January 18, 2015 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.

CONGREGATIONAL REPORT: As we start the new year, it is important to re-establish some things we are doing, and report to the congregation on how money is being used and where we stand financially. The last two weeks we have had some of those reports, and today there is another one which is discussed on THE BACK PAGE (below) and in a letter which will be given to each family this morning. Make sure you get yours — see John Clayton.

SPECIAL JOB FOR YOU: Several years ago Marv Whitledge spent $15,000 of his own money to buy the little black Bibles that we have distributed at the fair and to friends and relatives. Marv lost his wife and has been put into a senior living facility in Portage, Mich. He misses Dorothy Lee (his wife) terribly, and is very much alone at Wynwood of Portage. Let me urge you to send him a note or call him. He needs our attention. (If you wish to have his address or phone, e-mail marcusen@michiana.org to receive the information.) He says “It is a nice place to live, but it is nothing compared to being able to drive your own car and live in your own house.” Take a minute to do this.

TODAY'S LESSON

JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
JOHN 4:4 – 42
John Clayton

We have had some good discussions about the local work here in Dowagiac, and how we can increase the community's awareness of our presence. In our congregational meeting two weeks ago, we had a good report on our financial situation and of the ministry works that we are involved in — the prison work, Shults-Lewis Children's Home, Glynn Langston's ministry to the blind, the food pantry, and the coat program.

Today each family is being given an annual report of the Does God Exist? ministry. The Church of Christ on M-51 is the sponsoring congregation for this ministry which is under the direction of John Clayton and Karl Marcussen. Unlike the other ministries listed above, the M-51 congregation does not give any money to the Does God Exist? ministry, but the government and the bank recognize this ministry as a part of this congregation's work. The ministry itself is supported by Christians all over the world and by several congregations throughout the United States.

We encourage you to read this rather lengthy report. It is important for all of us to know what is going on, and to understand the purpose and extent of this ministry. When John and Cynthia are gone, he is doing lectureships, speaking on radio and television, making presentations at encampments, and preaching somewhere. It should be obvious to you as you read the report that some of the areas of the world in which this work is carried on and some of the subject matter that the ministry has to deal with are controversial. It is not unusual for the ministry to get threats and hostility.

Read the report (if you wish to receive a report in pdf, e-mail marcusen@michiana.org and request a copy) and be encouraged to know that God is doing some great things through all of us working together both here in Dowagiac and throughout the world.

Our sign by the street!

Sign saying from www.sayingsforchurchsigns.com