Lessons From My Father


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Oak LEAF

East White Oak Bible Church

East White Oak Bible Church | 11922 E 2000 North Rd. Carlock, IL 61725 | 309.454.3833 | www.ewo.org

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Local Outreach Summer Fun Days

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Missionary Partners Learn About our Newly Supported Missionaries

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Pedaling for Kicks 2012 Marks 14th Anniversary

2012 Graduates Congratulations!

JUNE 2012 VOL. 31 | NO. 3

Knowing Christ and Making Him Known

Lessons From My Father Pastor Scott Boerckel

If I were a holiday, I’d hate to be a June holiday. There’s just no recognition.

Christianity Explored A New Outreach Tool

Let me be Christmas or even President’s Day before being a June holiday, because when it comes to June, holidays for some reason are forgotten. Does anyone even know what day “Flag Day” is? (Ask me and I’ll tell you.) Hmm, does anyone even know that Flag Day is a June holiday? 

Orphaned No More One Person Can Change a Life Forever

The other big June holiday, of course, is Father’s Day. I don’t know why it is that Mother’s Day is so big, and Father’s Day is an afterthought. I think some serious gender discrimination is occurring, for who can say that one parent is more important than the other? God has so designed families that we really need both parents, and when we don’t have them, we encounter special troubles, not insurmountable troubles, but special troubles nonetheless. Bob Boerckel entered the presence of the Lord two years ago. I wish that I could have introduced him to the precious EWO family. So, since

Lessons From My Father, continued

that cannot happen (yet!—we can do that in glory), I thought that I would introduce him to you by way of 20 things that I learned from my Dad. It’s a way to honor his influence in my life and to pass some of what he taught me along to you.

wanted was a wife and family that loved the Lord. And he never got over the fact that the Lord indeed gave him those treasures. He never got over that Mom said, “Yes.”

1. Keep the Gospel at the heart of all you do. Dad saw that the only reason he had any wisdom at all was that God opened his eyes to the Gospel. He never forgot the grace of God. Everything else was an outflow of the impact of the Gospel upon his life. Although Dad was a man of principle, those principles were not ends in themselves. They derived from grace through faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus Christ took Dad’s punishment, there was freedom to live for God, to serve Jesus Christ’s church, and to be led by the Holy Spirit.

4. Pray for the individual members of your family by name every day. My Dad did this for each of his children, their spouses, his grandchildren, and their spouses. He went to bed in prayer for his family. His prayers were no mere formal, “God bless” prayers either. He prayed specifically for our spiritual encouragement, most especially that we would stay true to Christ and the Gospel. As a child, I remember not just that Dad would pray for me, but he would pray nightly with me. What a powerful way to introduce the wonder of the Divine!

2. The Bible is the clear communication of God to us, and I should read it for a feast for the soul. My Dad read, taught, and lived the Bible. The discussion of the Bible was part of our natural discourse and conversation. We simply could not have a conversation in our home without some reference to Scripture. 3. Love your wife. My Dad’s earthly affections were always and only for my mother. He often told us that all he ever

5. Spend time with your children; have fun with them; worship with them; instruct them. My Dad spelled the word “father”— T I M E. He gave us his time. He played with us, read to us, told us stories. He made a priority of worship attendance. He taught us from daily life how to think Christianly. His instruction was more from real encounters with God and the world than it was a systematic teaching. And while there is a place for systematic teaching, the teaching that happens “when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise” (Deuteronomy 6:7) indelibly connects life to the Scriptures. 6. Laugh at yourself—a lot. It makes you more approachable and fun to be with. My Dad might not have enjoyed being the brunt of the joke, but you could never tell it by being with him. He enjoyed retelling his blunders in life, and he equally enjoyed it when others retold them. There is a strong humility in this that made my father attractive and approachable. Scott with his father, Bob Boerckel

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“Everything else was an outflow of the impact of the Gospel on his life.”

7. It is worthwhile to love people who are not very lovable and to do so for many years without getting much in return or response. My Dad loved and cared for a stepmother in her old age who, many years earlier, had been an active participant in the breakup of his parents. Seeing such grace in action was a powerful testimony that the Gospel is real. 8. Be compassionate to those to whom life has dealt tough blows. My Dad always seemed to be helping and counseling men who had made wrong choices or who had been dealt great misfortune. His compassion was practical but not naïve. It was measured with good boundaries, but it was a real extension of the grace of God. 9. Always stay in the arena of discipleship. Keep mentoring and discipling people. Keep teaching the Word of God. Right until the last weeks of his life, my father was meeting with men, young and old, and encouraging their walk with Christ. He never retired from the service of the King. 10. Give away as much as you can. My Dad had a long list of Christian ministries that he supported over and above his regular giving to his church. If Jesus’ words are true, that a man’s heart is where his treasure is, then my father had his heart in a lot of places but always with one goal—the advancement of the Gospel and the kingdom of Jesus Christ.

11. Ask lots of questions as a teacher and don’t get too worried about the responses—just get responses. Then, point people back to the Bible. I loved watching my Dad teach a Bible study or Sunday School class. He patiently would endure all kinds of crazy comments because his goal was to get the class to engage the Bible. He would always draw out so many comments that everyone was amazed by the level of participation. Then, right at the end, Dad would always summarize the Scripture in such a way that put everyone in awe, not of his teaching, but in awe of God and the Good News about Jesus Christ. 12. Read and study. The life of the mind is extremely important for the believer in Jesus Christ. My Dad taught us the importance of academic excellence. He rewarded it. He taught us the value of good books. We saw him reading . . . a lot. We just figured that it must be a great thing to do. 13. Be gentle but be bold to make Jesus known. Let people see that you genuinely care for them and for their eternal destiny. Few people were more gentle than my father, but he had a burden. It was a burden that people come to know Christ. So, he kindly but very directly tried to leave a witness for the Gospel wherever he went. He was also gentle but purposeful with his parents, his brother, and his sister. It was a delight of grace that Dad saw so many of his extended family become part of God’s family. 14. Don’t be careless. Take care of your property. Take care of your family. Take care of God’s family. Take care of your neighbor. Dad was intentional in showing care, not just of material things, but of relationships as well. 15. Keep your word. Don’t make promises unless you intend to keep them. Dad famously was a keeper of his word. Even when people would attempt to release him from promises made, even when others did not hold up their end of promises, Dad was unrelenting. He would keep his word.

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Lessons From My Father, continued

16. Be scrupulously honest. Even if it means that you lose financially, keep your good name instead of silly money. Dad was meticulous about paying all he owed, and if there was any doubt, he would pay more just on principle of not ever being accused of shorting someone. 17. Do not be afraid to stand alone on principle. One time, my father was the only “nay” voice vote in a church meeting. This was quite embarrassing to his children. Why, since all the “yays” had been heard first, did Dad have to vote at all? It was because he wanted an important principle to be reviewed. (And it was reviewed to the satisfaction of all and for the blessing of the church). 18. Many need models for living for Christ. Seek to be such a model. Dad taught Sunday School classes for young married couples for decades. Lots of men learned from a great model. 19. Always be thankful. Especially in the last few years of my Dad’s life, I noticed that along with his aging came also an increased thanksgiving. His prayers reflected this as did his conversations. He became less worried. He didn’t grow as frustrated by cultural decline or political debates. Instead, he grew more and more thankful. He saw reason for thanksgiving in everyday interactions with restaurant workers, medical people, his church family, and his own family.

would likely have gone completely unnoticed in most settings. This is as he wanted it because he really did want God to get all the glory, weight, and significance for what He had done with my Dad’s life. Dad knew who he really was, and he knew Who God really is. That settled any drive for attention in my father’s heart.

“I noticed that along with his aging came an increased thanksgiving.”

As I write this, it is two years ago almost to the minute that I laid my hand on my father and bid him to enjoy the presence of the Lord. I am thankful for the life of one who left such a bold imprint of faith on his family. My prayer is that, in passing along to you some of what I learned from him, you too will live a contented, thankful, Gospel centered life to the glory of God. Happy Father’s Day!

20. God gets all the glory. My Dad was so unassuming that were he not taller than most of his generation, he

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Pastor Scott

SUMMER FUN DAYS! TERRIFIC TUESDAYS

SUPER SATURDAYS

12:30 - 2:00 PM THE HUB (502 S. MORRIS)

11:00 AM - 2:00 PM THE HUB (502 S. MORRIS)

5 WEEK PROGRAM JUNE 26, JULY 3, 10, 17, 24

JULY 14

CARNIVAL

Start with a fun summer reading program for boys and girls of all ages... add on music, art, games and a Bible story, and you have a Terrific Tuesday!!

AUGUST 4

INFLATABLES

Hot dogs, games, Balloon Man, Illusionist, the Zoo Lady!

Obstacle Course, Toy Story Bouncer, Double Shot Basketball & more!

LOCAL OUTREACH

5 DAY CLUB 1:00 - 2:30 PM THE HUB (502 S. MORRIS)

JULY 30 - AUGUST 3 Bible lessons, high-energy games and meaningful songs for children ages 5–12. This exciting week will be led by a Child Evangelism Fellowship ministry team.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP WITH LOCAL OUTREACH? Summer Fun Days are part of our outreach ministry to west Bloomington. If you would like to volunteer for any of these events, stop by the Outreach table or contact Sharryn Swanson ([email protected]).

PROGRESS AT THE HUB Construction continues at our local outreach center in Bloomington. The electrical was approved and the drywall was installed this past week. The drywall and ceiling will be finished next week. Lord willing, we will be painting the walls sometime between June 14–22. Then we will install lights, switches, and flooring, and finally the facility will be trimmed out. We are hopeful that we will be using The Hub for some of our Summer Fun Day activities.

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WELCOME TO OUR NEW EAST WHITE OAK BIBLE CHURCH MISSIONARY PARTNERS

Three new missionary partners were added to the East White Oak support roster by the vote of the congregation at our recent annual meeting.

We asked these new partners to share their thoughts of gratitude to our congregation and to provide more information about them for those less familiar with their ministries. We strongly encourage you to send an e-mail or letter of encouragement to each of our new missionaries, to personally welcome them to the family and let them know you are praying for them. East White Oak Missions Team

CHAD & JULIE REESER Dear EWO, We want to send our deep thanks and appreciation for your partnership with us. We are privileged to represent EWO in doing our part to make Christ known in Spain. We have met many of you, as God opened the door for us to stay in Bloomington our final 6 months in the states in 2010. God used the ministries of EWO, and especially our small group, to encourage our hearts and see us off to Spain. You welcomed us into your family with open arms, and you helped send us out motivated and encouraged. Since our first meeting with the EWO mission’s team, we have consistently been impressed by the enthusiasm the church has to make Christ known among the many peoples of the world. EWO has a special way of encouraging missionaries, almost unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and we praise God that we now have an official connection with EWO. Our ministry is your ministry: we desire to make Christ known among the lost in Spain. God continues to show us that our niche or gifting is

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through intentional friendship evangelism and discipleship in contexts of formal and informal theological education. The Spanish evangelical church is small (much less than 1% of Spain’s population) and often quite discouraged, so our prayer is that we make Christ known through encouraging the local church and effectively training leaders. How does this happen practically? Our first goal is to continue being actively involved in our local congregation, learning the culture and language as much as possible. We have been on the field almost two years, and every month we feel a little more competent, although there is so much more to learn. God has also opened doors to serve. In April, Chad preached his first sermon in Spanish. We have also been involved in evangelistic campaigns and organized an evangelistic Bible study, all under the enthusiastic encouragement of the church leadership. Beyond local church

CHAD & JULIE REESER, CONTINUED ministries, there is a strong need for the development of informal theological education in Spain, and Chad has begun to form partnerships with the EET (Escuela Evangélica de Teología), an online Bible school, for the development of courses in New Testament studies and Greek. He is also partnering with another online project called exegetica.net, a ministry devoted to effective preaching of God’s word. There is also the strong possibility that Chad will be teaching Greek informally in Madrid in the next year or two, as a handful of pastors and church leaders have approached Chad on the possibility of jump starting a course.

Julie is also using her gifts of hospitality, leading a cooking club, and serving our team in various ways. Again, we praise God for your partnership and are excited to keep you up-to-date with all God is doing in Spain. Chad and Julie Reeser

CHAD AND JULIE REESER | [email protected]

JOSH & KATIE YATES Greetings from the moss-growing Pacific Northwest. It is our joy to now be standing among the missionary families that are supported through East White Oak Bible Church! Your benevolence, prayers, concern and genuine interest in our lives and ministry is truly extraordinary. You’ve filled our hearts with gladness. Together, our partnership in the Gospel is transforming lives in the Northwest and around the world. Many of you know Katie, her parents, John and Deb Foster, and her grandparents, Howard and Jean Frink. EWO has been a huge part in the spiritual formation of these families. Katie’s calling into ministry was largely due to the influence of the EWO family, youth leaders and Jeff VanGoethem (a.k.a. P.J., as he was affectionately known). We are now serving with Sonlife Ministries in the Pacific Northwest (we just had our one-year anniversary with Sonlife as of February 2012). Josh gives oversight and leadership in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia (Canada). Sonlife Ministries’ mission is to invest into leaders and equip them to build

healthy, multiplying disciples. Sonlife draws its passion and priorities from the life of Christ. For over 25 years, Sonlife has taught the life of Christ developmentally, believing that Jesus modeled how to create a movement of multiplying disciples. Looking at Jesus’ life from the perspective of a leader trying to “walk as Jesus walked” (1 Jn 2:6) and “do what Jesus did” (Jn 14:12), we have analyzed what Jesus did to intentionally build a movement of multiplying disciples. As the Northwest Regional Coordinator, Josh recruits, coaches, trains and serves leaders to develop disciple-making within their church ministries. Josh leads Live 2:6 groups, based upon 1 John 2:6, “Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” Built upon lessons learned from disciplemaking models around the world, 2:6 Groups are learning communities of 3-15 leaders coming together to study the life of Christ, specifically how Christ made disciples who could make disciples. Centered around three training manuals,

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JOSH & KATIE YATES, CONTINUED these 2:6 Groups are times of study, training, discussion and evaluation; meeting together over a period of 1-2 years. 2:6 Groups focus upon the life of Christ through a biblical study of how Jesus made disciples, and then seek to apply His disciple-making principles to everyday ministry. Josh’s passion for networking, visioneering and pioneering with other regional youth workers for gospel-centered movements will continue to be the heartbeat of our ministry. Along with 2:6 Groups, Josh also trains, speaks, mentors and plays disc-golf with leaders on a regular basis. Katie’s role is to support Josh in raising our kids (Foster, 4, and Jorie, 19 months) with gospel intentionality, and offering our home for ministry. Her pas-

sion remains to invest her life in the women God graciously brings. We are committed to serving in ministry side-by-side, impacting individuals and couples for the Gospel. We look forward to sojourning with you in our ministry adventures and sharing our God-sized stories. Thank you for your prayers and support. Knowing Christ and fulfilling His commission, Josh & Katie Yates

JOSH AND KATIE YATES | [email protected]

main focus always comes back to evangelism and discipleship.

BETHANY FISHER Dear East White Oak, I want to thank you for officially partnering with me in the work that God is doing here in Costa Rica. As many of you know, I grew up in EWO and have very strong ties within the church through family, friends, and teachers. I want to thank each person who has supported me through prayer. Prayer is the most important support system a missionary can have, and I am encouraged by the prayer base I have in East White Oak. I joined Christian Light Foundation Costa Rica working full-time alongside Mark and Meg Kuzdas in March 2011 after an internship the summer of 2010. Matthew 28:19 says “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations” and that is the mission of the New Life Church in Costa Rica. Although we have many outreach activities and projects such as a feeding center, tutoring center, hosting short-term teams, and times of fun and games, our BETHANY FISHER | [email protected]

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Every week, New Life Church Los Guido, our principal area, disciples people from dangerous slums in the San Jose area. God has given me the privilege to serve in the La Carpio ministry, organizing and leading our team of teachers. I also run the tutoring center in Los Guido, helping grade school kids do homework and teaching them useful study methods. God is good as He has brought several of the tutoring kids to church services and discipleship. God continues to challenge me as He has put me in charge of the church youth group, not only preparing games, but leading a devotional every week. He continues to teach me as He prepares me to teach others in all areas of the ministry and I thank Him for that! Again I want to thank EWO for partnering with me in the work that God is doing in dark areas of Costa Rica. Blessings, Bethany Fisher

short term mission trips Have you ever considered a short term trip? Take the next step!

short term trips taken by teams and individuals january - may 2012:

Guatemala Costa Rica Thailand India Tanzania/Madagascar Cedine Mission Romania Berlin, Germany

trips planned for june-november 2012:

SHORT TERM MISSIONS GUIDE

A new for our church to follow is now available to assist teams and individuals with the purposes, policies, and procedures necessary in preparing for mission trips. Step by step checklists to guide team leaders, team members and individuals in their preparations are included as well as Fundraising Principles, Keys for Writing Support Letters, travel tips, and other short term information.

EWO SHORT TERM MISSION TRIPS  provide opportunity to serve God in the ministry of missions in obedience to the Great Commission.  help one learn first-hand what missions is really about as you step out of your own culture and experience another.  provide opportunity to connect with, assist, and encourage missionaries serving in different cultural contexts.  allow one to be involved in the Great Commission.  can be a “stepping stone” for longer missionary service.

Tanzania Denver, CO Ghana New Zealand Idaho New York City Russia Argentina Zimbabwe China

Short Term Missions Guide

Pick up a in the EWO office or online at ewo.org/missions/ewo-missions. Begin to plan and prepare now for a Short Term Missions experience that can impact the direction God may have for your life.

Please feel free to direct any queries you may have regarding purposes, policies, or procedures in this GUIDE to the Mission Team’s Short Term Committee Coordinator, Darlene Noden.

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PEDALING FOR KICKS MARKS 14TH ANNIVERSARY Saturday, July 7, is the 14th anniversary of the Pedaling for Kicks bicycle ride. PFK originated from an idea by longtime East White Oak member Steve McNair, who envisioned hosting an event that could help fund the Fellowship of Christian Farmers. FCFI has numerous ties to East White Oak Bible Church. Church member Dennis Schlagel is Executive Director, Ron Miller is Operations Officer and Kris Miller is the Office Manager. Mark Freed is a past president and numerous other East White Oak members are active in the organization. Starting out with a little more than 100 riders the first year, last year had nearly 500 participants, making PFK one of the larger rides in the state. Over the years, we have had many East White Oak attendees participate as riders on one of the five different routes that are offered…from a 10 mile “Family Route” to the 62 mile route that offers some challenging hills in the Mackinaw River Valley. Last year, with the help of Pastor Larry, we had an “outreach table” with plenty of gospel and

Christian apologetic material free to take by our riders. Pastor Scott and his wife Carol served as greeters to welcome riders to the event. PFK would be impossible to host were it not for the volunteer support it receives from nearly fifty EWO members! Volunteer opportunities include kitchen help for the post-ride meal, help at the five various food stops for riders to stop and get snacks and rest, being a part of the Support Vehicle crew who drive portions of the route making sure riders are not having problems. We also have many members who sign up and donate homemade cookies and supply bananas for the food stops. Last year, we served a total of 90 dozen cookies. Church members donated 27 dozen so we have a need for more volunteers to supply homemade cookies. We are one of the ONLY area rides that has homemade cookies and our riders really rave about them! During the month of June, PFK will have a display in the church hallway where you can pick up ride registration forms, sign up to provide cookies and/or bananas or sign up to volunteer in some other way. Maybe you have a friend that you’ve been encouraging to visit East White Oak. What better way than this fun event to get them out and meet many of our members who volunteer? For more information, see PFK’s website, www.pedalingforkicks.com or check out our page on Facebook. Consider being a part of this fun event!

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CONGRATULATIONS 2012 GRADUATES! HIGH SCHOOL

Hannah Larson (Terry and Sonny Larson) El Paso/Gridley

Michaela Whittaker (Traig & Laura Whittaker) Cornerstone Christian

Dani Baertsch (Walt & Penny Baertsch) Normal West

Jennifer Marrochello (Steve & Veronica Marrochello) Normal West

Adam Wiggins (Brad & Lolita Wiggins) Normal West

Tyler Becker (Steve & Michelle Becker) Normal West

Jessica Marrochello (Steve & Veronica Marrochello) Normal West

Jenny Wong (Ken and Kim Wong) Normal Community

Jacob Biggerstaff (Perry & Rebecca Biggerstaff) Normal West

Jared Miller (Mark & Lori Miller) Normal West

COLLEGE

Briana Bryant (Mark & Laura Bryant) Normal Community

Amanda Pestka (Wade & Trish Pestka) Lexington

Stacey Carrel (John & Dana Carrel) Normal West

Erin Robinson (Bruce and Belinda Robinson) Normal Community

Jacob Collins (Petra Collins) Normal Community

Laura Shay (Mike and Brenda Shay) Normal West

Brooke Halteman (Dave & Barb Halteman) Normal West

Brian Shelburn (Tim and Nancy Shelburn) Normal West

Jennifer Hughes (David & Kelly Hughes) Normal Community

Erik Sheppelman (Larry and Julie Sheppelman) Olympia

Nichole Hughes (David & Kelly Hughes) Normal Community

Kayla Strauch (Mark Strauch & Kathy Truesdell) Normal West

Caitlin Kennell (Dave & Diane Kennell) Homeschool

Eric Thede (Brad & Terri Thede) Normal West

Eddie Koranek (Tom & Amy Koranek) Normal West

Elly Vance (David & Susan Vance) Eureka

Karen Dodge (David & Sue Jackson) Heartland Community College Heather Fahrenkrug (Bill & Diane Fahrenkrug) Illinois State University John Fahrenkrug (Bill & Diane Fahrenkrug) Illinois State University Timothy Foote (Ralph & Eloise Foote) University of Illinois - Urbana Sarah Gregory (Patrick & Nancy Gregory) Kendall College Sarah Marrochello (Steve & Veronica Marrochello) University of Illinois - Chicago Kathryn Shallenberger (Ralph Shallenberger & Tammy Denzer) Illinois State University We apologize to any graduates who were missed!

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INVITATION TO

Solitude and Silence

A S U M M E R B OOK ST U D Y L E D B Y P ETER S P Y CHA LLA , D IR ECTOR OF P R A Y ER MINIS T R IES Like us, Jesus’ first disciples found that pressures, people, and pace left them in desperate need of rest for their souls. Jesus provides the solution:

“Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place” Mark 6:31-32.

Do the demands, clamor, and chaos of modern life make it difficult to hear the still small voice of our Loving Shepherd? Please join us in exploring how healthy rhythms of solitude and silence in God’s loving presence refresh and reorient our souls. We are reading and discussing the book, Invitation to Solitude and Silence, by Ruth Haley Barton. Books are $12 each. Please sign up at a table in the church hallway or email Peter at pspychalla@ewo. org with questions.

SUN DAY EV ENINGS , JUNE 3 - JU L Y 29 | 6:30-8:00 P .M . | ROOM 171

SENIOR SAINTS Join us for one of our upcoming events!

June 26, 2012

Picnic in the Banquet Room

Bring a baked good to auction off for the Soldier’s ministry. Wear red, white and blue to show your pride for the USA military. Come prepared to bid and purchase some goodies.

July 24, 2012

On the Road Again

Come meet mules Larry and Moe who pull the LaSalle Canal Boat down the I&M Canal. Ride the route that Lincoln travelled.

August 28, 2012

International Safari

Join the Saints for an International Safari right here in the Banquet Room. Join us for lunch and lots of adventure.

The Senior Saints welcome everyone, but specialize in ages 60 and up! 12

Christianity Explored Larry Van Gundy

Sam is living in the fast lane. He works 50 hours a week and his spare moments are filled with fun, friends, flicks, and food. One evening at a party, he stops for a moment, beer in hand, and is overwhelmed with doubt. “What’s it all about?”

Are you looking for a series or study to go through with an unsaved friend? Something relevant, something of substance without being intimidating?

Christianity Explored takes people through the Gospel of Mark exploring the identity, mission, and call of Jesus—who He is, why He came, and what it means to follow Him. There is plenty of time to ask questions and discuss the claims of Jesus and their implications for our lives.

Abby has been a nurse for three years, and fights the pressure to be cynical. She sits in the coffee shop cradling a latte, images of the young girl who died that morning running through her mind. “What’s it all about?”

Christianity Explored is a seven-week DVD series. The course is taught by Rico Tice, evangelist at All Soul’s Langham Place in London. He brings humor, passion, and warmth as he illustrates the Gospel message with scenes from his own life. The series lets the Gospel tell the Gospel, and it’s clear about sin, so that people can understand the wonder of God’s grace in Christ. The tag line for Christianity Explored is “One Life. What’s it all about?” This is a question that many will ask at some stage in their lives.

Don is hurrying home after buying his dinner at the supermarket. He walks past the cemetery on his way home, and thinks about his buddies, long gone; his wife two years in the grave. “What’s it all about?”

I would recommend this material to you, to use in your home with a co-worker, neighbor couple, or family members. This is a great evangelistic resource to share with someone with whom you have been building a friendship, someone who is lost and might be willing to go through this non-threatening series. We will have three copies of the DVD series/leader’s guide in the EWO library beginning June 12. These can be checked out for your use. The workbooks are available in the church office.

One life.

What’s it all about?

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Erin Straza You’ve seen the photos of children with old-soul eyes. You’ve read the staggering stats that there are 144 million parentless children in the world today. And your heavy heart likely questioned what difference you—one person—could possibly make. Looking at the sea of need can be so discouraging. But looking at individual stories brings hope. That’s because God regularly uses one person to make a tremendous difference in the life of one child. This is true in the life of EWOer Jyothi Kudari. She was orphaned before her third birthday, but God wrote a beautiful story through her difficult beginnings, using one woman to make a powerful difference. Jyothi’s story begins in a village called Polakal, in the Andra Pradesh state of India, where she was born into a Hindu family. When Jyothi’s parents died, her grandparents cared for her until she went to Christian boarding school—a common practice in India, even among Hindus. That’s where God planted seeds of faith into Jyothi’s heart.

A teacher named Esther Florence took special interest in Jyothi, sowing the Gospel through loving care. Esther taught Jyothi Bible stories, invested in her mind and her heart, and even stayed at the school with her during school breaks when all the other students went home. Those seeds sprouted to faith when Jyothi was a college senior. She responded to the Gospel, praying for forgiveness in Christ. Being a Christian in a Hindu family was difficult, however. Jyothi had to seek the Lord in private. Her grandparents insisted she would marry a Hindu, so Jyothi began praying. That’s when God used Esther once again. Esther’s brother knew a man named Elia Kudari, who was a Christian from a large Christian family. Both Jyothi and Elia were encouraged to pray about a possible match.

(right) Elia and Jyothi with their daughters Doxa and Hannah.

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God gave Jyothi a peace about Elia; she boldly told her grandparents she would only marry a Christian. Despite the friction, Jyothi accepted Elia’s proposal, and by God’s grace, Jyothi’s relatives came to their wedding. Jyothi says that in her marriage, “God graciously provided me a family much bigger than I could ever think of.” In time, God expanded that family, giving Elia and Jyothi two daughters: Doxa (meaning Glory) Zaneta (meaning gracious gift of God) and Hannah (meaning Grace) Jedidah (meaning beloved of the Lord).

When Jyothi’s story began, she was an orphan. But God’s love has ensured she is an orphan no more. The Pure Religion team hopes this story encourages you to be an Esther so that another child’s story would end just like Jyothi’s, bringing God much joy and great glory.

ELDER/DEACON NOTES Fiscal Year 2012/2013 budget was approved and recommended to the congregation for approval at the church’s annual meeting Sunday, April 1. The new budget totals $1,430,202 – a 4.6% increase over the previous fiscal year. The parsonage has been decommissioned and its demolition is scheduled for the summer of 2012. The home will be used for volunteer fire department training after items of value have been salvaged. Once demolition and grading are complete the space is expected to be covered with asphalt millings and used for parking. Elders and deacons will participate with Pastor Scott and his wife Carol in a weekly Meet and Greet time following the second service. Those newer to EWO will be invited to spend some time getting to know these church leaders while enjoying some light refreshments. Miriam Ball received board approval to serve during the summer of 2012 as the youth ministry intern. Her responsibilities will include time spent with both junior and senior high school students.

BIRTHS Hudson Wesley - April 6 Son of Jeremy & Stephanie McClure Alli Elizabeth - April 9 Daughter of Brant & Kyli Kaufmann

DEATHS Wayne Moore’s mother Ruth Nash - March 16 Pat McClure’s brother Dennis McClure- April 25 Joan Hill’s brother Gorden Threlfall- April 29

The following elders were approved to serve as board officers for the 2012/2013 fiscal year: Dave Osenga, Chairman and Matt Hughes, Vice-chairman.

Jenny Kohlrus’s father Dan Smith- May 21

Approval was granted to Pastor Traig Whittaker’s sabbatical proposal. This will commence on May 30, 2012 with a trip to Tanzania with his family. Several other activities make up the balance of Traig’s twelve weeks away. He is scheduled to return to his duties here at the church on September 1, 2012.

Dorothy Edwards’ sister Rita Tilk- May 26

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.

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SUMMER IN THE PARKS 2012 Savannah Park June 8 & 22

Join us in the parks this (Shelbourne Dr. near Henry St. insummer! Normal) Rock Creek Veterans Park July 13 & 27

(Rt. 150 to Jefferson St. in Carlock. Look for sign by the Mennonite Church.)

Shepard Park August 10 & 24

QUESTIONS? Crystal Larkin 309.376.2018

(Hershey Rd. behind Sam’s Club in Normal)

10:00 AM - Noon. Bring a sack lunch!

Into the Word Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 11:30

Malachi: Revering the Lord, Standing in Awe of His Name Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 11:30 Tuesday evenings, 6:30 - 8:30 DEVOTION | DOCTRINE | RELATIONSHIPS | SERVICE

The Life Ready Woman

MEN’S MINISTRY UPCOMING EVENTS JUNE

23 JUNE

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Men’s Grill Out and Competition Night (High School Seniors and older)

Tween Study: Life Lessons from the Princess & the Kiss

Saturday, June 23 | 4:00–8:00 PM | Cost: $10 in advance |Sign up by June 17

Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 11:30

Sporting Clays Shoot Saturday, June 30 | 9:00 AM | Cost: $30 in advance | Sign up by June 15

JULY

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Thursday mornings, 9:30 - 11:30 Thursday evenings, 6:30 - 8:30

Sign up for any of these studies at the Women’s Ministry Table, or e-mail Donna Osenga at [email protected].

Saturday Men’s Breakfast Saturday, July 14 | 7:30–9:00 AM | EWO Banquet Room | Cost: $5 | Sign up by July 8

OUR VISION Building strong Christ-like men who lead their families well and disciple others. For a complete list of events, visit ewo.org. Click Ministries / Men’s Ministry

Learn more! ewo.org

click Ministries / Women’s Ministry