September 28, 2014 WELCOME! WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE HERE We are a group of believers who simply try to follow the Bible as a guide for all we do. Everything done in our worship service is something for which we have a Bible basis. You are welcome to participate as much or as little as you wish. We will sing hymns together and we will observe the Lord's Supper or Communion together. We will also have an opportunity to give to the work of God in this area. This collection is for the members here, and if you are visiting you should not feel and pressure to give. Our lesson time will be divided into two groups. The young children will go to our classroom area in the basement where they will be taught the Bible at a level they can understand. The adults will stay in the auditorium for a lesson at an adult level. We do try to serve the community, and if you have some needs that we can help you with, mention it to one of the members. Thank you for worshipping with us.

BIBLE CLASS AT CLAYTONS' TUESDAY: Once a month, Christians from all over the area meet at Cynthia and John Clayton's house for a Bible study. This class has been going on for over 30 years, and it is a great time for discussion and getting to know other Christians from the Michiana area. If you need directions, ask John or Cynthia, but join us at 7:00 Tuesday.

THANKS: To everyone who participated in our highway clean up effort yesterday. The neighborhood is aware that we do this, and it is a great testimony to the community that we are here to serve and be a part of making the world a better place. Our special thanks to Richard Hoyt who does all the leg work on this project, and makes it so we can do it quickly and efficiently.

POTLUCK NEXT SUNDAY: Next Sunday is the first Sunday of the month, and our tradition is to bring a dish and enjoy some good food and good fellowship. Be a part of this! If you cannot bring food, then just bring an appetite — there is always food left over.

TODAY'S LESSON

WHEN THE HONEYMOON IS OVER
John Clayton

In the March 26, 2014, issue of Power for Today, which this congregation makes available to you, is a wonderful article by Joyce Hardin about children in a very low income neighborhood who participated in a mock “life” experiment in her 4th grade classroom. Each child was given a pretend income, and had to spend it at various booths around the room. The booths had restaurants, real estate, a hotel, a clothing store, a candy store, a game store, tickets to a football game, and a county fair. The school personnel expected the kids to rush to the candy store, the games, and the fair. What happened was that every child went to a store that had housing before they went anywhere else. These were kids who never knew when they came to school where they would sleep that night. Some moved from shelter to shelter and the thing they wanted most was a home.

In John 14:2 Jesus tells us he went to prepare a home for us, a special place, and that he would come back to escort us home. Cynthia and I have been traveling a great deal this summer, and we have not lacked shelter or a place to sleep. What we have longed for and what we have missed is “home.” We sing “This World Is Not My Home,” and “Lead Me Gently Home, Father.” How important it is to feel that when our body finally gives completely out that we will not be in a strange place and around unfamiliar faces in an alien land. A great part of the fear of death is the fear of the unknown. Jesus tells us not to be afraid, that he will take us home and we will never have to go anywhere alone again.

— John Clayton

Our sign by the street!