The family of God here at Dowagiac Church of Christ wishes to extend to you a warm welcome.  If you have questions about our worship services and why we do what we do, we will be glad to give you a biblical answer.  The uniqueness of the Church of Christ is that we are trying to restore to the best of our ability those things that we see the first century Church doing.  We are also working hard at building the spirit, unity, and love that Jesus taught and prayed for.  We have no clergy, but are working together as equal co-workers trying to serve one another and the area in which we live.  Come study with us, grow with us, and serve with us as we strive to do God’s will in all things.


We encourage you to take advantage of the Bible classes that we have regularly.  Tonight we will be continuing our study of how the Church can and should deal with change.  Come and join us for this stimulating discussion.  Our Wednesday night study on communion is continuing.  We have had some stimulating and challenging dialogue on what communion is, how it is connected to the Jewish Passover, and how we should understand it and participate in it.  Come and join us!


We are so pleased that Dave Pickens got a good report from his colonoscopy and that he is doing as well as he is.  We regret to announce that the brother of Margaret Forbes passed away, and the funeral was held Friday.  Many of our Church family attended, and food and flowers were taken to the family by the congregation here.  Margaret was caring for him and we have tried to help the family through this ordeal.  Our prayers are with the family during this time of grief. 
We are continuing to talk to paving companies about the blacktopping of our parking area and drive.  A final plan for paving has been drawn up.  See Bill Gibson for details. 

WHAT WAS THE WORST DEAL YOU EVER MADE? ________________________________________________
Esau made a bad deal with Jacob.    
Israel made a bad deal with the Canaanites.
Jepthah made a foolish deal with God.    
King Saul made a bad deal with the Witch of Endor.
Herod made a bad deal with the daughter of Herodias.
Judas made a bad deal with the High Priest.
Ananias and Saphira made a bad deal to lie to God.
What does it mean to “Sell your soul?”

For the next five Sundays, Phyllis and I will be traveling.  We plan see see grandkids and Phyllis’ brother whom we have not seen for a long time.  We then start a series of lectureships in Silver Springs, Maryland, Sundridge Ontario, and East Sparta, Ohio.  We ask your prayers as we travel and try to do the Lord’s work in our ministry.  We are finding travel to be increasingly distasteful, but want to do whatever God calls us to do.

One of the things that we have said repeatedly in lessons and sermons is that I am not the “Preacher.”  I am not trained as a preacher and have limited ability in most of the things that a preacher or evangelist is called on to do.  It is difficult to avoid having people attaching a role or a title to you; and in spite of our efforts, there are those in the community who wish to identify me as the preacher here. 

The biblical pattern for the Church does not present preachers as they are seen in the denominational world today.  The letter to Timothy talks about the “work of an evangelist,” but no where do we see one man listed as the preacher in a congregation of the first century Church.  For the next five weeks we will have a different preacher every Sunday.  This man is as much the “preacher” as I have ever been.

I urge you to come, to listen, to learn, to grow, to invite, to encourage, and to share with whomever is speaking.  We need to be unapologetic for the fact that we have no man wearing a special garment, having a special title, or pretending to be more knowledgeable or pious than anyone else.  We all have different talents and abilities, but we all have something to share.  The preacher is not going to be gone.  He will be here, but he will be a brother who has prepared a special message to the best of his ability that everyone needs to hear and ponder (read 1 Corinthians 3:1-17).  Notice Paul’s statement in verse 9, “For we are God’s fellow workers, you are God’s field, God’s building.”  Look at verse 7. Neither he who plants or waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.    --John Clayton