August 24, 2022

•  Jim Blue: “Dear Lord, I pray that each day you will help me to continue my faith and renew my strength in your purpose for me. Amen.”

•  Debbie Cole: “Update on my brother-in-law, Alan Beach: Jamie and I are in VA helping support my sister. Alan continues intensive rehab and has regained his mental abilities for the most part. Still struggling with mobility problems. Thanks for continued prayers on their behalf and also for Jamie and me, as we travel back home next week.” (Cards may be sent to Alan and Joni Beach, 410 Wisteria Dr., Radford, VA 24141.)

•  Lisa Cooper: “Please pray for my Aunt Bonna Whitten for relief of pain.”

•  Ron Graham: “Prayers for peace and comfort for a co-worker whose wife passed away on Friday.”

•  Mike Hammond: “Pray for my grandma, Kaye. She has carotid surgery on Wednesday the 24^th.”

•  Carol Kuhn: “Please continue to pray for Bill as he will undergo a cardiac catheterization on Tuesday. He is currently recovering from last week’s insertation of a pacemaker. We are so grateful for those who are praying for him.” (Update: Bill is doing well after having 1 stent inserted Tuesday for an 80% blocked artery.)

•  John Kuhn Family: “Please continue to pray for grandpa (Bill Kuhn) as he recovers from having a pacemaker put in this past Wednesday. Also please pray for Leslie and Jason Waltz and their family in the untimely death of their son, Valiante.”

•  Nance Family: “Prayers for Hector Cortez (husband of Rachel, David Nance's niece). Hector has multiple myeloma (a blood cancer). Aggressive radiation and chemotherapy treatments were to begin Friday, August 19^th. Prayers and cards are welcome (but no calls, emails, or texts please). The address for cards is: 1921 Spring Hill Road, Knoxville, TN 37914.”

•  Please pray for Tina Palmer’s father, Rodney Ellis. He had brain surgery Monday, August 22^nd.

•  Update on Regina Ralston: “Regina will start new treatment next week in Atlanta and our prayer is that it will at least shrink the tumor that has developed on her upper leg to relieve some of the pain. It is very painful for her. She has other cancer spots on the outside of her leg above the amputation and is all over the inside of her body as well. Continued prayer for peace, healing and pain relief are greatly appreciated and strength for Russell as he cares for her.”

•  Jessica Rikard: “Please pray for my mom, Brenda Rikard. She has several health issues and is now sick. Pray for fast healing! Thank you!”

•  Donna Roshell: “Robert has been moved to a rehab facility. Please keep him and my sister, Kelly, in prayer.”

•  Brandon and Rachel Sherrill: “My dad, Steve Lamb, fell and hurt his back while working in Kentucky. Please pray for his healing and the pain to go away. Also, please remember to keep the families in Eastern Kentucky in your prayers. Many communities lost everything they had and loved ones in the floods earlier this month.”

•  Unknown: “Continued healing for Bill Kuhn.”

•  Mothers-In-Waiting: Karin Bell (11/3), Marjie Nance (1/2/23), and Kat Nambo (2/2023).

•  Our Shut-ins: Amelia Biser, Jamie Cole, Bill Kuhn, Ted Moore, Mary Etta Neiland, Fritz Nelson, Sheril Townsley, and Trenise Washington

•  Our Missionaries: Denisovs & Rahimovs (Tomsk, Russia), Kishore Etwaroo Family (Port Kaituma, Guyana), Carlos & Linda Eguizabal (Juayua & Salcoatitan, El Salvador) & YOU (Huntsville Area)

SYMPATHY

Our sympathy is extended to the family of our sweet sister, Dawn Long, who passed away Monday morning, August 22^nd. Her visitation will be Friday, August 26^th, from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. followed by her funeral at the Hazel Green Funeral Home. Please continue to keep Mike in your prayers.

THANK YOU

Thank you for all the prayers and cards for Karen’s mother who had a mild stroke 2 weeks ago. She has recovered very well and is heading back to her home today (Sunday, August 21).

Steve and Karen Lowery

Thank you for your prayers for Joshua. He received dialysis and is home doing much better. If you would like to send my son some encouragement, I know it would lift his spirits. Please send to: Joshua Claspille, 6301 N. Lindberg Blvd. Lot 38, Hazelwood, MO 63042.        Jim and Tracy Phillips

IT’S A BOY

JOIN US FOR A BABY SHOWER

HONORING

Garrett and Karin Bell

Sunday, September 11

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Central Church of Christ

Family Life Center

Registered at: Amazon & Target

“Bring any size diapers to enter diaper raffle.”

TUESDAY A.M. WOMEN'S STUDY

Join our ladies Tuesday, September 6, 10:00 AM, to meet the author of the book we studied last semester, Human AND Holy! Michelle J. Goff is also the founder of Iron Rose Sister Ministries (IronRoseSister.com), a women's ministry resource that equips women to connect to God and one another more deeply in English, Spanish, and now Portuguese! She will be traveling on her way to their first English/Portuguese bilingual event in South Florida, but looks forward to sharing birthday cake after a lesson and a few "God stories" on September 6^th as the ministry celebrates its 10^th Year Tour! 

WEDNESDAY ADULT GATHERINGS (7:00 PM)

Summer Term: June 15 through August 24

1.   Designed for Happiness – The Beatitudes: An Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) (Family Life Center; Teacher: Allen Wright)

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86363371603?pwd=cjM1bmFxZ0kyTU5SR1VQUlN2QlpOZz09

Please Note: This class is being recorded. You can access it by going to the centralfamily.org website and it will be under the "Media" tab.

2.   Practicing Personal Bible Study (Library; Facilitator: Gregg Rigney)

3.   Overflow Praise and Worship Gathering (Room 200; Coordinators: Daniel Alavi, Gerry Binford, and Rodney Keeton)

SUNDAY ADULT CLASS OPTIONS (9:00 AM)

Summer Term: June 26 through August 28

1.   Spiritual Vision for Life (Family Life Center)

2.   Women’s Ministry (Library; Coordinators: Sue Underwood and Kim Story)

SUNDAY ADULT CLASS ON SEPTEMBER 4 (9:00 AM)

During Sunday class time in the Family Life Center, Robert Wade will be teaching on “Into and Out of Egypt: From Joseph Through the Golden Calf.” The Bible accounts explored in this lesson (Genesis 37 through Exodus 34) will provide context for small-group classes that are planned for the weeks that follow. The women’s ministry group will continue to meet in the Library.

SUNDAY MORNING ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 4 (10:15 A.M.)

Sunday morning, September 4^th, Jameson Sarratt will be sharing about his life after dying to self and living for God. Jameson is a graduate of His Way and is currently a student of ministry at Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN. Hope you will be able to come and hear his moving testimony.

SUNDAY ASSEMBLY (10:15 AM)

“Spiritual Vision for Life”: June 26 through August 28

As Christians, we are called to “live by faith, not by sight” and to “regard no one from a worldly point of view” (2 Corinthians 5:7, 16). So, do we see things the way the world sees them, or do we see things from a spiritual point of view? In this series, speakers will present lessons on several topics to help us think spiritually and see spiritually.

Week	Date	Topic	Speaker
10	August 28	Spiritual Vision for Our Total Life	Tom Reynolds

NEW SERIES TITLE: THE CHARACTER OF GOD – BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 11^TH

If you’ve ever tried to describe what God is like, it can be difficult or even daunting. What do you say? Where do you start? What will you include or exclude in your answer?

When the people who wrote the Bible pondered the mystery of God, they consistently described God’s character in this way: “YHWH, YHWH, (that’s God’s name) a God who is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with loyal love and faithfulness.”

First introduced in Exodus 34, this description of God is repeated over twenty times in the Old Testament! The goal of this series is to explore and understand the nature (or character) of God as depicted in this powerful and repeated statement. For 8 weeks (September 11 – October 30), we’ll unpack how each of those characteristics not only shape the story of the scriptures but also the story of our lives.

Story of Ukrainian Family the West Family Housed and Missionary Help

Jamie Burns has been keeping up some with Robert West (former member).

I promised a little information regarding the Ukrainians that have come through Bratislava. Here is a very condensed version. Feel free to share it with anyone you like at Central.

For four months, we had the opportunity to house a mother and her teenage daughter in our home. They are from the Sumy region, near the Russian border. They were very grateful and positive and became permanent members of our congregation. Tanya, the mother, and Dasha, the daughter, had left their husband/father Sergey with his parents in a small town in that region and for a while, we were concerned that he would not receive much needed medications and care for diabetes. There was also a concern regarding Dasha's schooling. She, nearing the end of high school, a master of the saxophone, had planned to go to Kyiv for music school, but now, the war had thrown those plans out the window and her father couldn't continue his work as a truck driver.

It seemed rather hopeless, but they were very grateful for a place to stay and always seemed to give more than they were taking, whether it be nice gifts to our little boy, William, or cleaning around the house. Eventually, two great opportunities came. I know a concert pianist in Bratislava from Vietnam. He's played for us a few times at our church Christmas parties. I contacted him regarding Dasha, he took her to a concert and to the university, and now she is a full-time enrolled student, already playing in concerts. We saw her play last month at a concert in a park in Bratislava. It seemed quite clear that this was not without God's guidance and care for this family.

Also, there is a nice restaurant near us. We really like the food there and thought, 'why not see if they would be willing to take, Tanya as an order there?" We tried, and they took her! It was great, because Tanya would take food home every day, and sometimes we would all just eat the food she got for dinner.

We miss having them in our home, despite the difficulties of having another small family living with you. Today, Dasha is continuing in the school and staying at the apartment of another member of our congregation. The father eventually found his way out of Ukraine because of his medical condition and is currently driving through German and Poland with an occasional visit here. The mother is currently with him. So, we ask for prayers for them to find some solution for all of them to be together. Also, Tanya's brother has been called into military service.

Our little church of only tens of people also housed other Ukrainians. One college-aged girl and her brother were of great benefit to the church's work, especially to our Slovak preacher/missionary/ pastor, who, with his American wife, taught Slovak courses for Ukrainians and provided them food.

I could tell more, but you don't have so much time, I would guess. But that's the jest of it.

I also had a request and was wondering if Central of some individuals could help. There is an American-Polish couple who have moved to Huntsville only a month and a half ago. They served the church in Poland for just over a decade. The American wife's father is an elder at the Farley congregation in North Huntsville, and they are in fairly desperate need of support financially, legally, and educationally. The husband will have to leave the US in December, as I understand it, unless they can get all their documentation together (due to a complicated history) in order for him to stay. They have three kids, whom they want to home school.

May I pass his email, or rather, your email on to him? (See cells and emails below.)

I miss you all and the Central Family.

Thanks for your interest. I give my warmest regards to Jan and the kids.

Robert

The husband is (256) 791-0529 (Lukash) and his wife (256) 791 0528

Their emails are  lukasz.kondracki1(-at-)gmail.com and Nicole.Kondracki(-at-)gmail.com

COLLEGE – Friday Night Live

There is a sign-up list posted in the kitchen for those who would like to prepare food for our Campus Ministry’s FNL. If your family or LIFE Talk is preparing the meal for any of the weeks, they invite you to join them for the entire evening if you can and get to know our college students.

COMMUNION PREPARATION NEEDS HELP

If you could prepare the communion for one of these months (October, November, or December), please sign the list in the kitchen. Contact Jim Phillips for more information.

CONGRATULATIONS

Our congratulations to Herb and Sue Underwood, who will be celebrated their 68^th wedding anniversary Wednesday, August 17^th. Thank you for your example to all of us.

MEN TO SERVE – AUGUST

Chair Set-Up – Garrett Bell’s Team

Counting – Matt McCauley’s Team

Ushering – Ryan Bell’s Team

MEN TO SERVE – SEPTEMBER

Chair Set-Up – Tony Callins’ Team

Counting – Alan Moore’s Team

Ushering – James Ryans’ Team

ACTIVITIES

Aug	26	College – FNL (6:30 pm)
	31	Elementary Summer Program Presentation (7:00 pm See article.)
Sept	2	College – FNL (6:30 pm)
	9	College – FNL (6:30 pm)
	11	Baby Boy Shower Honoring Garrett and Karin Bell (2:00-3:30 pm See invitation.)
Sept	23	College – FNL (6:30 pm)
	30	College – FNL (6:30 pm)
Oct	14-16	College Retreat
	21-23	Teen Retreat