Sharing With Steve
Our theme for 2017 has been “We Are The Church.” We have looked at different aspects of the Church. We started the year by looking at the picture of the Church from the view of the Book of Revelation. Chapter 21 gives a picture of the beauty and majesty of the Church. It is a wonderful illustration. We then spent seven Sundays looking at the churches from Revelation 2-3 and what those churches had to say to the modern church. We discovered that struggles and frustrations remain consistent over the years. We also found out that the blessings and joys are also consistent. We then examined Acts 2:42 and the four things that the early church was steadfast in. When the early church met they prayed, had fellowship, participated in the Lord’s Supper, and shared from God’s Word.
Next we spent most of the summer looking at images of the Church. The Bible paints some vivid pictures of the Church. The Church is the bride of Christ. The Church is a flock. The Church is the Kingdom of God. The Church is the Family of God. The Church is to be the salt and light of the world. These are just a few of ideas that were presented. Each picture gave a different view of what the Church is and does. We concluded the general topic by looking at the marks of a great church. What would Christ say to the Church today? Would He commend or reprimand the Church today? Using Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians we looked at three ideas and expounded on them. God looks at the faith, the hope, and the love manifested by His people.
That brought us to this past Sunday. I really struggled on how to bring this year’s topic to a close. I settled on an idea that my father had shared with me years ago. Satan has deceived us into believing that we live in the real world. Going to “church” or attending church camp may bring respite, but you still have to return to the “real” world. But that is a lie. The real world is where Christ rules and there is joy and community. The prodigal son longed for what he thought was excitement. He took the inheritance and went to the far country. There he spent it and squandered it. Soon there was nothing left – no friends, no money, no joy. A job was taken, feeding pigs. He came to the realization that all that he thought was “real” was really “fake.” The real world was where the Father was; where the Father took care of the family and provided for it. The son left the job and returned home, hoping to be granted servant status. But the Father welcomed him with open arms. He threw a party. His lost son had returned home.
There is a world out there that is lost. Many are in the pig pen and don’t even know it. They are convinced that they live in the “real” world. We, the Church, must show them a different picture. We must reveal to them the error of their ways and be a source of reconciliation when they return home. We must show them the real world, where Christ is King, where there is forgiveness and then restoration to the Family of God. That is true reality.
LIGHTHOUSE OF OAKLAND COUNTY
We are again collecting food for Thanksgiving baskets for local families of Oakland County. We will collect food through Sunday, November 5. Thank you to everyone for sharing in this need. Listed below are the items requested on their Wish List. Please place any cash donations or grocery store gift cards in the designated donation can. The cash donations and gift cards are used to purchase turkeys and items not received through the food drive. Items marked with an * tend to run out quickly. Please see Linda Tingley if you have any questions or call 248-853-7593.
Stuffing
Pie Crust Mix*
Gravy
Evaporated Milk*
Canned Yams*
Pumpkin Pie Filling
Boxed or Canned Potatoes
Muffin Mixes
Green or Mixed Vegetables
Jello
Yellow Vegetables
Canned Fruit
Soup
Cake Mixes
Broth
Frosting
Canned Cranberries
Treats
ANNUAL MEETING
The 2017 Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday, November 12, following the morning service. Reports will be given by the leadership; election of elders and deacons will take place; and the 2018 budget will be explained and presented for approval. The meeting usually lasts about an hour. We want to thank you for your support of Meadowbrook and we look forward to a productive 2018.
MEN’S PRAYER BREAKFAST
This every other month breakfast will be held on Saturday, November 11, at 8:30 am in the fellowship hall. We will be having a home cooked breakfast of scrambled eggs, sausage, biscuits, and beverage. We will continue our thoughts from Tony Dungy. We will conclude with a time of prayer. All men are encouraged to come. There is a sign-up sheet in the foyer.
Sisters in Service will be meeting in November
Sisters in Service will be meeting on Monday, Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m. There will be a devotion and refreshments. Watch for more information in the Sunday bulletin about that night’s activity.
ADULT BIBLE STUDY
We were scheduled to meet on Wednesday, November 8, and Wednesday, November 22. Because of unexpected conflicts and the proximity to Thanksgiving, we are canceling the adult Bible study for November. We will meet again in December starting on Wednesday, December 6. We have just started a study of the book of Ephesians. Come and share this great letter from Paul and what he has to say about Christ and the Church.
Feature Mission: ICOM: International Conference on Missions
The International Conference on Missions (ICOM) exists to Encourage, Equip and Enlist workers for the Harvest, and has has been serving missionaries and the Great Commission since 1948. ICOM is gearing up for their annual conference in Peoria, Illinois November 16-19 2017, featuring over 575 exhibit booths and 125+ workshops for the purpose of bringing men, women and children together to embody Ubantu, the African concept of “group effort.” Please pray for God to work in the hearts and minds of the attendees, and for those who work together to bring the good news of God’s kingdom to those around the world.
Other prayer needs:
Please pray for the new church plant in Fruitport, Michigan, that NCCE (New Churches of Christ Evangelism) launched in October.
November 5 and 12 have been designated the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. Please remember our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering for the cause of Christ.
Ninos de Mexico celebrates its 50th Anniversary as a mission serving lost and abandoned children.
December 9 – Adult Christmas Party
December 17 – Christmas Breakfast (no Sunday School)
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD
Sisters in Service and the Leadership of Meadowbrook Christian Church would like to invite you to join in Operation Christmas Child. This is an outreach of Samaritan’s Purse. 100 shoe boxes have been ordered. You can choose to fill a shoe box as individuals or as a family or you can donate items (list is in the foyer of acceptable items and is also available on samaritanspurse.org/occ). Sisters in Service will pack the donated items into shoe boxes. The National Collection Week is November 13-20. The shoe boxes will be brought to a regional collection center and will be sent to one of the national processing centers and sent overseas to be distributed by local churches. For more information please see Ruth Lindhagen or Steve Martin.
Franklin Graham is President of Samaritan’s Purse. This worthy project has been providing millions of gifts to needy children around the world for 24 years. In the hands of local churches, every gift-filled shoe box is a powerful tool for evangelism and discipleship – transforming the lives of children and their families around the world through the Good News of Jesus Christ! After receiving shoe box gifts, boys and girls are invited to enroll in The Greatest Journey, a 12-lesson discipleship program where children learn to faithfully follow Christ and share their faith with others. Learn more about Operation Christmas Child at samaritanspurse.org/occ.
Operation Christmas Child – Here’s the Process:
Get a “Samaritan’s Purse” shoe box (as noted above)
Select a quality WOW item
Fill with other fun toys, hygiene items, and school supplies
PRAY for the child who will receive your gift
Include a personal note and photo
Include $9 to send your gift overseas
Bring your shoe box to MCC by November 12
What goes into the box is fun…What comes out is eternal.
Select items that are appropriate for a specific age group and gender:
2-4 years old boy or girl / 5-9 years old boy or girl / 10-14 years old boy or girl
Red Cross Coming to Meadowbrook
The Red Cross will be at Meadowbrook on Wednesday, Nov. 22, between 12:30 and 6:30 p.m. To make an appointment to donate blood, sign up on the reservation sheet in the foyer or call Theresa at 248-340-9215. Please note, this is the day before Thanksgiving and a crucial time for blood donations as the need is great.
Mimi Romaella – November 1
Phil & Jessica Johnson (Ann.) – November 6
Bridget Kochan – November 9
Debbie Stallings – November 10
Andrea Schwartzenberger – November 16
Bill Bradford – November 23
Tristian Cox – November 24
Patti Bradford – November 29
Jake Wundrach – November 30
