It's Wednesday!

... And that means prayer meeting!

Spurgeon said it so well when he prayed:

Bless at this time very graciously the church to which we belong. Let us in this place know the power of prayer today and tomorrow: especially pour out upon the members of this church an intense spirit of supplication. May we agonize tomorrow for the glory of God, and today also, and let it not depart from us so long as we live. Send us, Lord, a mighty groundswell of intense desire for the glory of God, and may these thy servants banded together in church fellowship recognize the sweet obligations to their dying Lord, and determine that the prayers of the Church shall go up before him like sweet perfume.

Join us tonight as we pray one for another - 6:30 pm.

(And ladies, don't forget Zumba immediately following in Fellowship Hall.)

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Canata practice starts this Lord's Day!




And shoe box collection for Operation Christmas Child is right around the corner. Pack those boxes - our goal is 100 shoe boxes this year.

Men, Praying

I will therefore that men pray every where, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting. (1 Timothy 2:8 KJV)

Invite a friend, men, to prayer breakfast this Saturday morning at 8:00 in Fellowship Hall.

Bodily exercise profiteth...

For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. (1 Timothy 4:8 NKJV)

There are a lot of things to do at FBC - lots of opportunities for worship, Bible study, prayer, praise, fellowship, breaking bread... and yes, even exercise. Paul told Timothy that exercising ourselves unto godliness is the most important form of exercise. And certainly it does no good to have fit bodies if our spiritual life is flabby. But in saying what he did, Paul also made it clear that there is some benefit to physical exercise as well.

Softball, golf, bowling, white water rafting, volleyball, and Zumba are some of the sports / fitness activities that have taken place at FBC this past year. And this coming Friday evening, at 7:00 we will gather in Fellowship Hall to celebrate some of those things at our Sports Banquet.

Come one and come all - whether you participated in any of the sports or not. Come and enjoy the fellowship. All food is provided, and there is no cost.

Are They For Today?

This week in our Wednesday prayer meeting (6:30 - 7:15 PM every Wednesday), we are starting a new overview of the Ten Commandments. Each week we will briefly examine one of the commandments, and it's meaning for our walk with Christ.

Will you consider joining us?

More Phone Troubles!!

As Charlie Brown was so prone to say, "GOOD GRIEF!!"

We recently experienced problems with the voicemail on the church phone, which is now resolved. And yesterday I was informed that my personal cell phone voicemail was no longer functioning.





My apologies to those who may have tried to reach me and received no reply. It was not intentional. I believe the voicemail is working now, so please don't hesitate to call if needed - either at the church, or via my personal cell phone.

Missionaries Dan and Emily Sheaffer - tonight

During this evening's prayer meeting, we will be privileged to hear from Dan and Emily Sheaffer, missionaries with FamilyLife, out of Little Rock, Arkansas. FamilyLife describes its mission as "Meeting the needs of marriages and families, one home at a time."

Join us at 6:30 PM as we hear about and pray for this important ministry.

VOM Regional Conference

I received the following email regarding the upcoming conference. Don't forget to register if you are planning on attending. The link for registering is in the email.

Greetings Brothers and Sisters!

We are excited to invite you to the Saturday October 16th VOM Regional Conference. The speakers will encourage and challenge you through testimony, God’s Word, and information that will stir and equip you for His eternal purposes.

Speakers include:

· Gracia Burnham - A militant Muslim group, the Abu Sayyaf, kidnapped Martin and Gracia Burnham, missionaries to the Philippines, on May 27, 2001. The Burnhams were in captivity for 376 days. During an eventual rescue attempt by the Philippine Army on June 7, 2002, Martin was killed and Gracia was wounded. Her story is told in the books “In the Presence of My Enemies” and “To Fly Again.”

· Pastor Steven Khoury is the youngest ordained Arab pastor in Israel and the Palestinian territories. Pastor Khoury currently writes articles for Al-Quds, the largest Arabic newspaper in the Holy Land. He also authored the book "Diplomatic Christianity: Standing in the Shadow of Tomorrow's Persecution."

· Getaneh Getaneh is a gentle man whose radiant face belies the horrors he experienced during the red terror of the Mengistu regime in Ethiopia. Arrested by the Communist authorities for preaching, he was tortured, denied food, water, and sleep for days during his imprisonment. He eventually escaped prison and fled the country.

· Mujahid El Masih from Pakistan was committed to Jihad until Jesus brought true peace. He became a pastor and watched one day as thousands opposed to the gospel destroyed his village. Today he lives in the U.S. and travels extensively opening people’s eyes to the truth of Islam and sharing his testimony

· Brad Konemann is the Youth Director for VOM Australia. He was part of Underground Reality: Vietnam and Underground Reality: Colombia. Brad heads up Thirteen Three – a youth initiative of VOM Australia committed to inspiring youth to live out Hebrews 13:3.

· Robert Brock has been on staff with The Voice of the Martyrs for over 15 years. He has met with and served our persecuted brothers and sisters in China, Sudan, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cuba, India, Myanmar, Laos, Bangladesh, Colombia and many other countries

· Worship and music will be lead by Amy Shreve.

Conference is Saturday October 16th from 9AM – 5PM.

Doors open at 8AM for registration, resource center (with books, DVDs, t-shirts, etc.), and prayer room.

Lunch is noon – 1:30 on your own at area restaurants. A map will be available at registration.

There is no cost to attend but an offering will be received.

There will be no childcare.

Host church and conference location:
The Chapel in Marlboro (located between Hartville and Alliance, OH)
8700 Edison St (State Rt. 619)
Louisville, OH 44641

REGISTRATION
To register, which is required, and for more information, visit www.vommeetings.com. You can also register by e-mailing mrose@vom-usa.org your name, phone number, and the number attending.


In His Service,
Matt Rose
The Voice of the Martyrs
Hebrews 13:3
www.persecution.com
www.vommeetings.com

Wonderful Weekend

The work week ( for many ) is winding down today, and we face yet another weekend at FBC! Opportunities to serve, worship, and fellowship with your brothers and sisters abound!

Saturday - 10 am - 1 pm - one of the last opportunities we will have to reach out to our Jerusalem at the Farmers Market. If you have not been part of this yet, this may be your last opportunity. ...ye shall be witnesses unto Me, in Jerusalem... (Acts 1:8)

Saturday - 10 am - 11:30 am - Setup and Serve at the Haven of Rest in Akron. ... We should remember the poor... ( Galatians 2:10)

Sunday - 9:30 - 10:15 am - Sunday School. Have you tried one of the new Classes yet? There's the "Branches" class for adults of all ages, meeting in the auditorium. There's the young adult and teens class, meeting in fellowship hall. And there is the FBC101 class, for new members, prospective members, and new believers. This class meets in the prayer room. Try one this week, if you haven't done so yet. Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together... (Acts 20:7 )

Sunday - 10:30 - 11:30 am - Worship Service, when we will be blessed to meet and hear from our missionaries to the Ivory Coast - Bob and Becky Mach.

Sunday - 11:45 - 1:00ish pm - Meet the Missionaries luncheon in Fellowship Hall.

What a wonderful weekend! I can't wait to see what God does with it!