East White Oak Bible Church • 11922 E. 2000 North Rd., Carlock, IL 61725 • 309-454-3833 • www.ewo.org

OOakakLEAFLEAFAUGUST 2011

VOL. 30 | NO. 4East White Oak Bible Church

ALL CHURCH PICNIC

ON NEPHEWS

Sunday, September 11 • Comlara Park • Worship Service 10:30 AM • Baptisms 11:45 AM • Lunch at Noon

I don’t know why, but I’ve been thinking about extended family lately, most particularly my nephews. The Bible does not say a “lot” (there is a pun here that adept folk will appreciate) about the relationship between uncles and nephews, but what it does say is challenging to me. In at least four instances in the Old Testament, uncles are portrayed as advisors and/or mentors to their nephews. The first such instance is between Abraham and Lot (and now you know the pun!). It seems that Abraham went out of his way to bless his nephew, even when Lot did not pos-sess the maturity to comprehend the blessing. Abraham took Lot with him when he left Haran for the promised land (Genesis 12:4). Imagine how much wisdom can be imparted (and gained) from such extended travel together. Abraham deferred to Lot

rather than create conflict when the success of both men caused trouble (Genesis 13:1-18). Then, when Lot ran into trouble, Abraham came to his defense and rescued him (Genesis 14, especially verses 11-16).

A second uncle/nephew relationship is not as kind and blessed. Laban both mentored his nephew Jacob and took advantage of him. The relationship between Laban and Jacob is compli-cated, and it teaches us that family relationships can be both complicated and used by God for purposes not seen at the moment. Of course, this relationship became even more complicated when Jacob married two of Laban’s daughters. Laban’s deception toward Jacob serves to teach the nephew more than he ever wanted to know about his own deception.

All regularly scheduled activities at East White Oak will be cancelled on September 11.

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Lunch and FellowshipSand Volleyball

Boating and Hayrack RidesMechanical Bull

Children’s InflatablesBluegrass music and more!

Comlara Park is located minutes from the church to the North.

Scott Boerckel, Senior Pastor

Join ushuge tent!

as we worship together as

Afternoon Activities Include

Maps & Directions at ewo.org

The King Family

one congregation under a

musical guests

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The third uncle/nephew relationship has enough in it to make us curious about knowing more. Saul had an uncle who was keenly interested in Saul’s comings and goings around the time that Saul was anointed king (see 1 Sam-uel 10:14-16). There is enough here to see a significant relationship, particularly in family business, but there is also enough to see that Saul was wary of telling his uncle everything he knew.

The fourth uncle/nephew relationship is between King David and his uncle (whose name was Jonathan, not to be confused with David’s friend of the same name). David’s uncle served the court as a counselor, a man of under-standing, and as a scribe (see 1 Chronicles 27:32). It seems that David trusted his uncle to give good advice and to take responsibility at court.

One significant New Testament uncle/nephew relation-ship is that between the Apostle Paul and his unnamed nephew (Acts 23:12-22). The regard that Paul’s nephew had for his uncle and the implicit trust that Paul had in his nephew is evident. Paul’s nephew risked his life for his uncle, and Paul put his own reputation on the line in send-ing his nephew to the Roman authorities.

I really like my own nephews. One is studying to be a dentist, but more importantly, he is bold for Christ on his campus. One is a cadet at the United States Military Acad-emy, but more importantly, he takes Christ into that arena. One is an accomplished violinist, but more importantly, his eagerness to serve Christ and others is a blessing to

all. One is a youth pastor, but more importantly, he is very conscious of “keeping watch over himself” (Acts 20:28) so that he can minister God’s truth to others. One is a missionary intern this summer in southeast Asia, but more importantly, he is the most amazing evangelist who is always ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope he has in Christ. One is very adept at fixing stuff (and at the business of selling stuff he fixes up), but more importantly, he wants humbly to serve Christ with his gifts. One is extremely gifted in many artful ways, whether it is music or writing or drawing, but more importantly he wants to use these gifts to encourage the body of Christ. One is a professional filmmaker and film edi-tor; another is an amazing athlete. I’m excited to see how each of my nephews will use their lives for Christ. Yep, I really like my nephews.

More than what they accomplish, however, I appreci-ate my nephews for who they are—how God wired them. I want them to know in success or failure, good times or bad, their uncle is in their corner. I will never have to launch out with an army astride camels to rescue one of them, but I do want to be an uncle like Abraham. They may never have to warn me that I’m about to get assassinated by the enemies of our Savior, but I think that they each would act like Paul’s nephew, if I ever got into such troubles.

As I look at the Bible’s view of extended family, the privilege and challenge comes to me to pray for my nephews, to do what I can to model a life of following Jesus Christ, and to mentor them with kindness and encouragement as the Lord gives me the opportu-nity to do so. May I encourage you to do the same with your extended family? Your influence for Christ extends further than you might imagine.

Someday, I’ll have to tell you about my nieces. So grateful for the family of God here at East White Oak!—Pastor Scott

ON NEPHEWS

“I want them to know in success or failure, good times or bad, their uncle is in their corner.”

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Kurt joined WMBD in 1987 He has served as the television voice for Illinois State men’s basketball since 1993 and the television football voice for the Redbirds since 1999.

A Bradley University Hall of Famer, Brian spent over 20 years in professional base-ball accumulating over 460 Major League appearances as a left-handed relief pitcher with six different teams.

Men’s Fraternity provides men with an encouraging process to teach them how to live lives of authentic manhood as modeled by Jesus Christ and directed by the Word of God. All men are welcome!

East White Oak Men’s Ministry

A table will be available to sign up and purchase books—more information coming soon!

All reservations must be received by Sunday, August 28. Stop by the Men’s Ministry table in the hallway, or contact Jeff Fritzen. (454-2186 | jfritzen@bopi.com)

per person$10

TUESDAYAUGUST 30

SPECIAL GUESTS

EAST WHITE OAK BIBLE CHURCH BANQUET ROOM

6:00 PM

PRICE INCLUDES STEAK, BAKED POTATO, CORN ON THE COB, SALAD, DRINK & DESSERTPLEASE PAY IN ADVANCE

WMBD-TVSports Director

Kurt Pegler

Former Major League Baseball Player

Brian ShouseMen, invite your

friends to join you for a great meal, fun, and

fellowship.

College/Single Adults

IGNITE IS CHANGING!Beginning Sunday, Aug. 28th Ignite will no longer meet during the 9:00am hour. Instead, we will share lunch together (free) after the second service in room 172, followed by a time of Bible study and discussion that will conclude around 2pm.

All college and single adults 18-29 are welcome.

NEW THIS FALL

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Wednesdays, beginning September 14Location: Jacob’s Well (304 Jersey, Normal)

5:45 AM: Coffee, Pastries, Fellowship6:00 AM: Men’s Fraternity Begins7:15 AM: Head to work

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Melvin, who was not injured even as his Joplin, Mo., house was heavily damaged, believes that experience was from an army of angels swooping down just ahead of the tornado to provide protec-tion.

It would be hard to ignore God’s hand in the May 22 twister. Think about it: 7,000 homes were de-stroyed as the tornado blazed a mile-wide swath through a third of this city of 50,000 people. With winds blowing at 200 mph, it moved a nine-story hospital off its foundation. Blocks of houses were ripped from their foundations; 14 miles of houses were damaged.

Yet just 159 people were killed by the storm.

Countless stories are being told about sites where nothing was left of a house but the part people were in — a closet, a bathroom.

Even three weeks after the storm, as my daughter, Carly, and I had a chance to volunteer in Joplin in mid-June, it was hard to look over miles of splin-tered debris and believe that the death toll could be so low. It’s a strong statement of God’s power.

As we neared Joplin that week, Carly played one song over and over: Laura Story’s “Blessings.” The song became the soundtrack for our Joplin experi-ence. Among its words:

“Cause what if Your blessings come through rain-drops?What if Your healing comes through tearsWhat if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near?What if trials of this life Are Your mercies in disguise?”

GOD’S MERCY INDISASTER

In the seconds before a massive tornado barreled into his home, Melvin — hunkered down in a back room — heard glass breaking all around him and felt an eerie rush of wind.

It was that curious contrast between the destruction all around us mingled with strong evidence of God at work that invigorated our faith.

As the city struggles to get back on its feet, churches across the country are partnering with Joplin churches to represent Christ to the people there. Grace Baptist Church, which itself was damaged by the tornado, immediately took a leading role in meeting needs. The church of about 200 people ad-opted a zone of 450 homes and committed itself to serving those residents.

Grace sent out teams of volunteers to pray with residents and find out about their needs. They have then worked to meet those needs, which have included covering holes in roofs, boarding up windows, moving debris to curbs, cutting down damaged trees and stump removal. The church also set up three semi-trailers in its parking lot filled with food, toiletries and clothes for those in need. It has served 20,000 meals to displaced residents and volunteers and completed 1,800 relief projects.

Grace’s sister church, First Baptist Church of Galena, Kan. (just eight miles away), has been housing volunteers. During the week we were there we worked with people from Arkansas, Texas, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina.

Volunteering invariably ends up feeling like a selfish pursuit as I realize how blessed I am by the experience. Among the blessings of serving in Joplin:

— Serving alongside so many who reinforce what it means to be part of the body of Christ, and making friends along the way. Sixty thousand volunteers have helped out in Joplin since the tornado hit.

— Being blessed by the positive outlook of people who have lost so much. With temperatures in the 90s every day, offers of water and Gatorade were a welcome and common boost to spirits. At one point while we were helping a man clean his yard for a couple of hours, a church group, the Salvation Army and the Red Cross all came by with offers of cold drinks.

— Realizing how blessed I am for the things I have, and being reminded what’s important. One man eating a meal at the church said he and his family were at his mother’s house in a nearby town when the tornado destroyed their apartment. They had no insurance. “I have nothing but my car and the shirt on my back,” he said.

— Realizing that so much of what I have isn’t a true need, and how unimportant “stuff” can be.

— Being reminded that life is fragile, and not to be wasted or taken for granted.

— Receiving the thanks of so many, even when our contribution was small. The people of Joplin are receptive to the Gospel. We walked 40 or so blocks canvassing neighborhoods without encountering anyone who refused an invitation to pray with them.

— A free tetanus shot.

God also has used volunteering opportunities to change hearts. One fellow volunteer, who came to Joplin as a jobless man from North Carolina, said through tears that working alongside Christian teams has changed him, and that he’ll “never be the same.” He said he may move to Joplin.

Chuck Blystone

Whole neighborhoods were leveled, and stripped trees are the only thing left of the horizon in some areas.

Carly Blystone helped move debris to the curb for pickup. The car was already there. Someone taped a “Cash for Clunkers” business card to the underbody of the car.

Crosses and flags are prevalent symbols of hope widely displayed amid the ruins.

Grace Baptist Church plans to send out teams of volunteers on into next summer. They also are looking for donations for sheds (storage is in great demand), cleaning supplies, diapers, etc. For more information on volunteering or donating, go to www.gracebaptistjoplin.com.

DO YOU WANT TO HELP?

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As we in our congregation watch and participate in Pastor Larry Van Gundy’s outreach ministries in the west side of Bloomington, we should encourage and support these efforts—seeking to follow the leading of our Lord.

Today, many of us may be more aware of our distant missions outreach efforts than we may be of our outreach in nearby areas. Through the years of the East White Oak fellowship, there have been several successful local outreach efforts to encourage us. As we remember them, let’s think about how we can sup-port the chuch’s current efforts in west Bloomington and other local outreach ministries.

Missions Sunday SchoolPerhaps our earliest local outreach efforts began when Pastor Peter Schantz (our first pastor) organized a “Missions Sunday School” in Normal. He moved there in 1910 to lead this group, which developed into the present Normal Mennonite Church. Some years later, East White Oak’s second pastor, Rev. Emanuel Troyer, moved to the Normal Mennonite Church as their pastor.

Radio MinistryIn 1934, the radio ministry outreach of our Pastor R.J. Zehr began over station WJBC on Sunday mornings.

Are you interested in serving the children of East White Oak? Come to room 173 to discover how you might become involved in this min-istry that is rich in spiritual blessings! Explore curriculum and hear about opportunities available to serve God and His children.

“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.” Isaiah 61:3

We need up-to-date information to help us minister to your chil-dren! We are asking that all children 2 years old (by August 31, 2001) through the 6th grade who attend Sunday morning programming complete a new registration form. To speed up your registration on August 21, you can download the registration form at ewo.org and fill it out at home!

Please drop off and pick up your 1st - 6th grader IN THE GYM on Sunday, September 4! Children will review their summer with the apostle Paul, par-ticipating in different challenges that show Paul as a Survivor in Christ who ran the race with perseverance and finished glorifying God!

Your child will “move-up” on September 18! In early September, look for a letter in the mail listing the program, time, room number and teacher that your child is as-signed to from September 18 through the end of May.

These broadcasts became daily in 1936 and continued until our Lord called him home in 1971. In those years, he came to be widely known as the area’s Radio Pastor.

Road RalliesAnnual Radio Rallies were major events at East White Oak in the mid 1930’s and early 1940’s— until World War II gasoline rationing, these rallies brought many visitors to hear well-known guest speakers, local community leaders, music and other ministries.

El Paso Church PlantIn recent times, a community Bible study group was orga-nized in El Paso by our then youth pastor/church planter, Wesley Ooms. In 1991, Pastor Wes became the full-time pastor of this daughter church in El Paso—Community Bible Fellowship.

Television MinistryDuring later years of Pastor Jeff VanGoethem’s ministries with us, our Sunday morning services were recorded and broadcast later in the day by a nearby TV station.

These are principal examples of our local outreach minis-tries through the years. Hopefully, awareness of these ear-lier local outreach efforts will encourage us to think about how we can be supportive of the current outreach to west Bloomington today.

A Look Back at OutreachEffortsHoward Frink

Exploring Children’s Ministry

Sunday Morning Fall Registration

Cruisin’ With Paul Summer Finale

Fall Sunday Morning Children’s Ministry ProgrammingSunday, August 14, 9:00 AM

Sunday, August 21, 10:30 AM

Sunday, August 21, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM

Sunday, September 4, 9:00 AM

Beginning Sunday, September 18

BIRTHSKinzie LeeAnnJuly 13Daughter of Dustin & Mendy Toland

Luke StevenJuly 14Son of Steve & Jessica Woods

Eli JamesJuly 22Son of Andy & Cari Wallgren

DEATHSSteve Marrochello’s step-fatherRichardJune 30

John Kauffman’s motherM. Loretta Kauffman-FunkJuly 6

Elayne Reveles’ grandfatherWilliam Harlan

Everence... Our church is part of the Mennonite Mutual Aid (MMA) fraternal benefit association, now known as Everence, which exists to supply grant monies to churches. East White Oak’s historic roots in the Anabaptist Movement provided this opportunity. Everence is a fraternal organization which invests funds and sells certain insurance and investment products. Fraternal organizations are required by law to supply grant monies to qualifying churches. Our relationship with Everence will make the church eligible for grant monies each year. Contact Linda McClure, church administrator, for information on any of these grant opportunities.

ACORN CHILDREN’S MINISTRY

Wednesdays, 6:15 - 8:00 PM Beginning September 713 weeks | For Ages 5-12

Open to the community!

For more information or to register your child for this ministry, go to ewo.org or contact Andrew & Kim Woodman (kkwood@gmail.com)

DC4K provides a safe, fun, place where your children will work through the healing process after separation and divorce. Children will learn to understand their feelings, express their emotions appropriately, develop coping skills, and discover hope through the power of Jesus. Dinner is provided. A $15 dona-tion is suggested. DC4K will meet at the same time as the adult DivorceCare program. Nursery is available.

WORDWomenof the

All of the women of East White Oak are invited to take a fresh look at God’s Word in this 100-day read-ing challenge. It features 100 readings (50 from the Old Testament and 50 from the New Testament) and presents the Bible as one story, in chronological order. Pick up a reading guide in the hallway or download a copy from our website!

The new Women’s Ministry brochure is headed to your mailbox! Check out our special events,

fall Bible studies and much more.

for more information about Women’s Ministry,

visit us onlineewo.org

Coming Soon!

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly...”Colossians 3:16

begins August 22TAKE THECHALLENGE

the new Reason # 32:Read the Oak Leaf in color.

ewo.org

more reasons than ever before to visit us online!

moms offering moms support

Childcare is provided!

$2 per child/wk

Please visit the Women’s Ministry page at ewo.org to

download a childcare registration form for

each child.

M.O.M.S. is a place where women come together and spend quality time learning, growing, and making new friends. Come for devotions, games,

Christ-like fellowship, food, and topics related to motherhood!

Mark your calendar!September 9 | 9:30 - 11:30 AM

Welcome!September 23 | 9:30 - 11:30 AM

Fun and FellowshipOctober 7 | 9:30 - 11:30 AM

Discipline From the Heart, Part 1