OakLEAFEast White Oak Bible Church

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

OCTOBER 2010 VOL. 29 | NO. 4

Peter Spychalla, Director of Prayer Ministries

Among my spiritual heroes is the simplest of saints. He was a lowly, unlearned, and ordinary monk, who walked with God over 300 years ago. Nicholas Herman, later Brother Lawrence, labored as a soldier and household servant before becoming a lay brother with the barefooted Carmel-ites in Paris in 1666. By self-description, he was a portly, awkward bumbler who broke everything. Yet, as monastery cook, his simple moment-by-moment attention to God turned his kitchen into a cathedral of worship. He stated,

The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I pos-sess God as in great tranquility as if I were upon my knees.

If you have a young family, might the clamor and chaos of your kitchen compare? Or perhaps your 24-7 corporate re-sponsibilities keep you constantly distracted—cell phones,

emails, instant messages, BlackBerrys! As he carried out mundane, ordinary duties of life in the midst of commotion, interruption, and incessant demands, Brother Lawrence set his heart to commune with God, delight in God, and do every tiny activity for the love and worship of God. He was pleased when he could pick up a straw from the ground for the love of God, seeking God in the simplest of actions. Lawrence notes, And I make it my business only to persevere in His holy presence, wherein I keep myself by a simple attention, and a general fond regard to God, which I may call an actual presence of God; or, to speak better, an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with God, which often causes me joys and raptures inwardly, and sometimes also outwardly, so great that I am forced to use means to moderate them and prevent their appearance to others.

Monkey-business? Or, wisdom from a simple monk, hearing the Shepherd’s voice: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8), and “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him” (Ps 145:18).

Ways of Walking with GodSimply new old

...continued on page 6

2

Pastor Larry Van Gundy

Those words capture this year’s Bloomington Block Bash. All praise and glory to our good, great, and gracious God for His Sovereign provision at this year’s BBB. This year’s theme was from Romans 2:4 - “God’s kindness is meant to lead to repentance.” The challenge was that through us God would spread the fragrance of the knowledge of Him throughout Miller Park (2 Corinthians 2:14). God raised up over 325 workers from at least thirteen different churches. They had smiles on their faces, servant hearts, and were winsome witnesses and the sweet aroma of Christ.

The day of the BBB, the weather forecast called for scat-tered thunderstorms. The Lord kept the rain away and provided us with a very warm and sunny day. So warm, in fact, that we went through about 4800 bottles of wa-ter! The crowd came out in spite of the intense heat and humidity.

Mark Cahill did his best to share the Gospel and speak to the crowd, despite the commotion. Even in the Lord Jesus’ day, the crowd was often a huge distraction on nu-merous occasions and hindered the Gospel presentation from being heard. This leads us to why the crowd came out that day. Realistically, they were not there to hear Mark Cahill, although WE were excited to have him there. They came because we were giving away school supply kits; over 1,200 were given away. Much like while Jesus walked throughout Israel, the crowd followed Him in masses because of what they could get - food and heal-ing. Jesus was, however, faithful to proclaim the Good News and took every opportunity to teach the people.

Likewise on August 14, the Gospel was shared, not just from the stage, but throughout the park as the seed was scattered that day—as individuals at the mini-golf course participated in a simple Gospel multiple choice test; as the Gideons distributed the Scriptures; as hundreds of Gospel bracelets, tracts, booklets, and books were given out and received gladly. The Gospel was shared many times during the day to men, women, children, and families. You’ll find two of these stories on the following page. Let’s continue to pray that God will water those seeds and that the germinating will continue on good soil and there will be much fruit for His glory.

BLOOMINGTON BLOCK BASH 2010Sun, School Supplies, and Seeds...

3

by Tom Powell

I worked with the Prayer Station Team.  So I spent most of the day talking to children, teens, and adults about things like how the universe got started, why there is so much suffering in the world, and Christ as the answer.  Some were willing to talk; others were obviously distracted by the hot dogs, games, and big bouncy inflatables.  Hopefully seeds were planted. 

Toward the end of the day I was talking to a young boyfriend and girlfriend, maybe late teens or early 20’s.  He kind of reminded me of Mark Cahill because he was much taller than her.  As I talked about sin, and how it is a part of every human’s nature, the young woman’s eyes seemed to open with a total understanding.  It was as if she had some un-spoken weight of guilt that was heavy on her heart.  When she heard about Jesus taking our sin upon Himself, she was very ready to trust Him for forgiveness, and she prayed on her own a prayer of repentance and trust in Christ.  We went to the book table to get a Bible and some material, and God confirmed her decision - another woman “just hap-pened” to be there who is active in a church close to her home.  They exchanged contact information and plans to follow up.

by Carla Lucie

The best part of the BBB is when you are able to speak with others about Christ. I shared the Gospel with a variety of children and their parents throughout the day, using the wordless bracelets, planting seeds in hearts throughout the park. Then a divine appoint-ment was provided by the Lord.

After Mark Cahill spoke, he asked people to raise their hands if they had never received God’s gift of salvation. A man in front of me raised his hand; his name was David. I ap-proached him after the prayer and asked what was keeping him from trusting Christ. He replied that he knew he should, wasn’t sure why he hadn’t, but he was interested in learn-ing more about how to be saved. He was concerned about getting school supplies for his five children and at that moment the Lord provided an EWO runner who took his tickets and said she would retrieve the kits for him. We found a shade tree, gathered his little children together, and I began sharing the Gospel with him, using the green tract (from Larry Moyer, Evantell), answering his questions along the way.

He decided to trust Christ alone for his salvation. He read the sample prayer, while two of his dear little girls held my hands, and David seemed genuinely excited about being saved. I encouraged him to share what he had just done with a couple people standing nearby. An older lady, who knew David, rejoiced with him. She said that she had been praying for him for several years and hoped that he would come to church on Sunday.

GOD AT WORK: TESTIMONIES FROM THE BLOCK BASH

4

Whet your appetite to learn more about surrendered saints by matching the following statements with the correct person. There are 4 statements about each person.

A. Oswald Chambers B. George Muller C. Dwight L. Moody

1. I am most well known for my written works, especially My Ut-most for His Highest, which were compiled and published by my wife after my death. _____

2. I was heavily involved with the YMCA and preached the Gospel to more than 100 million people in the United States and Great Britain in the pre-television era. ____

3. My primary goal in starting an orphan house in Bristol, England was to magnify the Lord by show-ing that He would provide for the orphans’ needs through prayer and faith. Not once did the Lord fail to provide, although at times circum-stances appeared dire and answers came in the eleventh hour. ____

4. At the age of 19, I went to Chicago where I battled with an ambition to acquire great monetary wealth and a desire to talk to people about the sickness of their souls. ____

5. Following my conversion, I decided to serve the Lord as an artist. As I struggled greatly to support myself through my art, I continually resisted an inner stirring to go into ministry. As this stirring intensified, I finally pleaded one night, “Oh God, make Thy way plain to me.” After several hours of anguished silence, a voice spoke these words, “I want you in My service—but I can do without you.” _____

6. Early in my rural preaching ministry, I gave up receiving a salary and trusted fully that the Lord would provide my temporal needs. At the end of the year, I realized all my needs had been met more abundantly than if I had received a regular salary. ____

7. At 70 years of age, I began preaching tours that covered two hundred thousand miles and took me to 44 countries, including a meeting with the President of the United States at the White House. ____

8. My two favorite hymns were “Take My Life and Let It Be” by Frances R. Havergal and “O Love That Will Not Let Me Go” by George Mattheson. _____

9. I started a Sunday school in The Sands, also known as “Little Hell”, for the poorest children in the city in a rented, decrepit wooden saloon. I bribed the children to attend by promising them pennies or maple-sugar candy. ____

10. Four days before my death, at the age of 92, I con-cluded my teaching on Isaiah 6 with the following

words: “O the bright, glorious prospect which we poor, miserable sinners have through faith

in Jesus Christ! And at last taken home to be forever with the Lord, and to see that

lovely One who laid down His life for us, ourselves being permitted to kiss His

feet.” _____

11. After starting and serving as principal of the Bible Training Col-lege in southwest London for four years, I served as a chaplain in Egypt where I died at the age of 43 from

complications following surgery for a ruptured appendix. _____

12. On my deathbed, at the age of 62, I roused from sleep and in slow, measured

words announced: “Earth recedes; Heaven opens for me… It is beautiful. It is like a

trance. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me, and I must go.” ____

These interesting facts and lessons of faith were taken from

the following biographies and autobiographies, which are among the wealth of written treasure provided by God in the EWO library.

Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God by David McCasland, 1993.A Passion for Souls, The Life of D. L. Moody by Lyle W. Dorsett, 1997.George Muller by Roger Steer, 1997.The Autobiography of George Muller, 1985.

We welcome you to explore, expand and encourage your faith by making use of the many resources in the EWO library located in the hall to the right of the sanctuary!

Answers: 1) A 2) C 3)B 4) C 5) A 6) B 7) B 8) A 9) C 10) B 11) A 12) C

STORIES OF SURRENDERED SAINTSBETTER THAN FICTION:

Do you know as much about God’s leading men of faith as you know about movie stars, politicians or athletes?

from the East White Oak Library...

5

What kind of support do moms need? We’ve got the essentials: Prayer Groups (our lifeline). Christ-Centered Fellowship (hurray for adult conversation and social nights). Devotions (water for the soul). Speakers and Discussion Topics (practi-cal help and encouragement). Childcare (just $2 per child per week). Breakfast (but of course!). Are we missing any-thing? Oh, yes—the only other

essential is YOU! Join us for all this and much more. Contact Candi Smith (808-2192, candi.smith2@comcast.net) or Mari-lyn Switzer (454-3726) for more information.

November 5

November 19

December 3

December 10

January 21

January 28

February 4

February 18

March 4

March 18

April 1

April 15

Bible 101: Teaching Your Children the Books of the Bible

Volunteering with a Servants’ Heart

Friendship: Loving Others Well

Cookie Exchange Christmas Party

Adoption: Caring for Orphans

Sally Bauke Video: “MOTHERS”

Taking Care of Your Spouse

Cooking for Comfort

Internet Safety for Our Kids

How to... Practical Skills to Help Run Your Home

Raising Up Godly Boys and Girls

MOMCYCLE

2010–2011 M.O.M.S. SCHEDULE

JOIN US FOR M.O.M.S.! The First and Third Fridays of the Month

9:30–11:30 a.m. | EWO Banquet Room | Childcare $2 per child/week

WJBC 1230 AMwjbc.comWCIC 91.5 FM

WEEKTV week.comWHOI TV yourheartofillinois.comWMBD ciproud.com

If it is necessary to cancel church services or AWANA due to inclement weather or any other reason, we will follow these procedures:

The church website www.ewo.org, and the office phone message will be the main source of information regard-ing service or activity cancellation. A cancellation deci-sion will be made by 7:30 AM for Sunday services and 4:00 PM on Wednesdays. Other media outlets are listed below.

Based on conditions, the announcements will include information on whether we will cancel all Sunday activities, cancel only the morning activities, or cancel only the 9:00 AM activities. Our goal is to make the most appropriate decision based on the safety of our congregation.

— The Elder/Deacon Board

Do you long for warm fellowship that encourages your faith through lively discussion and heartfelt sharing? Find it at EWO’s very own book club! Join us for our next Food for Thought gathering Friday, November 19, 7:30–9:30 p.m. at Erin Straza’s

house (1217 Cadwell Drive, Bloomington). Come for fellowship, refreshments, discussion, and prayer based on Crazy Love by Francis Chan.

So grab a copy of the book (readily available at libraries, bookstores, and online) and stop at the Women’s Ministry table to sign up and get a discus-sion guide. Contact Erin Straza (664.7771 or erin@fillingmypatchofsky.com) or see the EWO Web site for more information.

Radio Television

Inclement Weather PolicyFoodWomen’s Book Club | Crazy Love, Francis Chan

Thoughtfor

6

The ancient words are true. God means it with all His heart. He invites you and me to draw near to Him. Consider these promises from our Loving, Living Lord of Heaven. The Shepherd will refresh your soul (Ps 23:3), filling you with His own divine joy (John 15:11) and causing rivers of living water to spring forth from your heart (John 7:38). This divine watering of your soul (Isa 58:11) just might leak out in tears of compas-sion (Rom 12:15; Col 3:12) and of joy (Rom 15:13). The Word who became flesh (John 1:14) will live through you (John 14:20; Gal 2:20) to nurture and encour-age others through your mouth (Eph 4:15, 29), love through your helping hands and feet (1 Thess 5:14; Col 3:12-17), and show His tender kindness through your moistened eyes (Gal 5:22-23).

Wherever we spend our workdays— in the kitchen, car, combine, or cubi-cle— it can be a cathedral of worship as we attend to the One who invites us: “Come to Me . . . for I am gentle and humble at heart” (Matt 11:28-30).

As I learn this simple new Old way of walking with God, I’ll join Lawrence’s whimsical chorus,Lord of all pots and pans and things . . . Make me a saint by getting meals And washing up the plates!

Grace, Peter Spychalla

Ways of Walking with God, continued from page 1Simply new old

OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES

Grade Shepherds for Good News Club (serving Irving Elementary)Thursday Afternoons, November 2010 - February 2011

Reach out to kids who live in West Bloomington! We need grade shepherds to provide direc-tion, encouragement and care for Kindergarten - 5th grade students during the Good News Club program. If you are interested in serving, plan to attend a mandatory training session Tuesday, October 19 at 6:30 PM (502 S. Morris, Suite D, Bloomington). For more information, contact Kris Seifert (kseifert@ewo.org, 309.454.3833).

Coaches and Referees for Upward BasketballDecember 2010 - February 2011

Upward is an evangelistic sports ministry designed for K-6th grade that promotes salvation, character, and self-esteem in every child. Coaches and referees are needed to serve in this year’s league. Upward Basketball takes place at Calvary Baptist Church in Normal. For more information, contact Amy Beernick (452-4469) or Joel Swanson (joyms_668@comcast.net).

Hosts, Movers, Cooks and More for International Students, Inc.Fall Semester 2010

Reach out to International Students at Illinois State University. Provide a meal for Friday evening Talk Time, cook a turkey for their Thanksgiving meal, provide end-of-semester snack packs, assist students that need to move at the end of the semester, or invite a student(s) to join you and your family for a Holiday Celebration! Contact John and Linda Berger (664-0377, jwberger@ilstu.edu).

Excerpts from The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence.See also Enjoying the Presence of God: Discovering Intimacy with God in the Daily Rhythms of Life by Jan Johnson.

7

February 6, 1893Mennonite Church of White Oak

Proceedings of first business meeting held February 6, 1893.

Financial report of I. Schad, treasurer of building committee. Cost of Church Building - $1,915.00 Paid on same - $1,666.53 Due to Treasurer - $248.47

Motion was made and carried to accept report.

Motion was made and carried to leave account with I. Schad until March 1st and then settle.

Motion was made and carried that Janitor shall wash and scrub the house twice a year. Open, start fire, sweep every time when meeting called. To start fire 1 1/2 hrs. before service and keep a supply of fresh water on hand and haul coals. Janitor to be paid by trustee of church.

Motion was made and carried to appoint a treasurer. Ja-cob Schad was appointed.

Motion was made and carried to meet once a year on Jan. 1st to settle all accounts, etc.

Motion was made and carried to tax every member $1 per year to pay running expenses. Tax to be paid on first of June.

Motion was made and carried to form a Mission fund to be given in charge of D. Augstin, to consult with trea-surer in regard to details and so forth.

Motion was made and carried that Chris Miller take charge of poor fund.

Motion was made and carried that D. Augstin and C. Mill-er have full control of all church funds, payout where required, etc. Incumbents to hold office for one year.

Motion was made and carried to plant shade trees in church yard for trustees to take charge of same.

{BIRTHS}Gretchen Marie - August 25Daughter of Dave & Katy Grube

Cody Lee - September 1Son of Ryan & Crystal Larkin

Joseph Alan - September 14Son of Mark & Gina Eldredge

Kinslee Jae - September 17Daughter of Arin & Abby Rader

Jorie Ruth Yates - October 8Daughter of Josh & Katie (Foster) Yates

{DEATHS}Sue Coughlan’s FatherAl Ercoli - September 4

Ben & Lucinda Miller’s son

Donna Simpson’s husbandBob Simpson - September 27

Ruth Otto - October 2

MMA Association... Our church is part of the Mennonite Mutual Aid (MMA) fraternal benefit association, which exists to supply grant monies to churches. East White Oak’s historic roots in the Anabaptist Movement provided this opportunity. MMA 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 MMA will make the church eligible for grant monies for a host of purposes each year. Contact Linda McClure, church administrator, for information on any of these grant opportunities.

by Howard Frink

This is a short historical record to help us better understand the early days of our congregation. These are the recorded minutes of the first annual business meeting of the East White Oak Church.

—Taken from Church records.

EWO: Bits from our Past

11922 E. 2000 North Rd., Carlock, IL 61725

Non-ProfitU.S. Postage PAID

Permit No. 8Carlock, IL

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

EAST WHITE OAK BIBLE CHURCH MISSIONS CONFERENCE

OCTOBER 30 - NOVEMBER 7, 2010

Oct. 30 Kick-Off Grand Intern Station DinnerOct. 31 Wayumi Youth Report & WorshipNov. 1 Men’s Ministry Night at Avanti’sNov. 2 Evangelism ForumNov. 3 Next Steps for Embracing our Indian Neighbors for Christ

Nov. 4 Building a Strong Family in a Broken WorldNov. 5 Short Term Team ReportsNov. 6 Intergenerational Fun & FellowshipNov. 7 Forum on Discipleship

Conference Events

Pick up a conference brochure for more information and a complete schedule!