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LCF Connection Winter 2006 |
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“Thai people are known around the world for their gentleness and friendliness, which has given birth to Thailand’s nickname as “The Land of Smiles.” They place great value on meekness, tolerance and humility. Underneath this happy veneer, however, lie major social ills that Thais do not readily acknowledge… The identity of the Thai people is wrapped up in their culture, of which Buddhism is a major component. It is a common saying that “To be Thai is to be Buddhist.” This cultural-religious tie has given Thailand a reputation for being a “graveyard for missions” Christianity has had a presence in Thailand for almost 500 years…[but] to this day, work among the Thais has been slow” (p. 309). |
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Introduction to Thailand By: Tom Mast |
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What’s Happening in Small Groups? |
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Bob & Bettyjo Zachrich:
Our small group meets on Wednesday nights, at rotating homes of members about three times per month. We begin the evening with supper. The main dish being served by the host, with the sides and desert being brought by others. We have been studying Time Warped put out by MMA, in addition to an occasional movie night. Over the holidays we had a New Year's Eve party at the Helmuth's. We are also planning to do a service project involving the local soup kitchen. |
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Steve & Phyllis Swartz:
Our small group meets about three times a month, usually on Wednesday evenings. We are studying the concept of self-discipline in our Bible Studies and alternate with Bible studies using the Serendipity Bible. Particularly over the holidays we've enjoyed some informal times of fellowship which often include sharing/prayer. A shower for Phil and Lucy was planned for the church. We also planned and led the LCF Family Christmas. |
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Phil & Becky Hostetler:
Do you remember the 5 purposes that London Christian Fellowship is striving to pursue? Our group is trying to emphasize one of these purposes – worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship, and service – at each of our meetings. Phil’s family (a suggested name for the group) consists of 12 adults and 8 children. We have generally been meeting on Tuesday nights, but fulfilling the 5 purposes has required some flexibility in schedules. Some examples of our activities include: praise night and a night of giving gifts to Jesus (worship); handing out balloons at the London Old Fashioned Christmas and sending Christmas cards to prison inmates (evangelism); a wiener roast (fellowship); a book study entitled “Loving God” (discipleship); and helping with LCF’s Family Christmas brunch (service). If you have any ideas that fall under one of these purposes, please share them with Phil Hostetler – he’s listening. |
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Rob & Doris Swartz:
What is our small group? It is simply a place for open spiritual discussion. Our goal is to reach out to our friends and neighbors who have an interest in God. Currently we are about 3 weeks thru a seven week study and discussion about the life of Jesus from the Gospel of John. Our group consists of 14 children and 13 adults - including a prison guard, a Quest software engineer, a dental assistant, a secretary, a Wright Patterson employee, an OSU student, an employee of American Electric Power, several Moms at Home, etc. Our church backgrounds vary as much as our occupations – from Catholics to Presbyterians and from people who do not attend church anywhere to several who attend at LCF. The common thread among us is that we are all seeking to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God and the Bible. Our group is open to anyone interested in understanding God better whether or not they are a believer. We look forward to having many more fun times and invigorating Bible discussions, but most of all, to seeing lives changed because of Jesus! |
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LCF Vacation Bible School in 2007?
According to the American Religious Data Archives, 67% of the people living in Madison County are “unclaimed” by any church. That statistic represents many children who do not have the opportunity to regularly attend church.
As we continue to look for ways to connect with our community, one idea that keeps coming up is Vacation Bible School. It’s been a number of years since we’ve held one at LCF and the elders’ team would like to change that in 2007.
We are looking for individuals who enjoy working with children and who would be willing to help plan and organize a Vacation Bible School during the summer of 2007. We will need planners, teachers, and lots of helpers to make this a reality – what can you do to help? If you are interested in this ministry opportunity please talk to one of the pastors or elders. |
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Stats From Last Year
January to December 2005 · Average attendance: 96 · Average offering: $2146.80 |
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The Power of Personal Prayer: April 27-29, 2006
(From Rosedale Mennonite Missions) We all know that prayer is important – yet it can be difficult to experience the kind of regular, powerful and fulfilling prayer life that we know we should have. If you desire to grow in your understanding and practice of prayer, consider attending this conference. It is not intended only for seasoned intercessors – it’s for anyone who hungers for a deeper communication with God. Through Jonathan Graf’s teaching, worship, and times of corporate and individual prayer you will learn about and experience the power of a personal prayer life. The keynote speaker, Jonathan Graf, has been involved in prayer ministry both in the local church and in the International prayer movement since 1995. He is the founding editor of Pray! magazine, director of Prayer Mobilization for the Christian & Missionary Alliance, and a member of the Executive Committee of America’s National Day of Prayer. Graf writes “I have a strong heart for the average person in the pew. The believer who would love to have prayer be meaningful in his life, but struggles. The millions of believers who have never been discipled in prayer and therefore struggle.” Brochures are available at LCF and more information about the conference is available online at www.rosedalemennonitemissions.org.
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Trustees Meeting
The Trustees (the elders team and all ministry team leaders) met on January 8 to process the following items:
2006 LCF Budget: The Trustees approved the proposed budget presented by the finance team. At $120,000, it represents a 6% increase over the 2005 budget.
2005 Budget Surplus: We ended 2005 with a $? Surplus. The Trustees approved the finance team’s recommendation to give 20% to missions and put the remaining amount into our building fund.
Building Needs: Rob Swartz presented a recommendation from the elders’ team regarding expanding LCF’s facilities. The Trustees voted to seek congregational approval for expanding the church to a size that could accommodate 250 people and improve upon the current facility limitations.
Radio Tower: Ryan Freed presented a proposal for the construction of a radio translator tower on LCF property. The goal would be to expand the broadcasting capabilities of the Armory radio station (WCYC-LP). The Trustees asked Ryan to bring back more information and noted that current expansion discussions will need to be clarified before a decision is made.
Reorganization: The Trustees elected Keith Scheffel to serve as chairman and Bob Zachrich to serve as vice-chairman for one year terms. They also voted to have the church secretary (currently Doris Swartz) serve as recording secretary for the Trustees meetings.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, we welcome your feedback. |
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Upcoming Adult Discipleship Classes
Adult Discipleship Classes are held on Sunday mornings from 10:00-10:45. They are designed to help us to grow in our knowledge and understanding of God and His Word as well as real life issues. Here are some upcoming classes you won’t want to miss.
February 19 – April 9: “The Most Basic Christian Ideas” taught by Reuben Sairs · Who Is God? · What is a human being? · Who is Jesus? · Nothing too serious—just life and death. · How do we know what we know? · Do I have to go to Church? And other conversations planned and unplanned.
April 23 – May 28 Media Choices – taught by Ryan Freed Ladies’ Class – taught by various ladies, coordinated by Vicki Sairs |
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“We’re Starting A Building Project”
By Rob Swartz, Lead Pastor
The words “building project” in a church can cause a wide variety of thoughts and emotions depending on a person’s perspective. Some might like to dream about what it will be like. “What will it look like?” “What new opportunities for ministry might occur?” Others may worry about the cost. “How will we pay for it?” Some may have good memories of such projects in the past or bad memories. “Which will this be?” Caution may be another feeling of some. “Will our church draw together in unity or will we fight when faced with difficult decisions?”
All of these thoughts and feelings have some validity. What is it that we should be thinking as we approach this building project? Here are some ways I think God would want us to respond.
1. Be Excited! - I think that we ought to be excited. I sense a unity and commitment as a church to improving our ability to minister not only to those who currently attend, but to our community. It’s exciting to see how God has led us to this point. It’s exciting to feel led by God to the edge of something we don’t know exactly how it will happen. I believe we should be excited! 2. Be Cautious – It is also important for us to be cautious. Many good intentions and good purposes can become confused and distorted. Our purpose is to lead people into an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Our facilities are merely a tool used to accomplish this purpose. We cannot look for validation through the acquisition of better tools. With better tools comes more responsibility to use them faithfully in God’s work; to expand his kingdom. 3. Be Prayerful – Pray for continued unity as we move forward. Pray for wisdom as decisions are made. Pray that the project will not distract from current ministry needs. Pray that God would provide the resources we will need to complete the project. Pray that the new tools we acquire will be used effectively to expand the kingdom of God and that his name might be glorified through all we do.
I hope that you are excited about the opportunities which lie before us. I hope that you will keep in mind what this is all about. And I hope that you will commit yourself to prayer for this project and for the ministry of LCF. |
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Upcoming Events · · March 10—God’s Creative Kids at the church · March 18—Stewardship University, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. · March 26—“Millionaire?” Bible Trivia & meal · March 31—Ladies’ recipe exchange, meal and game night at Marsha’s, 6:00 p.m. · April 3 to 4—Elder’s Retreat · April 13—Maundy Thursday Service, 6:00 p.m. · April 16—Easter Service and Continental Breakfast, 10:00 a.m. · April 21—God’s Creative Kids · April 27 to 29—RMM Prayer Conference · April 28 to 29—Women of Faith Conference
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Inside this Issue
Intro to Thailand Small Group Updates Vacation Bible School Personal Prayer Stats Trustees Minutes “We’re Starting a Building Project” Upcoming Classes and Events |
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LCF members Tom and Candice Mast, along with their daughters, Claire and Eliza, are preparing to leave for Thailand in the fall of 2006. They will be joining a team from Rosedale Mennonite Missions and will work to start house churches and a missionary intern training center in the greater Bangkok region. Thailand is a country in Southeast Asia with a population of 65 million. The predominant religion is Buddhism and it is estimated that only .7% of the population is Christian. In the book Peoples of the Buddhist World, Paul Hattaway describes the Thai people and the difficulties that Christian missionaries have faced sharing the gospel in Thailand. |
