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MANTENO CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE
Love God • Journey Together • Serve Others
Volume 20 – Issue 11 – November 14
From the Pastor’s Keyboard
Psalm 114
1When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, 2Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 3The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back 4the mountains leaped like rams,the hills like lambs 5Why was it, sea, that you fled?Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs. 7Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord,at the presence of the God of Jacob 8who turned the rock into a pool,the hard rock into springs of water.
Most of us have experienced situations in life where we could have helped if we had just known in time that there is [was] a need or a problem. A child is sick but you don’t know anything is wrong until there is a huge mess in the back seat of the car. The car breaks down and the teenager mentions that it has been making weird noises for a few weeks. The list is endless, things that could have been avoided, or situations where damage could have been minimized, if someone would have just shared some information.
In 1997 Manteno Church of the Nazarene stepped out in faith to build a family life center and remodeled our sanctuary. At that time, we asked everyone who called MCN their home to make pledges to help pay for the construction. Those pledges were for three years and made it possible to complete the project. We have all been blessed by the facilities provided. In 2007, we again stepped out in faith and built the children’s wing and added the hallway connecting it to the lobby and FLC. Again, this has been a blessing and made ministry to children even more effective.
The reason for the background is to make everyone in our church aware of the financial need we face every month to meet our obligations for the facilities we enjoy. LeAnn and I made the same commitments we asked others to make and when the three years were up, along with several others, we continued to give beyond our tithe to help pay off the building. The tithe we bring to God is our first priority. None of us has really given until the tithe is brought into the store house. Malachi 3: 10Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, That there may be food in My house, And try Me now in this,” Says the Lord of hosts,“ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven And pour out for you such blessing That there will not be room enough to receive it. (NKJV)
Our church has grown, and so has our ministry staff. It became necessary to add custodial support, as well. In order to keep up with the financial needs of our church, we need to revisit our commitment to reduce the debt on our building. I am asking everyone who benefits from the facilities we enjoy every day to prayerfully consider giving beyond the tithe for Debt Reduction.
Continued on the back…
From the Pastor’s Keyboard Continued.
We currently owe $2,000,000 on our facilities. Our board has aggressively found lower interest rates to make it possible for us to make the same payment and yet make greater gains on the principal of our mortgage. Our staff is constantly thinking of ways to carry out their ministry with
as little cost to the church as possible. Nevertheless, the real answer to this challenge is sacrificial giving and a healthy growing church.
We are not in a crisis but we do have a pressing need to accelerate reducing our debt. Please pray about how you can be part of meeting this need. The first step for some will be embracing the concept of tithing. For some it may be giving beyond tithing for debt reduction. The same God who brought his people out of the slavery of Egypt will meet our needs as well.
Pastor Jack
Sunday School Ministries
- Tim VanSwol, S.S. Director
The mind is an amazing thing. Recently, my 5th grade son started beginner band, and he ended up playing the baritone, just like “dear old Dad”. I hadn’t played for about 25 years, but just for fun, when he brought the instrument home, I thought I’d give it a try. Surprisingly, I was able to play a scale just as I had thousands of times in the past. How could this be?
This incident made me think of a story that I had once heard about Captain James E. Ray of the U.S. Air Force. Captain Ray had been held as a P.O.W. in Vietnam at the infamous Hanoi Hilton. He recalled a day when a prisoner in the cell next to him asked him if he knew any bible verses. At first he could only recall The Lord’s Prayer, and some of the 23rd Psalm. Soon, he and other prisoners were digging deep into the archives of their minds and recalling scriptures that they hadn’t thought of in years. Over the next several months the prisoners in that camp were able to collectively share and memorize the Sermon on the Mount, Romans 12, First Corinthians 13, and many of the Psalms. These scriptures became rays of light and constant assurances of God’s love and care in circumstances that no human should have to endure.
We are likely aware of the importance of memorizing and meditating on scripture, yet we often relegate this to a practice that takes place in primary grade Sunday school classes. When we immerse ourselves in God’s Word through memorization and meditation, we equip ourselves with the tools necessary to succeed spiritually in a world full of obstacles.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Perhaps you have not spent time memorizing scripture for a long time, or maybe you never have. I urge you to consider taking on the challenge of memorizing some bible verses. Aim for one verse every week or two, and soon you will be recognizing scriptural references and applying them to your life regularly.
NAZARENE MISSIONS
INTERNATIONAL (NMI)
– Ricia Harders President
November Emphasis – Thanksgiving Offering for World Evangelism Fund
1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;his love endures forever.2Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story—those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, 3those he gathered from the lands,from east and west, from north and south. 4Some wandered in desert wastelands,finding no way to a city where they could settle. 5They were hungry and thirsty, and their lives ebbed away. 6Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 7He led them by a straight way to a city where they could settle. 8Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing loveand his wonderful deeds for mankind, 9for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.
International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church
Regard prisoners as if you were in prison with them. Look on victims of abuse as if what happened to them had happened to you. Hebrews 13:3 (MSG)
The International Day of Prayer (IDOP) is always the second Sunday of November (as determined by World Evangelical Fellowship, who started IDOP).
November 9, 2014
Nazarene Missions International (NMI) encourages Nazarenes to join Christians around the world in prayer on November 9, 2014. The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) provides opportunity for Christians worldwide to focus on those suffering for their Christian faith.
Pray for Persecuted Christians
View the latest prayer request for those being persecuted. On www.opendoorsusa.org/pray you will findspecific and different ways that you can pray. Day by Day, Weekly Prayer Alert, and Monthly Prayer Calendar.
November
3 / Alice Ferren / 11 / Ann Burton / 20 / Grace Adams3 / Mark Posing / 11 / Evan Brown / 21 / Aubrey Parker
5 / Scott Sargent / 13 / Terri Baldwin / 22 / Madison Snoreck
6 / Micaela Leavitt / 17 / Teddie Hill / 25 / Rich VanPelt
19 / Renee Schultz / 30 / Liz Knol
9 / Glenn and Rebecca Blanton
13 / Tim and Tara Boudreau
21 / Scott and Shelly Sargent
27 / Mark and Glenda Posing
28 / Allen and Jennifer Spangler
Dear Manteno Church Family,
Tom and I want to thank you for the cash gifts for our special days in August and September. It helped us with our travel expenses to Alaska in August. Seeing our family there was a wonderful blessing. We’re thankful for the Manteno Church who happens to be our LINKS family at the moment, too.
Tom and Lauralee Nothstine
The Staff would like to give a big THANK YOU to our church family for the many cards of appreciation
You have sent to encourage us. We are so grateful for your thoughtfulness and generosity to us. We count it a privilege to serve the Lord and you here at the Manteno Church of the Nazarene.
Jack, Susan, Ken, Sara
All services on Wednesday, November 26, at the church are cancelled. The church office is closed on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day and Friday, November 28.
Annual Cookie Sale
Saturday, December 6
The annual cookie sale is a fundraiser activity for our Women’s Ministry that provides the means for the organization to function. Each woman is asked to bring up to 10 dozen homemade cookies to the church kitchen on Friday, December 5, by 5 p.m. These delicious and festive cookies are placed on platters and sold the next day at the sale.
Chicago Central District
Annual Prime Time
Thanksgiving Banquet
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
11:00 – 1:00 PM
Manteno Church of the Nazarene
698 North Locust
Manteno, IL. 60950
Inspirational Service @ 11:00am
Banquet @ 12:00 pm
Guest Speaker; Dr. Larry McKain, CCD DS Cost: $13 per person
Music: Ms. Ali Deckard Please Register by Thursday Nov. 6
Checks payable to Chicago Central District
Register with: Charlie Rohrbaugh
93 S. Lillie St., Kankakee, IL. 60901
Hosted by CCD (SDMI) Sunday
Manteno Senior Citizens
“HARVEST DINNER”
Thursday, November 20
5:30 p.m.
At Manteno Nazarene Church
Please call 468-8946 to make reservations by November 18th.
How to Pack a Shoe Box
Operation Christmas Child
November 9, 2014
1. SHOE BOX
Use an empty shoebox (standard size, please) or a small plastic container. You can wrap the box (lid separately), but wrapping is not required. Most importantly, pray for the child who will receive your gift.
2. BOY OR GIRL?
Determine whether your gift will be for a boy or a girl, and the child’s age category: 2-4, 5-9, or 10-14. Labels are on the Welcome Center in the church foyer. Mark the correct age category on the label, and tape the label to the top of your box.
3. FILL WITH GIFTS
Fill the box with a variety of gifts that will bring delight to a child.Gift ideas are on the brochure with the labels.
4. INCLUDE YOUR DONATION
Please donate $7 or more for each shoebox you prepare to help cover shipping and other project costs. You can give online by using our EZGIVE option, or you can write a check to Samaritan’s Purse (note “OCC” on memo line) and place it in an envelope on top of the gift items inside your box. If you or your family is preparing more than one shoebox, please make one combined donation. Forms are located on the Welcome Center in the church foyer.
5. DROP OFF
Place a rubber band around each closed shoebox and bring it to church by Sunday, November 9th. If you miss this date, you can take it to the First Baptist Church, 300 East Third, Manteno, IL. by November 12th.
Basketball/Cheerleading
Children’s Sports Ministry
Upward Sports is a first-class sports experience that emphasizes healthy competition, sportsmanship, skills building and fun versus the “win-at-all-costs” mentality found in many children’s sports leagues. If you have any questions or to volunteer to help, please contact Lance Kilpatrick at or Pastor Sara at 815-468-8946.
ü Online Registration is OPEN http://mantenonazarene.org/
ü Boys and Girls K-5th grade
ü Cost: $60.00 per player or cheerleader, after December 1st - $75.00
ü Evaluations & Orientations: Everyone must attend our basketball evaluation or cheerleading orientation on Saturday, December 6th, 9 a.m. – Noon
ü Practices begin the week of January 12th
ü 1 game each week beginning January 31st
ü 8 games at player’s grade level
ü Awards Night on March 28th, 6 p.m.
I love the month of November! Thanksgiving is approaching and it reminds of the traditions we had growing up. As a kid, I was fortunate to have two Thanksgivings in one day each year. We would go to my dad’s side for lunch, and then to my mom’s side for dinner. While it was a lot of food, it was a great time of fellowship with all of my family.