Significant Odds and Ends at Whitton Avenue
December 14, 2008
I want to use this space to highlight a few significant things going on at Whitton Avenue Bible Church, along with the other important announcements contained in this weekly e-mail:
Eldership
On Wednesday evening the elders, after much praying, seeking guidance from others, and sitting down with various brothers, presented Don Vander Giessen as an elder candidate to be voted on at our annual meeting on February 19th, 2009. Don has faithfully served as a shepherd and teacher to our Adult Sunday School class for the last year and loves the vision of Whitton Avenue Bible Church. We are excited about the complementary giftings that Don would bring to the elder board as well as his fresh, biblical perspective on church life. We plan to have a meeting where we can hear more from Don in mid-January and encourage you to get to know Don and Jacque in the upcoming months.
Church Finances
As we have mentioned a few times in the pulpit, we face a significant deficit in our finances as we come to the year’s end. Our spending is under budget, but giving has not been what we anticipated. We know that many cannot give beyond their current contributions, and we do not expect you to give beyond your ability. But as we come to the end of the year, we encourage you to give generously as we seek to glorify God by reaching up, in, and out.
Reading Through the Bible
Last week I wrote about our desire to read through the Bible together as a church in 2009. We will be using the Book-at-a-Time Bible Reading Plan [http://www.navpress.com/uploadedFiles/BRP2.pdf] from Discipleship Journal (though there are plenty of other plans that are well worth using). If you plan to join us in reading through the Bible in 2009, please let us know by e-mailing Gabe [gabe@whittonavenue.org]. We want to encourage you as you embark on this endeavor and even give you opportunities to share what God is teaching you through his word with the broader church family.
Blessing the Needy in our Neighborhood
You may have noticed two bins in the foyer for collecting dry and canned goods. Those are the result of a handful of ladies from the Tuesday morning Bible study whose love for God and neighbor led them to do something about the need in our immediate neighborhood. God willing, next week we will be taking those donated foods to Larry C. Kennedy school where they will be distributed to the neediest families in our neighborhood. This is an exciting way to further our relationship with the school, as I have met with the principal a few times and expressed our desire to work with them to be a blessing to our neighborhood. Due to the closing school term, this Sunday will be the last week to bring canned and dry goods for this distribution, so please make that part of your shopping between now and Sunday morning.
In all of these areas, may God be displayed as glorious as we reach up in worship, reach in to equip the saints, and reach out with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Pastor Chris