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No WNS
Over The
summer |
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Calling All K ids &
Teens! |
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Make sure
you check
out the pamphlets on the table in the foyer. There's a Rainbow Christian Camp
brochure waiting just for you!
Pick out the week you'd like to go,
make sure to let someone know, and we'll get you hooked
up! |
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Prayer
Chain |
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If
you would like to be a part of the email chain, make sure you
send us an email.
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So
Sorry |
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There will be no movie nights
and no Cornerstone Cafe until the projector is
fixed.
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Serving the Community through
Christ
May, 2008
Crafty Christians
Buffalo Christian Church
is starting its Craft Club again. The first meeting will
be Wednesday, May 21st at 9:30am at the church building.
Festival Day
On Sunday,
June 8th, Rainbow Christian Camp will be holding their 60th
Anniversary Celebration.
Starting at 3:00pm and
running until 8:00pm, the festival will hold all sorts of fun for
all ages: the climbing tower and zip-line, a hayride, a kids
carnival, face painting, cookie decorating, canoeing, kayaking,
basket making, and of course food eating! Someone will even be
taking Old Time Photos for anyone who's interested!
Check out the Jungle Huts and Tai Hut villages, meet their summer
missionary, and then stick around to hear a concert by "Our Hearts
Hero," which starts at 8:00pm.
The great part?
Admission is free! They will be taking donations should you
want to give, and all proceeds will go to help Rainbow Christian
Camp.
We're sure it will be tons of fun, and if you would like to go to the RCC Festival but
are too young to drive, just call the church
and leave a message on the
machine or shoot us an email. We'll try
to get a car pool together for anyone, young or
old, who would like to make an evening of it!
Youth Sunday
On Mothers Day (May 11th), the youth of
the church will be running the
service. That means that all our servers, our
preacher, and our music leader will be between junior high
and college age! What an exciting day for our church!
Ladies Banquet
On Tuesday,
May 13th at 6:00pm, we will be holding our annual Ladies Banquet
with DJ as entertainment. And if free food and great fun isn't
enough, you should come to see the men serve! It's nice to be
waited on, isn't it?
Since a caterer will be preparing the food,
make sure you sign up at
the Welcome Station or have someone else sign
up for you. We need to know what food to
have them prepare, and we hope to see you there!
Dart Ball
Members of the BCC Dart Ball Team deserve a
hearty round of applause in honor of their outstanding season.
45 Wins and 15 Losses
isn't a bad way to end the season...
...especially when the BCC
team walked away with
six
trophies!
Not to mention...
...First in the National
League
and
Second in the Tourney!
What a
year!
FlipFlop Summer
Hey, Glowsticks! We will still be holding meetings
over the summer, and we'd love to see you
there! Starting the first week in
June, the Glowsticks will be meeting every other
Wednesday at 7:00pm. Church ladies and Glowstick moms are welcome
to join us! In fact, we'd love to have you!
April, 2008
BCC Library
Yep, you read
that right; Buffalo Christian Church is trying to get together a
mini library! Exciting, huh? We think so.
Aaaaaaaand now you know why shelves have been sitting empty in the
old foyer by the restrooms. Yes, we knew they were there, and,
yes, we have a purpose for them.
What purpose, you
ask?
We want your old books!
And by
"old" we mean those you've already read, not your
original-copy Martin Luther passed down for the last umpteen
generations...which means we should probably
rephrase.
We want your USED books!
There. That's better. And we've all been there, haven't
we? You buy a book, read it, enjoy it, and think to yourself,
"That was a great book! But now what do I do with it?"
Then you stick it on a shelf, where it is doomed to a life of
neglect, never to be opened by you or anyone else ever again.
Oh! And you just have to dust around it and the others like it
for the next ten to twenty years.
Well, there's
hope...if they're Christian books anyway. BCC would like to
take your Christian books and make them available for the whole
church family. It's a bargain. You get it off your
shelves, we get it on our shelves, and your brother
or sister in Christ gets a chance to be inspired by some great
writing, just as you were! Plus, you get to check out a book
someone else donated! What a swap!
Did you
recently hear someone in Sunday School talking about a Halley's
Handbook, a Greek Lexicon, or a different version of the
Bible?
Or maybe you saw the BCC website and wished
you could find some of the books listed there?
Or
perhaps you think you'd really like to have your teenager reading
more uplifting books?
In the coming
months, as you donate your Christian books and we work to fill our
shelves, we hope to be able to help you. But here's what we
all need to do...donate! The more we share, the more there
will be to borrow!
So, check your shelves, see if
there are any Christian books, decide if you're going to read them
again any time soon, and if not, drop them off at the church.
There are a few stipulations, however. We
know, we know: rules, rules, rules; they're everywhere. Well,
here are ours for book donations. They have to be of a
Christian nature. Since Buffalo Christian Church will be
placing them on its shelves, that's kind of a given. We are
sorry, but we can't accept your old horror murder
mysteries.
They also need to be of a Christian nature, and, no, we're
not just repeating ourselves. They need to be something
a Christian church, like the one
here at Buffalo, would support. That means we
won't be able to accept books that clearly go against
the doctrine and practices endorsed here at Buffalo Christian Church.
If it promotes infant baptism, we
can't accept it. If its purpose is to outline the sinner's
prayer, we can't accept it. If it advocates the doctrine of
the tribulation or the thousand-year reign, we can't accept
it. If you have a question about why we can't accept these
things, contact our church office or one of the men in the
leadership, and we'll be happy to discuss it.
Thirdly, we would like donations to be newer, rather than older, and
in decent shape. This rule has a few exceptions, of
course. C.S. Lewis wrote fifty years ago, and his books still
sit prominently on store shelves today. But for the most part,
we'd like to try to get newer books. Often, authors build on
previous authors, and the newer the book, the more relative and
beneficial it is likely to be. For this reason, we would
strongly prefer (though we are not limiting you to) books that have
been published in the last ten-twenty years.
What do you do when you drop them off? Leave them in the
preacher's office. Don't know which office that is? Just
talk to the secretary or one of the men of the leadership, and
they'll be glad to point it out. But just so you know, stand
in the auditorium and face the double doors leading out to the
foyer. On your left you will see the A/V sound room. On
your right you will see a door leading to an office. This
office is where we'd like you to leave your books.
What happens if you donate a book BCC isn't able to accept?
Well, if you leave your name on a sticky note in the inside cover,
we'll make sure to return it to you. If there's no sticky
note, we will be forced to assume you don't want it back, and we
will have to donate it to an area public library. We would
prefer, however, to return the book, so make sure you place those
name sticky notes in the inside cover.
How do you
check out a book, once it's on the shelves? That part's
simple. Take the book you want, open to the back cover, pull
out the index card, write your name and the date borrowed, and drop
the card in the box on top of the shelves. When you return the
book, simply leave it in the return box on top of the shelves, and
someone will reshelve it for you. Simple, right? We
try.
How long can you keep it? We'd like to
say about two weeks. While we aren't going to hunt you down if
you hold onto it longer, keep in mind that other people may be
wanting to borrow it, too. If it's not there, they
can't.
There will also be a list of available books
posted by the shelves. If you see a book you'd like to borrow
but can't find it on the shelves, check the index card box under the
author's last name. Someone may have checked it out.
Still want it? Put your name and the book name on the "waiting
sheet" and we will try to contact you when the book is
returned.
We'd
really like this to work, and we're more than willing
to help you out. So, start donating and start reading!
Sunday School
Supplies
Thanks to our Sisters of Service and their
building inventory last month, Sunday School and WNS supplies have
now been organized and restocked.
Looking for
Crayons? Need more markers? Wish you could find paint,
notebook paper, pens, pencils, scissors, glue, tape, staples,
colored paper, or Bibles? Check the old junior high room in
the educational wing. (AKA: the long room in the hallway with
the murals.)
Take a peek at the supplies, and you'll
also see some more unusual items. We found musical
instruments, rubber stamps and ink, felt, tissue paper, colored
chalk, and stencils.
March, 2008
We Need Your Info!
Now that our website is up-to-date
again, we will be listing upcoming events on the "Coming Events"
page, as well as placing them in the monthly newsletter. For
this reason, we want to make sure our giant wall calendar in the
office is current.
This is where we need your
input. If you know of an upcoming event, please let the office
know. We can't announce it if we don't know
it!
That includes (but, of course, is not limited
to) WNS happenings, Glowsticks outings, Crusader field trips, music
specials, weddings, building bookings, graduation openhouses,
dinners, guest speakers, Bible studies, cancellations, blood drives,
and outreach collections. If you make sure the office knows
about it, we'll make sure to get the word out!
Office
Requests
The office is happy to help you
with whatever you need, and in order to keep the desk clear, we will
be leaving requested items in the bins on the wall by the
office door leading outside. This is where you will be
able to pick them up since we need to keep the desk space clear for
bulletin folders and money counters. Thanks!
Ladies Basic Bible
101
If you are like most of us, you've
probably forgotten a lot since those long-ago Journey Through the
Ages videos. Or maybe you're new to the Bible. Well, if
you also happen to be a lady, there's help. Every first and
third Monday, at 6pm, right before the regular Lumps of Clay Bible
study, we're holding a Basic Bible 101 class. The purpose is
to give those who are newer to the Bible that critical beginning
foundation and to offer a refresher for those who might have a
deeper Biblical understanding. It's never a bad thing to
re-study the Bible.
Home Studies
Buffalo Christian Church is
looking to get more home Bible studies up and running, but we need
your help. That's why we have three questions we'd like you to
answer.
1. Would you attend a home Bible
Study?
2. Would you be willing to host a home study at your
house?
3. Would you be willing to lead a home
study?
If you would be interested in
being a part of a home study in any capacity, let us know by
shooting us an email, leaving a message on the office answering
machine, or talking to the secretary.
It is
crucial that each and every one of us commits himself or herself to
growing in the knowledge of God's word.
Why Become A Master
Swordsman?
Ever read the beginning of
Genesis? You probably have, haven't you? Noticed
anything about the story of Eve and the "forbidden fruit"?
Well, you should. What should you notice? The dangers of
not knowing God's Word.
Slithering up in the guise
of a serpent, Satan casually asked the woman Eve, "So...God said you
couldn't eat the Garden fruit, huh?"
"No," Eve
answered. "We can eat any fruit we want, except the fruit of
the tree in the middle. Only that one's forbidden. God
said we can't eat it or touch it, or we'll die."
Satan must have smiled. "Oh,
re-e-a-ally. He said that, did He?
Well, you know what will actually happen if you eat
that fruit? You'll be just like God, and He doesn't want
that. That's why He told you that lie."
"Oh! He wasn't lying!" Eve exclaimed.
"No?" Satan probably slithered closer. "I think He
was. Touch it. Go on. Touch the fruit. I bet
you won't die."
Likely hesitating, Eve picked the
fruit. "Nothing happened!" she must have cried with
dismay.
"Of course not. I told you He was a
liar. He just doesn't want to share any of the glory.
You said yourself He commanded you not to touch it, and there you
have. Are you dead?"
"No."
"Then eat it. He was lying about touching it. He's
probably lying about eating it, too. Do it. Eat
it. Eat it and be a god, Eve."
And Eve
ate.
But notice. Genesis 2:16-17 tells the
explicit words of God. "From any tree of the garden you may
eat freely, but from the tree of knowledge of good and evil you
shall not eat, for in the day that you
eat from it you will surely die."
Satan knew there was no commandment against touching, and he used
Eve's ignorance against her. Satan knows the scriptures.
He tried to twist them when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness, but
Jesus was a better swordsman, and He drove Satan
away.
Ephesians tells us to pick up the Sword of the
Spirit and learn to wield it for a reason--because Satan learned to
wield it long ago, and if you don't want to fall by
it, you'd better learn to fight with
it. With a ruthless and merciless opponent, those are
the only choices.
Fight or fall. It's your
choice.
February, 2008
Mission Opportunity
Ever wanted to
go on a mission trip to another
country?
Now is your
chance!
As many of you know, the Dominican
Republic (homeland of Rafael Tirado) was hit this past year by
several strong tropical storms, leaving numerous dead and many
without homes. Rafael Tirado with H.O.P.E. Mission (an
outreach supported by our church) is planning a mission trip, set
for June 2008, to go back to the Dominican Republic to help with the
rebuilding.
Rafael welcomes all the help he can
get. If you would like to be a member of the team traveling to
the Dominican Republic, you are encouraged to contact Rafael or a
member of the H.O.P.E. Mission board.
If traveling
overseas isn't for you, there is still a way you can help.
H.O.P.E. is also collecting donations to be used toward the mission
trip and toward the rebuilding projects in the Dominican
Republic.
As always, they
thank you for your support and prayers!
rafael@hope-in.org
www.HOPE-in.org
David learns a lesson
(2 samuel
24 : 1 - 17)
King David was a man after God's own heart, but
just like the rest of us, David was also a man prone to
mistakes. What made David great, however, was his unchanging
devotion to God in spite of those mistakes, and his
ability to learn from those
mistakes.
The story of the census at the very end of
2 Samuel provides a good example. David, having won several
military battles, was feeling a bit arrogant. It is good to be
proud of our accomplishments, but David's pride was bordering on
vanity, and wanting to see just how "great" he really was, he
decided to take a census of his people.
The only
problem was that the people weren't his. The
law in Exodus (30:12) required that a ransom be offered to God any
time a census was taken. Why? Well, because the people
of Israel belonged ultimately to God.
David's
mistake was in taking credit for amassing this great kingdom and
forgetting that it was God who was the true
conqueror. Even Joab, commander of the army of Israel, tried
to warn David against this folly, but David insisted he wanted the
census taken, an act that would take over nine months to complete
(giving David ample time to say, "You know what? This isn't
right. Stop the census").
God was not
happy.
Verse one in the NIV Bible says that "the
anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he
incited David against them saying, "Go and take a census of
Israel and Judah.' " But 1 Chronicles 21:1 says
Satan moved David to take this count. So, who
was he? Well, the idea is that God allowed
Satan to tempt David, and because David gave in to the temptation,
God was displeased.
Instead of simply punishing
David for his arrogance, however, God provided a lesson and a chance
for the fallen David to redeem himself. "Choose," God said:
"Choose what punishment you are to receive."
1. Three years of famine.
2. Three months at
the hands of your enemies.
3. Three days of
plague.
Those were David's choices, and this time, David
showed wisdom. "I choose plague," he said.
You
see, David could have chosen option number one, but a need for food
would have put Israel at the mercy of neighboring kingdoms.
And as a king, it was unlikely that David himself would have gone
hungry. That heartache would have been reserved mainly for the
poor.
Choice number two also would have left Israel
at the mercy of neighboring kingdoms. Some would die in
battle, yes. But, yet again, it was unlikely that, as
king, David would have been one who suffered. That would
have been reserved for soldiers.
David's decision to choose option number three
showed wisdom. Plague would have put Israel directly at
the mercy of God Himself. Only God could
control disease. And since plague knows no status, no rank,
and no distinction between rich and poor, David stood as great a
chance of suffering as everyone else.
David's pride
caused him to sin.
What David learned...was
humility.
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