Message from Anthony

Our Hope in Christ

This month we celebrate the birth of Jesus and the hope that He brought into this world for all mankind.  Usually, we focus on giving to others, proclaiming His birth, and spending time with our family and loved ones. This year is a bit different for the folks up in Oxford, though, as they cope with the loss of four bright young lives and the significant impact on their families and the families of so many more affected by the shooting. For them, and for us, a tragedy like this during this season can get us thinking that this is more the season of taking than the season of giving.

Like with the 2015 shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg Oregon, I know this will be a time of mourning for Oxford and the surrounding communities. But this is also the time when we as a church need to show the love that God has for them more than ever. Through prayer, support, encouragement, and more, we can truly embrace the season of giving with all that we give to those who are hurting most right now.

We celebrate this season as the season of giving because we know the hope that Christ gave us in entering this world so many years ago, and we put that hope, that faith, into practice by how we love one another. So, as Romans 12:15 says: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep” and remember what Christ told us so many years ago:

John 16:33 ESV
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Merry Christmas and God bless you and your families this year.

MCC Youth Group Spread Some Holiday Blessings! Happy Thanksgiving!

The MCC Youth Group kids prepared and delivered food baskets they put together for people in need on Thursday, November 18th.  Many families were blessed by their giving hearts and thoughtfulness.

Winter Jam 22 is scheduled for January 30, 2022 in Ypsilanti, MI featuring many Christian worship singers/bands.  There will be a group leaving the Church @ 2pm that day, if you are interested in going.  Also, a Zack Williams concert is coming up on April 22nd in Clarkston, Michigan at Mt. Zion Church.  Available tickets are limited, so be sure to see Anthony for tickets & more info.  Some financial assistance may be available.

There will be a Youth Group Christmas party on December 16^th from 7-8:30pm.  There will be a White Elephant gift exchange and lots of fun for everyone.

The youth group normally meets weekly on Thursday evenings at 7pm in the Youth Room Downstairs.  All kids from 3rd through 12th grade are welcome.  Be sure to come check out all the fun and fellowship!

December Sisters-in-Service (SIS) Meeting

We won’t hold a SIS meeting in December.  Our next meeting will be held on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 10am in the MCC Fellowship Hall.  During this meeting we’ll make lunch and spend time with the kids from House of Providence.

Missions Update – December 2021 – Karamoja Bible Study Center

Meadowbrook received an email from Duncan at the Karamoja Bible Study Center.  He reported that some COVID restrictions have been lifted in Uganda and they are able to operate their Bible Training Centers again. They are starting a building project on recently purchased property and are requesting financial assistance. Duncan reports 10
decisions/baptisms occurred in the last month. They are very grateful for the church’s prayers and
financial support.  Here is a portion of Duncan’s recent email:

“Please let the entire church family know we love you all and always pray for you all. We appreciate your financial support towards the Lord’s work in Karamoja.  Villages Churches are gathering, and we planted another congregation last month. This church is also gathering under a tree shade. We give God the glory that when it comes to worshipping Him, people don’t care about where to gather. Church happens anywhere.

We have started digging a pit latrine. Now that we have water on the property, the pit latrine is being dug.  The hope of us moving and getting relieved from the renting burden is clear. This pit latrine work is a work in faith as well. We don’t have money to build it, but we continue to trust God who has brought us this far to finish what He started. 

The Missions team prayerfully considered their request of support and decided to send $1350 to them in support of their building project.  Additionally, we decided to give each of our missions a Christmas gift of $150 each.  The
exception being Karamoja, who will receive $1500 (combination Christmas gift and extra gift toward
building project).  The total of these gifts is $3000.

Thank you to our Meadowbrook family for the generosity that allows support of these valuable missions.  We really appreciate your love, prayers, and resources!  Praise the Lord that we are able to give assistance to the missions we feel God is calling us to support.  We also thank you for supporting the Thanksgiving Lighthouse Food Drive, Samaritan Purse Operation Christmas Child, as well as the Red Cross Blood Drive!  It is such a blessing to help others!

Birthdays
Karen Parrett – December 4
Mary Jane Cavins – December 5
Brad Koster – December 16
Karen Robinson – December 21
Elaine Klaus – December 24
Jerri Gilbert – December 29
Jean Cox – December 30

Anniversaries
Elaine & Eric Klaus (Anniv.) – December 1
Darrell & Jean Cox (Anniv.) – December 22
Matt & Brenda Cox (Anniv.) – December 27

Message from Anthony

Worshiping with Gratitude

There are so many reasons in our worship music to be grateful for who the Lord is and all that He has done, is doing, and continues to do because He loves us. Here are just a few to encourage you this season:

Give Thanks (Henry Smith, CCLI#20285)
Give thanks with a grateful heart, Give thanks to the Holy One.
Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ His Son.
And now let the weak say I am strong, Let the poor say I am rich.
Because of what the Lord has done for us, Give thanks.

Thank Your Lord (Don Moen, Paul Baloche, CCLI#4220833)
I come before You today, And there’s just one thing that I want to say Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord.
For all You’ve given to me, For all the blessings that I cannot see, Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord.
With a grateful heart with a song of praise, With an outstretched arm I will bless Your name.
Thank You Lord, I just want to thank You Lord, Thank You Lord, I just want to thank You Lord.
For all You’ve done in my life, You took my darkness and gave me Your light Thank You Lord, Thank You Lord.
You took my sin and my shame You took my sickness and healed all my pain, Thank You Lord thank You Lord.

I Am Thankful (Anthony Knotts, CCLI#7144538)
I am thankful for the life within me, I am grateful for the joy I know.
I am thankful for the Lamb who rescued me, I am grateful for the joy I know.
There’s never been a love so wonderful, I know, I am thankful.
There’s never been a peace so powerful, I know, I am thankful.
I am thankful that you hung in my place, I am grateful for the joy I know.
I am thankful that you emptied the grave, I am grateful for the mercy you show.
There’s never been a love so wonderful, I know, I am thankful.
There’s never been a peace so powerful, I know, I am thankful.

What Can I Do (Graham Kendrick, Paul Baloche, CCLI#4554279)
When I see the beauty of a sunset’s glory, Amazing artistry across the evening sky.
When I feel the mystery of a distant galaxy, It awes and humbles me, To be loved by a God so high.
What can I do but thank You, What can I do but give my life to You, Hallelujah, hallelujah.
What can I do but praise You, Every day make everything I do, A hallelujah, A hallelujah.
When I hear the story of a God of mercy, Who shared humanity and suffered by our side.
Of the cross they nailed You to, That could not hold You.
Now You’re making all things new, By the power of Your risen life.

Thank You Jesus (Hannah Hobbs, Matt Crocker, CCLI#7004672)
Grace that flows like a river, Washing over me.
Fount of heaven, Love of Christ, Overflow in me.
Thank You Jesus, You set me free.
Christ my Saviour, You rescued me.
Take this life delivered, A vessel of Your love.
Wholly now devoted, To see Your kingdom come.
You’ve given me life, You’ve opened my eyes.
I love You Lord, I love You Lord.
You’ve entered my heart, You’ve set me apart.
I love You Lord, I love You Lord.

No matter what your season looks like, or who’s seated around your Thanksgiving table, we all have more reasons than we can count to be grateful this year. God bless, and happy Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for YOU.

Meadowbrook Youth Group Putting Together Food Baskets

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.   The youth have raised funds and are planning to put together food baskets for people in need.  If you are aware of anyone in need of a blessing, please contact our Youth Minister, Anthony, at anthonycknotts@gmail.com.  The youth will deliver the baskets on November 18th.

SIS Create Fidget Mats to help Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patients

Missions Update – November 2021 – His House Christian Fellowship

His House Christian Fellowship exists to bring the gospel to college campuses and send students back out as world changers for Christ.  With twelve locations across Michigan, you can be involved as a student or a supporter on a campus close to you!

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 10^th, 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

Message from Anthony

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

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

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:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. • 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

Message from Anthony

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 7^th. 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. 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

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.

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.