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Spiritual Health CareTHE BULLETIN

Manchester Church of Christ66 Mammoth Rd.

Manchester, NH 03109

603.623.5559

mht_church@comcast.net

www.mhtcoc.org

Elder’s Link: SeptemberLee Davis – 547-8876

ladnlad@comcast.net

Larry Glass – 887-1741

larrycalling@yahoo.comIf you have any concerns that the

elders should be aware of, or need to speak to with them, please

contact Lee or Larry this month.

Our Worship ServicesSunday AM: 8:30 & 11:00

Bible Class: 10:00

Sunday PM: 6:00

Small Groups:

West Side Small Group: 6:15PM at Doug Paul’s

Merrimack Small Group: 6:00PM at Stuart Peacock’s

Nashua Small Group: 6:00PM at Paul Mosier's

Wednesday PM Devotional/Bible Classes: 7:00

News Items? Please submit before 11AM each Tuesday.

As most of us have watched on our TV sets recently there is a titanic struggle and debate in our nation over the idea of health care reform. There are those who want to make health care available to everyone through governmental means, and there are others who staunchly disagree because of concerns that government seldom runs anything well or cheaply. I have opinions, of course, but this isn’t the proper forum nor the reason for writing this anyway.

So why bring up this national debate? Just to point out the substantial passion, money, and effort going into concern about physical health and well-being. Don’t misunderstand me, I personally want the best quality health care available for myself and my family and everyone I care about; but why so much “sound and fury” over physical health care and so little over spiritual,

eternal health care? I speak here about personal Bible study, assembly attendance, encouraging one another, fellowship, prayer, moral integrity, hospitality, producing good fruits in our lives, expunging the spiritual toxins out of our lives (materialism, idolatry, etc.), and church involvement.

We teach our children from a young age about proper hygiene habits (wash up, brush your teeth, get a check-up, get your shots, get your rest, eat right, etc.) and religiously practice them ourselves. Why so little concern about their and our own spiritual hygiene?

Let’s revive our interest in our spiritual health; let’s hear a little brotherly sound and fury about our spiritual health habits; and let’s begin this fall with a fresh faith, a courageous spirit, and the full armor of God!

This weekend will be considerably different that others in that many of us will be at Gander Brook for the congregational retreat. And since so many will be retreating together, we will have some significant holes in our teaching staff and worship assembly here in Manchester. With this exceptional situation in mind, we will not be having Bible classes this Sunday morning and we will not have our usual 8:30AM services — only the 11AM worship. Our 6PM services will continue on as scheduled.

The morning sermon will be “O my God, I Trust in Thee” (Lessons from David’s Faith), rather than our “Growing Beyond” series, which will continue next week.

Sunday evening (the last Sunday of August — can you believe it?) we’ll have our usual devotional service (including offering the Lord’s Supper to those who couldn’t make Sunday morning worship) and follow up with a Bible class forum. This Sunday evening we’ll start a series on Lessons From Faith Heroes. Actually, the sermon on David will be the first taste of the study, we’ll discuss it more in our Sunday evening Bible study.

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household,” Ephesians 2:19, NAS95.

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Our FamilyOur Family

Prayer Concerns

Health: Doreen Lee, Pat Arel, Bill Waisnor, Deniza Chase’s niece, Marge Simon, Penny Ranger, Manley Jones, Michael Anderson's brotherLeadership: Ministers, Elders, DeaconsEvangelism: Bible studies in progress, our website, MNFM, food pantry, Give Away DayReturn to the Lord: Brethren who have forsaken the assembly

Worship LeadersSunday, Aug 30, 8:30AMSongs .........................Closing Prayer ...........Scripture ....................Lord’s Supper ............ Coordinator ...............

Sunday, Aug 30, 11:00AMSongs ........................ Paul M.Closing Prayer ...........Gerry M.

Scripture ..................... David S.Lord’s Supper ..............Earl M.Coordinator ................ Ken S.

Sunday, Aug 30, 6:00PMSongs............................Ken B.

Wednesday, Sept 2, 7:00PMSongs..........................Stuart P.

Coming up in August...

Service time change Due to the retreat at Gander Brook this weekend we will not be having Bible classes this Sunday morning and we will not have our usual 8:30AM services — only the 11AM worship. Our 6PM services will continue as scheduled.

Mark your calendar The Manchester family retreat at Gander Brook is scheduled for August 28-30. This is a great time of fun and fellowship with your brothers and sisters, as well as a time to renew your spirit. There are registration forms available in the foyer. Please fill one out ASAP so we can get a head count for food. See Stuart Peacock if you have any questions.

Help needed Darlene and Alan have set this Sunday around 3pm for moving into their new apartment. They are in need of strong backs and trucks. Please contact Darlene at 228-6856 if you can be of help.

What else?

Labor Day picnic The annual labor day picnic will be held at the Potter's home on September 7th. See the sign up sheets on the bulletin board in the foyer. Meat will be provided so make sure you add your name to the list so Dick knows how many to plan for.

Labor Day Christian Encampment Gander Brook is hosting the first annual family encampment on September 4-7. See the flyer on the bulletin board in the foyer for all the details.

Ladies class will start up again on September 15th at 9:30 am at the church building. Children are welcome. Please RSVP to Linda Paul. More information will follow.

Give Away Day Mark your calendars for October 3rd and collect good, usable items from your home to share with the Manchester community. The sign up sheet is posted for help that will be needed before and on Give Away Day. Please sign up for as many assignments as you can. There will be a tractor trailer available to place your

items in beginning in September.

This and that...

Wednesday night suppers will begin on September 16th. Please sign up on the list on the bulletin board in the back of the auditorium if you would like to volunteer to cook.

Northern New England Lectures The 14th annual lectureship entitled “The Holy Spirit and the Providence of God” will take place in Tilton, NH on October 9-11. Further information can be found at lakesregionchurchofchrist. org.

Save the dates ladies The Greater Springfield church of Christ in Chicopee, MA is hosting a Ladies' Day of Prayer on Saturday, October 10th. Registration, information and directions to follow.

Oxford Hills Ladies Day entitled “Flesh vs. Spirit” will be held on Saturday, October 17th. Please see the flyer posted on bulletin board in foyer for more information.

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HO NK, HO NK! — ZO O M, ZO O M! PARK LI NS C O MB

As some of you may know, traffic often riles me up. As some of you have shared with me, I’m not the only one. There’s nothing like having someone pull out in front of you and then go considerably under the speed limit — because they either aren’t in any hurry at all or they’re looking for a street sign they probably missed a mile ago — to make you just want to gnash your teeth. “Grrrrr,” I think, “don’t you realize others may be in a hurry to get someplace important?” And — oh, yeah — I really “love” it, when they come to a complete stop in the middle of the road as they gape at the street signs and then consult their map (without any sense of urgency, it would seem) — oblivious to the traffic behind them stacking up.

But it occurred to me recently in a conversation with a friend that God must surely find Himself similarly frustrated and a little angry at our behavior. Because, yes, God does have His plans, His destinations for history, His purposes for His people, and a grand scheme around which all of creation revolves! And yes, sometimes people — we — “pull out in front” of Him and with our pokey agenda, looking to accomplish our own things, to arrive at our own destinations, delay and “jam” God’s greater, more important, eternal purposes. Not that mankind will ever manage to defeat God’s ultimate purpose — ever! But He doubtlessly must

find our misplaced priorities, our unwillingness to step out on faith, our short-sightedness frustrating. If I may be so bold — could sayings like, “O you of little faith,” be considered to be God’s horn honking at our occasional (or chronic):

• lack of faith (e.g., “What? Are you crazy? That could never work!”),

• our wrong-headed priorities (e.g., saving money rather than saving souls),

• our stalling and excuse-making regarding spiritual opportunities (e.g., “There’s time enough to do that later” or “Someone else should do that”),

• our flinching at and reluctance to obey and serve (e.g., “Lord, are you sure you want me to do that?” or “Maybe we should think about this a little more.”),

• our arrogance (e.g., “My way is the only way it can be properly be done.”),

• our sins that mess up our abilities to serve God as He had planned,

• our self-absorption (e.g., “I’m just to busy to do that”),

• or our oblivion to God’s great purposes (e.g., “God just wants us to be happy.”)?

Honk, honk!!

Weren’t these the sorts of issues God wrestled with in the Bible…

• as Israel wandered 40 years in the wilderness?

• when Abraham and Sarah offered “help” to God to fulfill God’s promises?

• when David slept with Bathsheba?

• when Moses offered excuses to God’s command to go to Egypt and tell Pharaoh to “Let My people go”?

Are you “going with God’s flow?” Making His priorities your own? Stepping out in faith, even when it looks crazy? Looking less at your needs and more to your opportunities for serving the Master? Reading God’s word to get on the same page with God’s purposes? Hearing God’s word and obeying without hesitation or flinching?

Are you getting in the way or helping Him on the way? Are you hearing “Honk! Honk!” or

“Zoom, zoom!”?

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Tee n N e w s

• Mark your calendars for the Gander Brook Teen Retreat- September 11-13

y o u n g A d u l t s

T h e M a n c h e s t e r c h u r c h o f C h r i s t

66 M a m m o t h R d.

M a n c h e s t e r , N H 03109

Our StatisticsSunday Morning Worship (combined) No count

Contribution $2,580.85

Our Congregational CalendarSunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

23

Happy Anniversary:

David & Cecila Skerry

24 25

Happy Anniversary: John & Mary

Scarlett

26Bible class 7pm

27

Happy Birthday: Darlene

ChamberlainJudy Spears

28Manchester

Family Retreat

29Manchester

Family Retreat

Happy Birthday: Ken Spears

30Manchester

Family Retreat

Happy Birthday: Randall Chaffin

31

Happy Birthday: Ken Bell

Glen Lauzon

1

Happy Birthday: Corey Roukey

2Bible class 7pm

3 4

Happy Birthday: Judy Perreault

5

Happy Birthday: Frank Perreault

Happy Anniversary:

Randy & Candy Chase