July 2018

Our Vision: Building Christian lives on a firm foundation.

Our Mission: Grow in Jesus Christ ~ Encourage the Discouraged

Magnify the Lord ~ Seek the Lost M

ain

Str

eet M

ess

eng

er

MA

IN

S

TR

EE

T

C

HR

IS

TI

AN

C

HU

RC

H

Bishop Bytes 2

Church Calendar 3

Birthdays & Anniversaries 3

S.A.M. Group 4

Women’s Ministry 6

Youth Update 5

Missions News 7

Inside this issue:

VOLUME XXXI I I , ISSUE 7

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

We have started recruiting teachers for the children’s classes for the next Sunday School year that begins September 2, 2018. Promotion Sunday for the children will be August 26, 2018, which will take place in their classes.

See you in Sunday School, Connie and Jo Ella Maugans

MEN’S MINISTRY BREAKFAST

The monthly Men’s Ministry Breakfast will meet on Satur-day, July 7, at 8:00am, in the Fellowship Building. This is open to men of all ages. Invite your friends and neighbors for this time of food and fellowship.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

The church office will be closed on Wednesday, July 4, in honor of Independence Day. Regular office hours will resume on Thursday, July 5.

TF3 MID-WEEK STUDY

The TF3 mid-week study, CIA, will resume on Wednesday, July 11, at 6:30pm. They will meet in Ryan & Carrie’s home.

BISHOP BYTES

Page 2 VOLUME XXXI I I , ISSUE 7

Ok, I’ll admit it. I like sushi. I’m not saying that I would choose it over a well-seasoned and cooked piece of salmon, but I have been known to enjoy a good piece of sushi. I know that for many people reading this article, sushi does not have a great ap-peal. Maybe, like many, you cannot get past the thought of eating raw fish.

In the book of Acts we read that the Christians were “selling their possessions and goods,” and that “they gave to anyone as he had need” (see 2:43). We don’t have to look very hard to find countless individuals in need today. Many are sitting in pews every Sunday. They are in need of help for various reasons. There are a lot of churches doing what they can to meet the needs of those in their com-munities. Many individuals are given handouts eve-ry week. The question becomes can we do more? Instead of handouts, can we learn to give them a hand-up?

We all know the ancient Chinese Proverb, “Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a life-time.” (That is if he likes sushi, otherwise you have to also teach him how to cook.) Many individuals have been given a lot of fishing lessons only to see the fish that they’ve caught pile up on the banks. They don’t know how to clean and cook the fish (and have had more than their fill of sushi).

I went to a meeting last month that helped me un-derstand that this process of teaching those in need is a much bigger problem than I would have imag-ined. Hand-outs (giving them fish) are helpful but only if they are short lived and not continually re-peated. Hand-ups (teaching them to fish) can be life changing but only when the teaching process is fol-lowed through to completion. We cannot assume that just because we taught them how to fish that they will know how to clean and cook the fish.

God says, “There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.” In the book, The Externally Focused Church, Rick Rusaw writes, “But must they always be the same poor? Yes, there will al-ways be poor in the land – a steady influx of immi-grants and people who have suffered financial re-versals because of tragedy or downturns in the economy. But the church, through mercy and jus-tice, can help to ensure that these people don’t stay poor.”

Accomplishing this task happens when we, God’s people, come alongside one another making sure that all mankind knows how to fish, clean and cook. The Christians in Jerusalem took on this challenge making a tremendous impact in both their community and God’s Kingdom. An impact that has made a difference in our lives still today. The question facing the church today is, if the church left town would anybody notice? How would the town feel? Would they weep? Would anybody care? Or would they just keep eating su-shi?

Pastor Steve

1 2 3 4 OFFICE CLOSED

5

Ladies Aid

12:30pm

6 7

Men’s Ministry Breakfast 8am

8 9

Board Meeting

6:30pm

10

Prime Time Dinner 5:30pm

11

Bus Ministry 9:30am

AKA Swim Party 12pm

CIA 6:30pm

12 13 14

SAM Outing

10:30am

15 Newsletter Deadline

16 17 18

19

20 21

22 23 24

SAM Table Games Night 6pm

25

TF3 Swim Party

12pm

CIA 6:30pm

26 27 28

Western Buddy Bags Golf Outing

29 30 31

3 Maryellyn Harlow 20 Hannah Mooney

Bob & Joyce Mendenhall Dennis & Julie Carter 4 Michele Hunt 23 John & Carol Hurst 5 Larry Hyman Joe & Judy Scott Shad Smith 24 Susan Moody

6 Tiernii High Matt & Tammy Scott 8 Dawn Hyman 26 April Mouser 9 Evelyn Fouts 27 Sharyne Anderson

Jay & Carol Talbert Karsen Reser 11 Aaron & Dawn Hyman Jack & Marcia Talbert 13 Jim & Julie Watkins

17 Tyler Sceggell Matthew Scott Jr. Terry & Reta Wilson

VOLUME XXXI1I , ISSUE 7 Page 4

S.A.M. Group

Senior Adult MinistrySenior Adult MinistrySenior Adult MinistrySenior Adult Ministry

…July 2018…

We are announcing our activities to place on your calendars for everyone, including your guests, 50 years of age and older.

P3456 T456 D47763

On Tuesday, July 10, at 5:30pm we will meet in the MSCC Fellowship Building for our monthly Prime Time Dinner. Please come and enjoy a meal and time of fellowship with us! We know there are several hungry people at this church, who also know oth-ers who are hungry, and qualify as 50 yrs. of age or older. Invite them now!

B89 M4749:3; On Wednesday, July 11, at 9:30am we will meet at the MSCC Fellowship Building and drive to Kokomo to shop and/or pick up prescriptions, etc. If you have any ques-tions, call Rosie Mills at 566-3896.

C43<89 47 P638 - F46=> T34?

On Saturday, July 14, at 10:30am we will meet at MSCC, board the church bus and travel to the Dutch Café across from Grissom Air Reserve Base, where we will eat lunch (on our own). The Circus program cost is $11 per person and is scheduled for 2:00pm.

T@A=6 G@569 N4CD:

On Tuesday, July 24, at 6:00pm, we will meet at the MSCC Fellowship Building for several different table games. All are encouraged to bring your favorite snacks to share with others. Drinks are provided.

Wayne & Donna Janner / Wayne & Shirley Watson Joann Monroe / Charlie & Rosie Mills

Page 5 MAIN STREET MESSENGER

There is an old church saying that I have seen in multiple settings. The first person will say “God is good”, a second will say “all the time”. Then, it reverses where the first person says “all the time”, and then the sec-ond person says “God is good”. If I remember correctly, we had even done that at MSCC for a time. It is one of those catchy things that gets stuck in my mind, so much so that I will sometimes hear one half or the other and finish it off in my mind. Maybe that’s just me. I’m sure the intent of the saying mentioned above is to try and keep us ever mindful of God’s perfect good-ness, even when it is hard to see around us. There was a young pastor named Dietrich Bonhoeffer who was born to an upper class family in Germany a few years before the start of WWI. As a teenager, he decided to dedicate his life to ministry. His family was not excited about this. After finishing school, he took a position as an assistant pastor in a German congregation in Spain. That position lead to a college appointment back in his native Germany, then to a year long stint in the US, and back to Germany as a lecturer at the University of Berlin. While all this was happening for Bonhoeffer, Adolf Hitler was rising to power. Bonhoeffer was among a number of others who opposed Hitler’s anti-Semitic beliefs, and began a group calling itself the Confessing Church which publicly declared Christ’s authority. As time passed and conditions worsened, Bonhoeffer be-gan training pastors in an underground seminary. It wasn’t long before the seminary was discovered and shut down. This caused the Confessing Church to take a step back. Bonhoeffer would not just sit back and allow things to continue the way they were trending, so he joined the German secret service to serve as a double agent for a time. This allowed him to travel the country to influence others for Christ and do whatever he could to bring a stop to Hitler. As Bonhoeffer was picking up his opposition, he went to the US a second time to be a guest lecturer. However, it wasn’t long before he felt the call to return home and share in the trials that the Church was fac-ing, so that he could do his part. Finally, in 1943, a black Mercedes arrived at his home to take him to Tegel prison. After a couple of transfers, he finally landed in the extermination camp at Flossenbürg. He was then executed by hanging just a month before Germany surrendered. Ten years later, a doctor that was in Flossenbürg with Bonhoeffer, shared what he witnessed of the man. He said that while preparing for his hanging, he saw Bonhoeffer kneeling in fervent prayer before walking out to face the gallows with 6 other resisters. This account shows us that Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s faith remained strong in the midst of devastating conditions. He clearly never forgot that God is good, all the time. As I am writing this, Steve has just finished a couple messages about persecution. Maybe that is why Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s story made such an impact on me this week, I don’t know. We live in an amazing country that is not ruled by a murderous dictator, that there is no threat of being thrown into a concentration camp, and that has freedom. God is good, all the time. When you look at the world, we really are rather spoiled in the grand scheme of things. However, the US is definitely in a battle. We are in a battle for the soul of our nation. All the time, God is good. We were founded on the principles seen in the Bible, but have wandered far from the wisdom found in it’s pages. Okay, so what? What are we going to do about it? The only thing that can win our nation back, is for God’s people to make a difference one life at a time. When we live our lives in such a way as to pattern them after Christ, the people around us are impacted. Our Father will bless the effort. God is good, all the time. Have you ever had a conversation with someone you disagree with about a social issue, or really anything? How did it end? Hopefully it ended well, but there are many times that those situations end in anger on both sides. God is good, all the time. There are passionate people on both sides of every disagreement, but that doesn’t mean that we should ever stop showing them love in the name of Jesus. Even when we manage to handle it correctly (by staying calm), we will probably still disagree. However, there may have been a seed planted that can be watered and nurtured down the road. All the time, God is good. Our task is to remain true to the mission, by sharing what God has done for us. Matthew 5:16 says, “In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Pointing out the goodness of God is one huge way of sharing His love. Being a light can cause an awkward feeling, but when you compare it to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s story, what are we really scared of? God is good, ALL the time.

-Ryan, out.

VOLUME XXXI I I , ISSUE 7 Page 6

Thursday Night Ladies Bible Study

The Ladies Bible Study will resume on Thursday, August 9, at 6:30pm downstairs in the church basement. We will kick things off with Joanna Weaver’s 10 week study, “Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World”. You won’t want to miss this incredible study on Mary & Martha and how life isn’t all that different for today’s woman. Join us as we dig deep into God’s Word and discover how we can draw closer to our Lord, deepen our devotion, and strengthen our service with less stress and greater joy.

The study books are $10 dollars each and orders will begin July 15. Please see Sophia Bishop or Lee Ann Redding to order or pay for a book.

As always, the Ladies Bible Study remains open to women of all ages and denominations so invite your neighbors and friends to join us this Fall!

Bekah Shaffer

Speaker. Scribe. Storyteller

Come join us at the Ark Christian Camp in Converse, Indiana, September 28 & 29 for an incredible weekend of spiritual growth, fellow-ship and laughter.

The cost is just $45 per person, which includes overnight accommo-dations and all meals. The retreat will feature a special guest presenta-tion by Kokomo’s own author & speaker, Bekah Shaffer, DVD presenta-tions from Women of Joy, Bible Study breakout sessions, spa stations for $5 donation, and much, much more.

This is an outreach event designed for women of all ages and de-nominations to come together for the purpose of deepening relation-ships with one another and the Lord Jesus Christ. So, invite your friends and neighbors to join you for a weekend they won’t soon forget.

Registration begins Sunday, August 5.

Page 7 MAIN STREET MESSENGER

A COUNTRY WITHOUT GOD?

I travelled to Shanghai and Beijing China recently for work. At the end of my work trip, I took a weekend of sightseeing in both cities and the 4.5 hours between them. China was definitely a different experience for me than other countries I have seen. It was most definitely the only country I have been in that was (and some-what still is) a communist country. China has been moving towards capitalism in the last 20 years but the communist influence on the generations is still obvious. In both cities combined, the total population is rough-ly 47 million people. Trust me when I say that is a LOT of people and a lot of vehicles.

The pollution in both cities was obvious. You do not easily see the sky during the day due to the haze from pollution. I was only able to see the sunrise clearly one morning during the seven days I was there. I had the opportunity daily because I woke up between 3:00 and 4:00 AM every day. People wear masks to lessen the impact of the air they take in. My eyes and throat were both impacted by the air quality. It certainly makes you appreciate the blue skies, beautiful sunrises, beautiful night skies, and clean air that we enjoy at home!!

What struck me the most as “missing” in such a large populous and extremely fast growing culture was the lack of any physical churches or indications of Christianity. I asked one of our tour guides about religion in China. He explained that during the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1976, Mao purged all religion from the country to make way for a true communist society and ideology. Still now, in 2018, the generations impacted by that Cultural Revolution are mostly a society without any religious faith or belief. Most people assume the Chinese are all Buddhist. However, most follow Chinese Folk religions or Taosim (Confucianism). Only 10-

16% are Buddhist. The new generation live their lives in pursuit of the capitalist dream without any God or faith. I realize 10–16% is still a lot of people in China. In comparison, only 2–4% are Christians in China.

I traveled from Shanghai to Beijing via train. On that trip, I saw cities being built all along the 4.5 hour speed train ride. BUT, I did not see ONE single church. I have to assume that 2–4% must practice their Christianity in their homes like the early church in Acts did.

It was very humbling and heartbreaking for me to be in a country where faith in God and eternal life through that faith is not prominent. It was a strong reminder to me of the importance of our foreign missionaries and the sacrifices they make to take the Word of God to the lost. Just think of the impact between those two cities if missionaries could raise the Christian believers by 1%!!

Please pray for the missionaries that are willing to follow God into countries where faith in God is not promi-nent. Pray that the Word of God can reach the people in those countries and that they will become a light to others in their communities! I would also say, remember to thank God for the simple pleasures we have daily that we take for granted- clean air, blue skies, and starry nights!

Missions Team Leader,

Carol Talbert

220 West Main Street PO Box 155 Russiaville, IN 46979

Main Street Chris t ian Church

Office: 765-883-5265 Fellowship Building: 765-883-7613 Email: mscc9@sbcglobal.net www.mainstreetchristianchurch.com

Grow in Jesus Christ ~ Encourage the Discouraged

Magnify the Lord ~ Seek the Lost

WORSHIP S.S. TITHING

DATE LAST YEAR’S

AVERAGE: 123

LAST YEAR’S

AVERAGE: 87

WEEKLY

BUDGET NEEDS:

$ 4,380.96

May 27, 2018 89 64 $ 3,136.06

June 3, 2018 117 90 $ 5,959.69

June 10, 2018 104 86 $ 3,399.93

June 17, 2018 90 62 $ 2,929.00

June 24, 2018 n/a n/a n/a

Sunday School ~ 9:30am Sunday Morning Worship ~ 10:30am

Senior Pastor: Steve Bishop Associate/Youth Minister: Ryan Mills

Church Secretary: Carrie Mills

Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday ~ 8:30am - 12:00pm & 1:00pm - 3:30pm

PASTORAL TEAM

Home Cell

Steve Bishop 883-7793 (863) 446-2234

Ryan Mills 210-7719

Alan Anderson 854-0145 438-4824

Wayne Janner 459-8423 614-9473

Connie Maugans 453-4861 459-3941 (work)

437-1353 (cell)