Looking Forward to Sunday

The carpet in the church building looks much nicer after being professionally cleaned today!

Everyone remember our Donut & work party tomorrow morning starting at 9 a.m. (or earlier if you want to get up and get started). A lot of sprucing up and fixing up needs to be done.

Take advantage of the last day before our Friend & Family Day to be inviting friends, neighbors, and family members to our special event.

Then remember to come early Sunday morning (and bring plenty of food for the lunch to follow morning services). We want to get started on time at 9:30 with a combined adult study on Parenting Problems: Difficult Teenagers. This lesson is adapted from Dr. Tim Kimmel's book Why Christian Kids Rebel. It's aim is to help parents take a constructive look at how they can be more effective in guiding children who have a little bit (or a lot) of rebellious spirit in them.

Renewal, etc.

I hope everyone enjoyed the nice Memorial Day we had yesterday.

Trish reached Texas safely Monday afternoon and reports that her mother is doing fairly well, all things considered. However, she has declined markedly since the last time Trish saw her a little over a year ago.

This note just came in from Millissa Macomber:

Renewal, a Northwest evangelism workshop, is set for July 2 through July 5 in Tigard, Oregon. There are several families from Skagit Valley who will be attending and we anticipate taking down our church van. The workshop theme is "The Aroma of Christ." A full list of speakers and class topics is available next to the copy machine. (Be sure to check out the class taught by Rodney and Karee Blunt.) In addition to classes for adults, there are programs for kids and teens. Please contact Millissa Macomber if you are interested in carpoolling.

The Renewal schedule is available online at http://www.renewalnorthwest.com/schedule.htm

Saturday This-'n-That

Here's a little long-range notice so you can clear your calendars! Everyone is invited as Leta Pollock celebrates her birthday with a special party on Saturday, June 28th, 2-4 p.m. It will be in a meeting room at the building where she lives. More information will follow in the bulletin as the time gets closer.

A little closer is the wedding of Shari Hobbs and Jonathan Natal on Sunday afternoon, June 22. No formal invitations will be sent, but everyone in the Skagit Valley church family is invited to this event which will take place at the church building. I'll have to check on the time and post that later.

A baby shower is scheduled for Sunday afternoon, June 8th for Silas Burke and his parents, Becca and Allen. 2 p.m. See Karee Blunt for more information.

Sunday, June 1st is Family and Friends Day. We will have a combined adult class at 9:30, followed by worship services at 10:30, then a pot-luck meal together afterwards. Be inviting friends, neighbors, family members, and complete strangers who just might come! Printed invitations have been prepared and are available on the stand in the foyer of the church building.

Next Saturday, May 31 is --

Church Work Day (aka Donutfest 2008!)
Come One! Come All! Meet at the building on Saturday, May 31st, at 9am
(or earlier) for a fun day of fellowship and Spring Cleaning, and donuts
(Come early for better selection). A sign up list of tasks is posted on
the bulletin board in the hallway for your convenience. Please contact
Rodney at 360.757.3608 if you have questions. Let's make the building
sparkle in preparation for "Bring a Friend" day and for the long, hot
summer to follow!

Prayers for Dobbs Family

I have just learned that John Robert Dobbs was killed in a traffic accident Wednesday. He was the 18 year-old son of John and Maggie Dobbs of Monroe, LA. John is a gospel preacher who recently moved from Pascagoula, MS to Monroe, LA. Please keep this grieving family in your prayers. John is a blogger who reported his son's death in this touching blog post.

Wednesday

We'll be making an announcement tonight about changes in our format on Wednesday nights. These changes will be taking effect June 4th.

We will be making one change starting tonight. More tables will be set up in the auditorium and we're asking that everyone take their food from the kitchen and eat there. With no one eating in the kitchen, we can set up food tables down the middle so people can make two lines, one on either side of the tables. This will accomplish two things: (1) it increases fellowship by having everyone eating together in the same location and (2) it should eliminate long lines and permit everyone to get his or her food more quickly.

Trish's Mom

Please remember Trish Gaines' mother, Hazel Holden in your prayers. She lives with her son near Beaumont, Texas. A heart scan Monday revealed that her heart is seriously diseased. If she were younger she would be a candidate for a heart transplant, but at her age (84), there is not much that can be done. Her condition is viewed as very serious. Trish is going to Texas next Monday to spend time with her mom.

Sunday News & Prayer Requests

Attendance this morning -- 84

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for Lisa Percival as she travels to Hawaii for a wedding this week
• Pray for Kay Williams in her loss of her husband, Bill.
• Pray for Darlene Stuber and Bev Waltenbaugh
• Pray for Karen & Jon Hasenoehrl and their family
• Pray for Karla's dad, Dan Haggarty
• Pray for Martha and Elmer Juntenen
• Pray for the Jones/Williamson families

Praises of Thanksgiving

• For Kenny Pearson and his wife being with us today
• For Eric's good song leading today
  

Announcements:

• There will be a baby shower for Silas Burke on Sunday, June 8th, 2:00 p.m. here at the building. Please see Karee Blunt for suggested gift ideas.

• June 15 will be the last Sunday that Karen Hasenoehrl will be taking the "5 & unders" to Children's church (It's time that she has Ethan in church for the main service.) Please consider whether it is your turn to provide this service to families in the church. See Karen if you are wondering what the position entails.

• Please be inviting people to our Friends and Family Day in two weeks. Invitations have been prepared for handing out. . . pick up several and distribute them to friends, neighbors, family members . . . anyone you would like to invite to our special Sunday.
  

Saturday Sunshine

Isn't the sunshine wonderful?

Weatherman says it won't last too long, but at least we're having a great summer-like weekend. After the cool, wet spring, it is nice indeed.

Remember, Kenny Pearson will be with us to speak tomorrow morning. He works in prison ministry and we've contributed to his support for several years.

Some of the ladies are attending the Sauk River Retreat today. Thanks to Millissa for being so involved in organizing and supporting that.

Be telling people about the FRIENDS AND FAMILY DAY . . . Sunday, June 1st, just two weeks from tomorrow. We're going to have a special 9:30 service for adults that morning (children & youth classes will meet as normal).

Funeral Arrangements for Bill Williams

Bill's funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m. in Wenatchee. Here is a link to his obituary in the Wenatchee World newspaper:

http://www.legacy.com/wenworld/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=109643207

If you wish to send a card or call, Kay's contact information is:

Kay Williams
2726 Sunset Highway N.
East Wenatchee, WA 98802

(509) 884-8737

In Memoriam - Bill Williams

We've received a message that Bill Williams passed away suddenly this afternoon in Wenatchee. He had been having a good day and was able to attend worship services this morning. No arrangements are known at this time. Our condolences go to his wife Kay and other members of his family.

Sunday Announcements & Prayer Requests

Attendance this morning was 87. Thanks to Candi Hobbs for doing such an outstanding job checking attendance every Sunday morning.

I didn't get prayer request cards from Allen, so forgive me if I overlook anyone. I know that Karla still requests our prayers for her dad, Dan Haggarty in Massachusetts. Aleceia Boomer emailed this morning with a request that we remember her daughter Cheyanne in prayers. Cheyanne has been sick for several days and the doctors have diagnosed it as mononucleosis. Also Becca Burke was sick this morning with a stomach virus of some sort.

It was great to welcome Samantha Rose Brown to our services for the first time today. She was born last Tuesday and is doing great.

Also remember the people in the Plains and Southeastern states who have been victims of another round of tornadoes. This has been a terrible spring for deadly storms in that part of the country.

Baby Shower for Silas Burke

A note from Karee Blunt asks me to publicize that a baby shower has been planned for Becca Burke and her baby Silas. The shower will be at 2 p.m. June 8 at the church building. Please mark your calendars!

An Amazing Act of Sportswomanship!

Tomorrow's bulletin will feature a story about an amazing act of sportsmanship -- or should I say sportswomanship by two players on the Central Washington softball team. The article by Alan Smith draws some valuable spiritual lessons from this inspiring story. Look for the article on the back page of Sunday's bulletin.

In the meantime, you can watch a video which displays the young women's character in a fine way.

We've set Sunday, June 1st as our Spring Friends and Family Day at Skagit Valley Church of Christ. Be spreading the word to everyone you know.

Midweek Update

Wednesday Night Prayer Requests:

• Olivia Blunt -- sick with strep throat
• Dan Haggarty -- (Karla Williamson's dad in Massachusetts) -- more tests upcoming; no definite results yet.
• Nathan & Amber Brown . . . and their new baby Samantha Rose
• Elmer & Martha Juntenen
• Rentz Gullick's grandson, Ethan, has pinkeye.
• Ken & Tami Beach in their move to Iowa
• Homeschoolers, homeschool moms, and other parents

Upcoming:

• Kenny Pearson will be here to report on his prison ministry work Sunday, May 18th. He will preach that Sunday morning.

• We're going to have a Friends and Family Day on June 1. More about that tomorrow.

• Spruce Up Day: Mark your calendars and save the date! Saturday, May 31st starting at 9am, meet at the church building for a day of fun and excitement! Come on down and help us spruce up the building in preparation for summer. A list of things that need to be accomplished will be available before hand so you and your family can sign up in advance. Donuts will be available in the morning to help replenish your strength. Questions? Call Rodney Blunt at 757-3608.

Welcome, Samantha Rose

Samantha Rose Brown made her debut Tuesday morning at Skagit Valley Hospital. She weighed 7 lbs, 7 oz. and is 21 3/4 inches long. Congratulations, Amber & Nathan (and big brother Ben)! Everybody is doing fine! They expect to be home today.

Sunday Update - May 4

Prayer Requests

• Please pray for my dad, Dan Hagerty. His CT scants showed nodules on both lungs and part of his thyroid is enlarged. There also is some concern with his blood test results. Please pray for clarity and restored health. Pray for my sister Lisa as she is doing a lot of the appointment making, etc. Thanks, -- Karla Williamson

• Remember Daniel Hill and his parents and grandmother and family as they work with him.

• Please pray for Amber Brown who is getting induced tomorrow morning. She's hoping for a quick and painless delivery. Thank you. -- Benny [Amber will be at Skagit Valley Hospital in Mount Vernon]

• Please pray for the Jones family, Bill & Kay Williams in Wenatchee, and Elmer and Martha Juntenen.

Placing Membership With Us:

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, We would like to be recognized as members here. You love and godliness have been a great encouragement to us. Roger & Jacqueline Todd and children. [We will have more information about the Todds available soon. We welcome them to our family here at Skagit Valley.]

VBS Meeting:

Thanks to everyone who participated in the meeting about Vacation Bible School. We will have a planning meeting soon to get specific assignments nailed down, set the dates, pick the curriculum, etc. If you have specific dates already on your calendar for late July and August which would be a conflict, please let John Gaines know. You can include that as a comment on the blog if you wish. We will choose the dates with the least conflict, but can't guarantee that we will fit with everybody's calendar.

Two Special Meetings Sunday

We're having two special meetings Sunday to discuss and plan aspects of our work here at Skagit Valley church of Christ.

After morning worship, anyone interested in working in Vacation Bible School needs to meet. It is especially important that we get teachers lined up as well as helpers, and people to work with refreshments and activities. This will just be a "I want to volunteer . . . " type meeting and will be over quickly. Then the hard work of getting everything organized starts.

Sunday night after the sermon (as part of the regular discussion time), we want to discuss ideas about ways we can possibly improve the formats for our Sunday and Wednesday night meetings. We might end up making no changes at all, but we want to evaluate how we are doing and what we could be doing which would attract more people and provide more benefits to those who attend. Put your thinking caps on and come prepared to share your ideas.

Remember the get-together at the Hills' house today. Pot-luck at noon followed by archery tournament.

New Ladies' Restroom

Allen Hill and Jeff Barrow are working hard today getting the stalls in place in the new ladies' restroom. I don't want to put them in a bind by promising it will be ready for use Sunday, but if not then, in the very near future. We appreciate their work in finishing up what has been a very long project.

Midweek Update

Wednesday Night Prayer Requests:

• Ann Dale (mother of Kathy Adams) -- had back surgery last week
• Chelsea Eby (niece of Rodney Blunt) -- recovering from surgery
• Angela Kelso (friend of Mike and Millissa Macomber) -- grieving over loss of loved one
• A friend of Mike Macomber has a mother who is seriously ill with cancer. Mike's friend asks our prayers that his mother will be receptive to the gospel.
• We continue to remember Bill Williams, Elmer & Martha Juntenen, and Ruth Lake Wilkison as they deal with ongoing health issues.
• Eric Percival will be out of town next week; he requests prayers for his safety in travel.
  

Good News on the Job Front: Allen Burke has been called back to his job, after being on lay off for a few weeks. With a new baby in the house, that is good news indeed. Also Jonathan Natal has been hired for a permanent position rather than the temp work he has been doing.

Remember the Get-together and Archery Tournament at the Hills' home in Acme Saturday. Potluck cookout begins at noon; archery starts at 1:30 p.m. Everyone invited. Those who don't want to participate in the archery can be spectators or just visit.