April 17
Traci Thomas – April 22
Laura Urteaga – April 28

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our ladies have been busy

Fleece blankets. Fleece hats. Easter baskets.  Our ladies have been busy the last couple of months making 25 fleece blankets for St. Joe’s Hospital, 101 fleece hats for St. Joe’s Hospital End of Life Cart, and 18 Easter Baskets for Neighborhood House to distribute to needy children.  The gals meet to work on these projects either at a Sisters in Service meeting or Sisters of the Cloth gathering, as well as at home. They are talented, giving women who happily reach out to the community in service to those in need. Take a look at the photos to see what has been accomplished.

SIS final meeting for the season in April

Sisters in Service will be meeting on Monday, April 26, at 6:30pm to discuss projects in which they want to participate for the next season starting in the fall.  Suggestions are welcomed. New Officers will also be elected.  Ladies who are willing to hold an office should contact Lynn Ross to express an interest.

Youth Gather on Thursday

Our Youth Group meets on Thursdays in the Fellowship Hall on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.  Kids in grades 6th to 12th are invited to join Youth Minister Anthony for an evening designed just for them.  Games, Worship, Life Applicable Lessons and more.

 

 

The Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donors

With the ongoing pandemic, the Red Cross needs the help of blood and platelet donors.  Meadowbrook Christian Church is supporting this need by holding a blood drive on Thursday, April 8, between 12:30 and 6:30 p.m.  To schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code: meadowbrookchristian or call 1-800-733-2767.

Donating blood products is essential to community health and the need for blood products is constant.  The Red Cross follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need.

The Red Cross is following FDA blood donation eligibility guidance for those who receive a COVID-19 vaccination, and deferral times may vary depending on the type of vaccine an individual receives. If you’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll need to provide the manufacturer name when you come to donate. Upon vaccination, you should receive a card or printout indicating what COVID-19 vaccine was received, and we encourage you to bring that card with you to your next donation. In most cases, there is no deferral time for individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are symptom free and feeling well at the time of donation.   

2021 Faith Promise Program

As spring arrives, it is once again time to reflect on God’s blessings; how faithful He is to provide all we need to serve Him. Faith Promise is one way we can demonstrate the measure of our faith.

What is Faith Promise? — Faith Promise giving is an important part of our church’s ministry. It is missions giving based on a personal commitment. It is a promise to God to give a specific amount of money to missions through the missions program of Meadowbrook Christian Church, over and above your regular offering.  It is an offering based on faith in Jesus Christ to provide, not based on what you have now or might have in the future.  It is a promise to God, not to Meadowbrook.  No one will ask you for payment. It is another opportunity for us to put our faith in Christ to work in a tangible way.

Meadowbrook currently supports 14 missions through a combination of General Fund giving and Faith Promise giving. Among the missions supported are Bible colleges, orphanages, organizations that minister in the areas of disaster relief, campus ministry, church planting, preacher training, and numerous international missionaries.

Since Faith Promise started at Meadowbrook in the fall of 1993, your Faith Promise giving has supplemented the missions program by over $670,000.  We also maintain a contingency fund that is used to meet extra or emergency needs of our missions. This also provides funds for mission rallies (travel, supplies, etc.), supports mission trips as required, and funds any other mission-related needs of the church. In 2020, the contingency fund provided over $3000 in additional assistance to these missions.

In addition to your regular tithes and offerings, church members are challenged to exercise their faith by making a one-year commitment to the church’s missions’ program. If you made a Faith Promise commitment last year, that commitment expires this month. Each year we ask members to make a new commitment for the next 12 months. In the next few weeks, we will provide a commitment card that you can fill out and turn in to the missions committee. This allows us to determine what level of support we can provide to our current missions in the coming year, and whether new missions should be added.

Thank you for your faithful giving as God provides all our needs.

 

Messenger
March 2021

By

 

 

A message from Anthony

 

 

 

As with most of us this past few weeks, my mind has been overwhelmed with thoughts lately. I have prayed earnestly, felt uncertain at times, and gotten lost in my thoughts more than once. But, through all of it, I have found comfort in the Word. As I tried to get some sleep the other night, the Spirit nudged my heart, seemingly to remind me that He was there.

I was reminded of Jesus’ last meal with His disciples. It was another time of great uncertainty and questions, as the disciples tried to make sense of what Jesus was trying to tell them about the evening to come and the days that would follow. He explained the hardships that the disciples would face in the world, but He comforted them with the reminder that He is the vine from which we are all sustained. He also explained that he would have to leave them, but that another helper would come.

John 14:15-21

If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day, you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

We are never alone when we belong to God. God lives with us, within us, and guides us. His Spirit indwells within us forever. We have the Word as our standard, containing the encouragement and commands from God Himself, so that we can be sure of His direction for us. We have the example of Christ, and His teachings that reaffirm the Word’s truth in its totality, and that give us hope for a relationship with God through Jesus’ sacrifice. And we have each other, to encourage one another in these truths, and to do life together as one church family, built on Christ the cornerstone.

As we launch Thursday night Youth Group starting this month, new and returning Life Groups throughout our area, continue to fellowship with one another, learn together, and grow together; I pray that these encouraging words from Christ remind each of us that we are never alone when we belong to the Lord. God bless us as we continue to be His hands and feet in our communities.

Bryan Miller – March 2
Bethany Thomas – March 4
Jim Cavins – March 4
Jessica Riedl – March 10
Kathi Tope – March 20
Nancy Paul – March 20
Joe Romaella – March 24
Jacquelyn Thomas – March 25
Mike Tingley – March 28
Marion Thomas – March 31

The missions team met on February 15 and several updates were received from our local and international partners. Please be keeping the following items in your prayers:

  • The Karamoja region in Uganda has experienced a time of famine, and then their gardens were washed away in flooding. They are in need of food, clothing, and bedding. The Meadowbrook missions fund has provided a special gift of $500.00 to offset this need.
  • Lake James Camp has received a gift of a 20-acre parcel of farm land, including some buildings, which will be used to expand the programs at the camp. Praise God for this gift.
  • Voice of the Martyrs is hosting an event: “Imprisoned for Christ Virtual Event” on Friday, March 5 at 7:30 pm. There will be three speakers who were prisoners in different countries, and Natalie Grant will lead worship. This is a free event but you must sign up at org/event.
  • Ninos de Mexico is hosting a virtual trivia night as a fundraiser on Saturday, March 6, at 8 pm. The entry fee is $10 per person. For more information go to https://ninosdemexico.org/get-involved/virtual-trivia-night

As always, thank you for your continued financial support of missions and thank you for your prayers.

SIS is preparing Easter Baskets in March

At the Saturday, March 20th Sisters in Service meeting, the ladies will be preparing Easter baskets for Neighborhood House.  Beginning at 10am, they will assemble items purchased from the SIS funds. Please contact Cathy Podvin if you have questions.

The Red Cross has an urgent need for blood donors

With the ongoing pandemic, the Red Cross needs the help of blood and platelet donors.  Meadowbrook Christian Church is supporting this need by holding a blood drive on Thursday, April 8, between 12:30 and 6:30 p.m.  To schedule an appointment, visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter sponsor code: meadowbrookchristian or call 1-800-733-2767.

Donating blood products is essential to community health and the need for blood products is constant.  The Red Cross follows the highest standards of safety and infection control, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need.

The Red Cross is following FDA blood donation eligibility guidance for those who receive a COVID-19 vaccination, and deferral times may vary depending on the type of vaccine an individual receives. If you’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, you’ll need to provide the manufacturer name when you come to donate. Upon vaccination, you should receive a card or printout indicating what COVID-19 vaccine was received, and we encourage you to bring that card with you to your next donation. In most cases, there is no deferral time for individuals who received a COVID-19 vaccine as long as they are symptom free and feeling well at the time of donation.   

Fall Festival

Join in the fun at the Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 24th.  Pot luck at noon followed by youth games and bounce house. … [More...]

Church Services in person & streamed

In-person church services are at 10:45 a.m. and are streamed live or can be accessed at the MCC YouTube Channel at a later time.  To view the service, click on the YouTube icon at the top of the home page. … [More...]

Read Our Newsletter
2741 Walton Blvd.
Rochester Hills, MI 48309
248-659-8481

SCHEDULE OF SERVICES

  • Sunday School for all ages: 9:30 a.m.
  • Sunday Worship: 10:45 a.m.
  • Junior Worship: 10:45 a.m.
  • Nursery During Worship Service