I am a worshipper today because of my parents, John and Vicki Hinshaw.  They took me to church from infancy and displayed for me what worship was really about by being worshippers of God, as did my grandparents Lloyd and Doris Hinshaw.  I watched my father, a lifelong pastor, lead public worship weekly and passionately proclaim the glory of God.  The older I get, the more I realize how much I gained from his reverent approach to a life of holiness.  By example, Dad taught me how to be a worshipper, therefore giving me the confidence to be a worshipper who leads.

Jared has a very similar legacy of worship.  Jared was brought to church weekly since infancy as well, and is a life-long attender and member of Haviland Friends Church.  He started here, now passionately serves here.  He too was taught through people who modeled a life of worship.  He too was shown what responding to God could look like in the life of a man.  He too was shown what obedience to God’s direction could produce.  Jared is now committed to a lifelong attitude of worship, not because he woke up one day and decided to be a lover of God, but simply because people modeled it for him, and therefore he saw the life that he could live.  I am thankful for Jared, because I am thankful for all the people who have shaped him, mentored him, discipled him, and walked with him through their own response, obedience, and attitude toward God.

Jared is simply one of the many testimonies we have on display in our little church, and God is not done!

 As I have studied a bit today for the message God is stamping on my soul for Sunday, I was reminded of why I am here, why Jared is here, why Josiah is here, and KC, Audrey, Casey R., Lori, and our incredible leadership at HFC.  I am here as your pastor because people modeled a life of worship for me.  We are here because there has been a plethora of people in our past who have displayed unwavering faith, steadfast hope, and unrelenting worship to God for over 126 years!

Here is the passage…

[4] By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice [i.e. life of worship] than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts [God commends true worshippers]. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

(Hebrews 11:4 ESV)

Through a life of responding to God and being obedient to Him through an attitude of worship, our life will lead others to do the same.  Be the man or woman you long for others to become by living fully for Him and your life will still speak for generations.

Love you all and consider serving you to be one of my life’s greatest blessings!

Pastor Donnie

Leona Missionary Society will meet this month on Monday, January 23.

This month the Bible Quiz team will be going to Argonia to compete in the second meet of the season. They will compete on Saturday, January 28 and would love to have you supporting them and cheering them on.

This Sunday: 

Message:

Offertory: Tricia Oren

Nursery Schedule:

0-18m: Marilyn Giles & Marissa Kendall

18m-3yr: Carla Woods & Alice Stewart

3-4 yrs: Volunteer

Upcoming Events:

Believe Conference is a Jr. High youth conference in Tulsa, OK on  February 3-4. Cost is $70 by January 18 and $85 after January 18. For more information contact Josiah.

Music for Missions is the first event for Missions Month. This semi-formal event will raise money for student missions in 2012 while highlighting he musical talents of the community. Coffee and fellowship will follow the event at Origins Coffeehouse.

Friendship Quilters get ready for another meeting on Tuesday, February 7 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Spring Invasion, the Sr. High mission trip to Mexico, is March 10-17. $200 and online registration at friendsyouth.com are due by February 22. Passports/passport cards are required this year. These can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to process; it is recommended you start the process as soon as possible. Contact Josiah with any questions.

Announcements:

Missions Month is coming up. We will have the month of February to focus on the missions of the church and the world.

The Friends Disaster Service in Mid America is continuing their work in Joplin, MO. They will be having three work weeks and are looking for volunteers. Work weeks will take place January 16-20, February 13-17 and March 19-23. If you are interested in volunteering contact Tom and Kathy Hoke at fdsta@comcast.net

HFC has officially started a fund for the Teter family. Money can be given to them through the church or through a website started by one of Steve’s friends. The website does take a small percentage of the fee from the funds to continue the website. It can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/bb5gw

Steve Teter is currently going through recovery after chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. Trina and Joseph are continuing their extended stay in Wichita with Steve due to medical complications with meningitis and pneumonia. Continual prayer and encouragement is needed and updates can be found at www.caringbridge.org/visit/steveteter

Worship Schedule

Sunday

Group Life 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School | Community Groups 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Nursery is provided for children ages 0-3.

Children’s Church is available for children 3 years old through 5^th grade in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday Morning Services are broadcast live on the Website by clicking the HFC “LIVE” link on the welcome page

Wednesday | The Blend 

Wednesday Meal – 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Faith Weaver Friends – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Jr. High Youth Group – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Women’s Bible Study – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Sr. High Youth Group – 8:00-9:30 p.m.

Refer to havilandfriends.org for an activities calendar.

Staff

Donnie Hinshaw Lead Pastor

Josiah Williams Pastor of Student Ministries

KC Lingafelter Children’s Ministry Director

Joe Schoonover Church Clerk

Lori Binford Treasurer

Audrey Wade Administrative Assistant

Haviland Friends Church

205 N Kingman PO Box 246 | Haviland, KS 67059 | 620-862-5258  hfcoffice@havilandfriends.org | www.havilandfriends.org

I believe prayer is the activity in our spiritual walk that will lead us to even deeper community, relationship, and purpose.  One of the biblical expressions for that unity is:  “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Matthew 6:33.  Many will interpret that passage as “Seek first salvation, then the kingdom, and then…”  It means:  Let the Kingdom of God, in all its magnificence, in all its Heavenly glory and power; let the Kingdom of God be the one thing you live for, and all other things will be added to you.

This passage is calling people into unity with God, therefore tapping into His divine will for our lives and those we intercede and pray for.  The primary goal of prayer can’t be our petitions, which lead us to seek our kingdoms first, rather seeking Him to allow His Kingdom, His heart, His power, His authority to become our primary goal, therefore our prayers become shaped around His will.

Imagine our church praying like this as a way of connecting to Him and glorifying Him, then bringing Him our anxious thoughts and heartfelt concerns.  

“His Kingdom come,

His will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.”

Teter Prayer Challenge:
I would like to issue a challenge for our church to pray for Steve Teter and his family.  Join with me in praying at 6:33 in the morning, the evening, or both.  I challenge you to set your alarm and be committed to praying for healing, strength, and wholeness for the entire family.  If there are other prayer concerns for people in our community or church, use this time to pray for them too.  Steve continues to improve with slow, yet deliberate progress.  This is a tough road for the Teter family, but God is our healer and provider.  Let’s be a Hebrews 11 church!

We will have “633″ prayer cards available at Guest Services this Sunday for you to place as a reminder anywhere you may need.

Blessings,

Pastor Donnie

Tim Tebow’s behavior on the field has raised questions about prayer and how Christians ought to practice it in public settings.  Many non-Christians and Christians alike have criticized Tim saying his public prayers violate Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) where he taught people the power of prayer as a private practice of faith:

[5] “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. [6] But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

(Matthew 6:5-6 ESV)

Andrew Sullivan, blogger, writer, and political analyst asked the question, “why do Christians repudiate the God they worship?”  The questions are there simply because I believe people aren’t criticizing, but rather curious.  But the answer is more complicated than the critics and curious may prefer.

The short answer is, Jesus didn’t prohibit public prayer.  In fact Jesus prayed publicly on many occasions.  He prayed in public before meals (Mark 6:41).  He prayed among a crowd prior to raising Lazarus from the grave (John 11:41-42).  In Luke 11 he prayed so that people could hear Him.  Their response brought the plea, “Lord, teach us to pray”(Luke 11:1).

For Jesus to prohibit prayer in public through His words in Matthew 6 would be the equivalent of calling Himself a hypocrite.  What Jesus does reject is hypocritical prayer.  The word hypocrite comes from the Greek meaning  actor.  It literally means one who pretends, or one who fakes.  This is what Jesus found detestable among the religious by using prayer as a platform to display a false devotion to God in order to gain the approval of man.  This was a day and age in which religiosity was an extreme value in the Judean culture.  The tide hasn’t really changed in past or present as we continue to see great emphasis on the external proof of our internal devotion to God.  This sadly fuels hypocrisy.

At the core of Jesus’ teaching we always find the motivation of prayer (why), rather than simply the mechanics of prayer (who, when, where).  

Are we to pray to win the applause of man, or solely on our devotion to God?

I have no clue the powers the critics have to see inside the soul of Tim Tebow, but if Tim Tebow is simply praying in public for the applause of man, then scripture is clear that he has already found his reward.  Unlike the critics and haters, I tend to give Tim Tebow a little more space to prove that his motivation of prayer is truly of the heart.

Last Saturday night he proved that his faith doesn’t waiver based on the who, when, and where, because his heart was reflecting the why.  As the Broncos revealed their inability to play with the big boys of the NFL by losing 45-10 in humiliation, Tim Tebow proved his ability to stay true to the words he routinely expressed in his success by saying in his post-game interview, “First of all, I would like to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…”

It’s easy to pray in public as a proclamation of the success you currently possess, but it’s harder to pray in public when your life suddenly is being drubbed.  True prayer isn’t defined or bent by a setting.  True prayer is defined by a heart that is devoted fully to God, therefore resulting in prayer that is sustainable in all things.  

I don’t know of one person who doesn’t want their lives to exemplify purpose and meaning.  Sadly, we feel our purpose only means something if it is noticed by someone on Facebook or Twitter.  As I write this, I wonder if this is the very thing that causes me to write?  Maybe this is what fuels you to be on Facebook, Twitter and the other countless social networking mediums.  Is your external life more important than your internal and eternal foundation?  We are so desperate to have anyone take notice of us, care for us, and just simply reply to our existence, that we find ourselves living for praise of man rather that the creator of man.  We long for words like, “you matter, your life counts.”  If this is the motivation behind our public appearance on a football field or on Twitter, which I think it is with many, then it only reveals our hunger for God and walking with Him as our securest hope for today and tomorrow.  One cannot be satisfied with the empty praise of man, but can be fully satisfied by the fuel of God’s promises.

This type of intimacy can only be satisfied in private communion and solitude with God our Creator. 

As the Psalmist says,

[139:1] O LORD, you have searched me and known me!  [2] You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  [3] You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.

(Psalm 139:1-3 ESV)

I fully trust in God’s sovereign economy that there is not a single thought, feeling or emotion that is wasted.  There is nothing unseen to Him, nothing unrecorded.  But in our current culture of multimedia and image saturation, we find ourselves falling into the trap that if it’s not in print, paper, Facebook, or Twitter, it isn’t real. Privacy in prayer and meditation helps me discover that my life really does matter, not because someone read about it, heard it, or saw it, but simply because God was my witness, and He is the only audience worth pleasing.

 Pastor Donnie

One of the ways we speak is going to have a slight change. In hopes that you will be able to see the week earlier we are starting to give you the Week in Advance. Through this we will post, well, the week in advance. We will show you upcoming events and announcements. This will be posted regularly at the beginning of the week. We will continue to have the blog, so don’t worry. But instead of being posted on Wednesday, it will be posted at the end of the week. For this first Week in Advance: have a great week!

This Week :

Adult Classes resume this Wednesday, January 18, at the usual times.

Disciplines of a Godly Man will be a new book study starting on Wednesday, January 18. This will be led jointly by Ryan Kendall and Donnie Hinshaw and will meet at the church at 6:15 p.m.

This Sunday: 

Message:

Offertory: Neil & Kay Unruh

Nursery Schedule:

0-18m: Mallorie Ballard & Jamie Larsh

18m-3yr: Lori Binford & Shari Bryan

3-4 yrs: 

Upcoming Events:

Leona Missionary Society will meet this month on Monday, January 23.

This month the Bible Quiz team will be going to Argonia to compete in the second meet of the season. They will compete on Saturday, January 28 and would love to have you supporting them and cheering them on.

Believe Conference is a Jr. High youth conference in Tulsa, OK on  February 3-4. Cost is $70 by January 18 and $85 after January 18. For more information contact Josiah.

Spring Invasion, the Sr. High mission trip to Mexico, is March 10-17. $200 and online registration at friendsyouth.com are due by February 22. Passports/passport cards are required this year. These can take anywhere from 4-8 weeks to process; it is recommended you start the process as soon as possible. Contact Josiah with any questions.

Announcements:

Congratulations to out Bible quiz teams! At the first meet of the season our teams placed 1st (blue), 5th (red), and 8th (white). Congratulations!

The Friends Disaster Service in Mid America is continuing their work in Joplin, MO. They will be having three work weeks and are looking for volunteers. Work weeks will take place January 16-20, February 13-17, and March 19-23. If you are interested in volunteering contact Tom and Kathy Hoke at fdsta@comcast.net

HFC has officially started a fund for the Teter family. Money can be given to them through the church or through a website started by one of Steve’s friends. The website does take a small percentage of the fee from the funds to continue the website. It can be found at http://www.gofundme.com/bb5gw

Steve Teter is currently going through recovery after chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. Trina and Joseph are continuing their extended stay in Wichita with Steve due to medical complications with meningitis and pneumonia. Continual prayer and encouragement is needed and updates can be found at www.caringbridge.org/visit/steveteter

Worship Schedule

Sunday

Group Life 9:30 a.m.

Sunday School | Community Groups 9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship 10:30 a.m.

Nursery is provided for children ages 0-3.

Children’s Church is available for children 3 years old through 5^th grade in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday Morning Services are broadcast live on the Website by clicking the HFC “LIVE” link on the welcome page

Wednesday | The Blend 

Wednesday Meal – 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Faith Weaver Friends – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Jr. High Youth Group – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Women’s Bible Study – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Sr. High Youth Group – 8:00-9:30 p.m.

Refer to havilandfriends.org for an activities calendar.

Staff

Donnie Hinshaw Lead Pastor

Josiah Williams Pastor of Student Ministries

KC Lingafelter Children’s Ministry Director

Joe Schoonover Church Clerk

Lori Binford Treasurer

Audrey Wade Administrative Assistant

Haviland Friends Church

205 N Kingman PO Box 246 | Haviland, KS 67059 | 620-862-5258  hfcoffice@havilandfriends.org | www.havilandfriends.org

8] But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,

(2 Peter 3:8-9a ESV)

I spent the last week in Colorado with my family on vacation.  It was one of those trips that played itself out hour by hour, and day by day.  We stayed up late, woke up late, watched movies, sports, ate popcorn, ate more popcorn, ate other food, went shopping, ate at our favorite restaurants, drank coffee at our favorite coffeehouses, ate (did I say that?), laughed a lot, laughed more, then ate more, and planned absolutely nothing.

The best activity we did was reminisce about old times, finding ourselves in awkward silence while watching crocodile tears stream down each others cheeks.

In all the joy filled days that were unprogrammed like a good quaker family I found myself at times getting anxious at not knowing what was next.  I found myself anxious to get out of bed even though it was only 7:30 and we had nothing planned.  I was impatient to make plans even though we didn’t need to make plans.  I even found myself inpatient with the traffic lights!  Leighton said from the backseat while waiting at an obviously long stoplight, “Dad, this light is broke, just drive!”  I replied, “Leighton, I can’t the cops will stop me.”  There was a very dramatic silence, and finally he questioned, “They have cops here?”.  I had to explain to him we weren’t in Kansas anymore.

This small example is a normal example that you have probably felt from time to time as well.  Things just take longer than we want – especially when we are doing life with others.  Their needs become folded into our needs and time seems to shrink.

There are times in life that I can be frustrated with moments like that.  At times I have felt screams bubbling in my throat and have desired to strike out against this invisible force that is ransacking my time.  I mean, my time is precious and so is yours.  But this time it was different.  Some say it’s age.  I am 41 – that’s a lot of time. 1,293,833,966 seconds and counting to be exact, and as that number gets larger, my time continues to shrink.

I realized something vital on my last night in Colorado.  We went to the nursing home to visit my grandmother who is 94 (that’s 2,966,351,044 seconds and counting) and has suffered multiple strokes in the last four weeks.  She was not supposed to make it to Christmas, but she was hanging on when we got there and speaking when we left.  After enjoying a moment of inspecting her now perfectly crooked smile, I looked into her cloudy yet sparkly eyes and said, “Grandma, I love your smile!” , to which she replied, “I have always loved your smile.”

Two things I learned from her statement:

One:  The fact that things take a long time means that the end result will be better.  When we are forced to move slowly, we have time to mature and improve. Oh how true this is with life, if we just weren’t in a rush.

Two:  The fact that my time is a limited resource helps me to determine what actually matters.  That day I realized that over 94 years of life my grandma had been enjoying the small smiles of life every second.

Read it again…

8] But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. [9] The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,

(2 Peter 3:8-9a ESV)

As I read that last line and can’t help but think about how patient God has been with me, yet is still smiling.

Patience is not about time, but about love.  1 Corinthians 13 describes what love is, and starts it’s classic description with, “Love IS PATIENT…” (1 Cor. 13:4)  Patience is active, and passive, but more importantly, it’s a heart filled with love, resulting in great joy that can’t be measured by time.

It’s good to be home.  I know your New Year will be filled with the small smiles, but I pray you will have the patience to see them and enjoy them.

Pastor Donnie

Worship Schedule

Sunday

Group Life                                                       9:30 a.m.

Sunday School | Community Groups                9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship                                           10:30 a.m.

Nursery is provided for children ages 0-3.

Children’s Church is available for children 3 years old through 5^th grade in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday Morning Services are broadcast live on the Website by clicking the HFC “LIVE” link on the welcome page

Wednesday | The Blend

Wednesday Meal – 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Faith Weaver Friends – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Jr. High Youth Group – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Women’s Bible Study – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Sr. High Youth Group – 8:00-9:30 p.m.

Refer to havilandfriends.org for an activities calendar.

Staff

Donnie Hinshaw                                         Lead Pastor

Josiah Williams                  Pastor of Student Ministries

KC Lingafelter                      Children’s Ministry Director

Joe Schoonover                                        Church Clerk

Lori Binford                                                    Treasurer

Audrey Wade                            Administrative Assistant

Haviland Friends Church

205 N Kingman PO Box 246 | Haviland, KS 67059 | 620-862-5258  hfcoffice@havilandfriends.org | www.havilandfriends.org

This Week :

Christmas Eve we will celebrate a Candlelight Service at 7:00 p.m. Show up ready to worship the King of King on the eve of his birth celebration.

This Sunday:

Message: The Promise & Perspectives

Offertory: Worship Team

Nursery Schedule:

0-18m: Denny & Charlotte Ross

18m-3yr: Tricia Oren & Sam Gwin

3-4 yrs: Micaiah Hughes

Upcoming Events:

Jr. High Bible Quiz will be ready to test their knowledge on Matthew 15-18 on December 30. They will be going to Wichita to compete in the first meet of the season at the Hyatt Regency and would love to have your support.

Friendship Quilters get ready for another day with needle, thread, and fellowship on January 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. All ladies are welcome and don’t forget to bring a dish for the carry-in meal.

Committee meetings will no longer be meeting on the second Monday of the month. Beginning January 8 they will begin meeting on the second Sunday of the month with board meetings at 6:00 p.m. and committee meetings at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday Night Activities will resume January 11 at the usual times.

Announcements:

We are gathering the food for the Food Bank Drive! Please bring in what you have gathered over the week. We will be taking it all over to the Kiowa County Food Bank by the end of the month.

Our Christmas service will begin at 10:30 a.m. on December 25 and will be ending early. There will also be no Sunday school on December 25 or January 1.

The church office will be closed on December 26 and January 2 due to Christmas and New Year’s.

We’ve nearly finished! Almost 100 days ago we started a reading plan called E100. We are almost a week away from the end of the New Testament on Day 91. Any suggestions for a new reading plan? Start one on your own or grab a group of people and start reading in community.

Steve Teter is at the end of his chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. They are extending their stay in Wichita due to complications with meningitis and pneumonia. Continual prayer and encouragement is needed and updates can be found at www.caringbridge.org/visit/steveteter

Worship Schedule

Sunday

Group Life                                                       9:30 a.m.

Sunday School | Community Groups                9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship                                           10:30 a.m.

Nursery is provided for children ages 0-3.

Children’s Church is available for children 3 years old through 5^th grade in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday Morning Services are broadcast live on the Website by clicking the HFC “LIVE” link on the welcome page

Wednesday | The Blend

Wednesday Meal – 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Faith Weaver Friends – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Jr. High Youth Group – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Women’s Bible Study – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Sr. High Youth Group – 8:00-9:30 p.m.

Refer to havilandfriends.org for an activities calendar.

Staff

Donnie Hinshaw                                         Lead Pastor

Josiah Williams                  Pastor of Student Ministries

KC Lingafelter                      Children’s Ministry Director

Joe Schoonover                                        Church Clerk

Lori Binford                                                    Treasurer

Audrey Wade                            Administrative Assistant

Haviland Friends Church

205 N Kingman PO Box 246 | Haviland, KS 67059 | 620-862-5258  hfcoffice@havilandfriends.org | www.havilandfriends.org

This Week :

There will be a congregation meeting discussing finances following the service on December 11.

Ladies: You are invited to an Afternoon Christmas Tea hosted by Leona Missionary Society. It is a come and go event from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. on December 11 at Origins. They will have live entertainment and unique nativity scenes.

This Sunday:

Message: The Promise & Perspectives

Offertory: Tim & Heather Rogers

Nursery Schedule:

0-18m: Marcy Bunce & Natalie Stewart

18m-3yr: Alice Stewart & Joy Dudley

3-4 yrs: Micaiah Hughes

Upcoming Events:

Jr. High Bible Quiz will be ready to test their knowledge on Matthew 15-18 on December 30. They will be going to Wichita to compete in the first meet of the season at the Hyatt Regency and would love to have your support.

Announcements:

This Christmas we will be having a Candlelight service at 7:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve and our service on Christmas Day will start at 11:00 a.m. There will be no Sunday school on December 25 and January 1.

Wanting a get away for the Holiday’s? You can stay at the Hyatt in Wichita, helping the Friends Church! FSC has a contract with the Hyatt and is currently not meeting the contract minimum. December 24 through January 4 you can stay at the Hyatt for $93 per night (tax inclusive). Contact Matt Macy by December 13 at 316-267-0391 or matt@friendsyouth.com with names and the dates you would be staying. All payments will be handled directly by you at the Hyatt front desk.

Feeling Mission Minded? The Salt Shaker trip is approaching and Burundi is the destination this year; deadline for registration and deposit is December 15. For more information call or email the church.

The Nominating Committee is still looking for eager servants.  If God has called on your heart to serve at Haviland Friends in a specific way, please contact the church office and let Audrey know of your willingness to serve. She will pass this information on to us. The Nominating Committee will prayerfully work to help you find the place God has for you.

We’re close to the end! The church community is doing a reading plan called E100. We are close to the end of the New Testament on Day 84.

Steve Teter is well into the process of chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. They are currently extending their stay in Wichita due to some complications. Continual prayer and encouragement is needed and updates can be found at www.caringbridge.org/visit/steveteter

Worship Schedule

Sunday

Group Life                                                       9:30 a.m.

Sunday School | Community Groups                9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship                                           10:30 a.m.

Nursery is provided for children ages 0-3.

Children’s Church is available for children 3 years old through 5^th grade in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday Morning Services are broadcast live on the Website by clicking the HFC “LIVE” link on the welcome page

Wednesday | The Blend

Wednesday Meal – 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Faith Weaver Friends – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Jr. High Youth Group – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Women’s Bible Study – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Sr. High Youth Group – 8:00-9:30 p.m.

Refer to havilandfriends.org for an activities calendar.

Staff

Donnie Hinshaw                                         Lead Pastor

Josiah Williams                  Pastor of Student Ministries

KC Lingafelter                      Children’s Ministry Director

Joe Schoonover                                        Church Clerk

Lori Binford                                                    Treasurer

Audrey Wade                            Administrative Assistant

Haviland Friends Church

205 N Kingman PO Box 246 | Haviland, KS 67059 | 620-862-5258  hfcoffice@havilandfriends.org | www.havilandfriends.org

[43:1] But now thus says the LORD,

he who created you, O Jacob,

he who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

[2] When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

(Isaiah 43:1-2 ESV)

Isaiah is not talking about a literal flood of a rushing river, or raging house fire.  So before you shut down in reading this because you think it doesn’t apply to you, keep reading.  The flood and fire Isaiah is referring to here is the same flood and fire you have felt from time to time in life.  You have been there, I know you have.  It’s that moment when life kinda sucker punches you in the gut when things are going smooth.  It’s always perfect timing. It’s that moment when the very person you thought would never turn on you, does.  It’s that moment when there seems to be too much month left at the end of the money.  It’s that moment when everything seems to be against you.  It’s that moment when you feel like your mind is a cheap salesman convincing you that you’re a failure and worthless.  All these moments lead us to a place of desperately trying to clear our conscience, gain confidence, and find self-worth.

Any testimonies?

Maybe it’s just me.  If so, you can stop reading.

Isaiah was talking to the Israelites, but might as well have been talking to us from time to time. He wasn’t talking about a literal fire and flood, rather a literal nightmare we occasionally live spiritually and mentally.  Israel was in captivity at the time.  Their floods were trials; their fires were temptations; their rivers were testings.  These were all Satan’s attempts to destroy and overwhelm God’s people.

Isaiah’s words were intentionally a message of God’s compassion and mercy for Israel.  Yes, these people were in slavery and bondage due to their own poor decision not to accept God’s constant provision and attempt to live out of their own weak abilities.  You could say, they were dumb and foolish.  Any more testimonies?  I got one.

But, God sent them a brokenhearted prophet who said, “God wants me to tell you that you belong to Him.”

Right now you may be in the middle of a flood and fire.  You may feel overwhelmed by a trial.  You may feel crippled by temptation.  You may feel like your drowning in your own testimony.

Hear me out for just a minute…

The Lord does not always calm the waters.  He does not always keep the floods from coming.  He does not always put the fires out, in fact sometimes the fires rage in spite of His compassionate love for you.

So…all you need in life in any moment is to believe He is telling you this…

“I will walk you through it all.  This trial or circumstance will not destroy you.  It won’t consume you.  

So…walk on my friend!  The path is clear!  The road is wide open.  You’ll come out on the other side with my Spirit within you and still standing!

Pastor Donald Eugene (PDEugene)

This Week :

There will be no Wednesday Activities November 23 due to Thanksgiving. The office will be closed Wednesday through Friday.

Stars will shine during Campus of Light, an annual event at Barclay Campus. The lights will signal the beginning of the Christmas season on November 27 at 7:00 p.m.

This Sunday:

Message:

Offertory: Kim Stewart & Stacey Wheeler

0-18m: Lois Kendall & Tricia Oren

18m-3yr: Joy Dudley & Abby Giles

3-4 yrs: Jana Hawkins

Upcoming Events:

Christmas is around the corner and so is the Christmas Pageant. Make way for the wise men and their camels and put it on your calendar, December 3-4. They will be setting up the stage on November 28 at 8:00 a.m. so lend a hand and show up at the Barclay Gym.

Announcements:

Leona Missionary Society is meeting on November 21, changing the date from the 28^th due to Campus of Light.

“Get to Know HFC” classes will be continuing for two extra sessions. We will have a Q&A on November 30 and a class on Membership on December 7, both at 6:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

Feeling Mission Minded? There is a mission group that will be going to Bangladesh January 19-28; the deadline for registration and a deposit is Thursday, December 1. The Salt Shaker trip is also approaching and Burundi is the destination this year; deadline for registration and deposit is December 15. For more information call or email the church.

The Nominating Committee is looking for eager servants.  If God has placed a calling on your heart to serve at Haviland Friends in a specific way, please contact the church office and let Audrey know of your willingness to serve. She will pass this information on to us. The Nominating Committee will prayerfully work to help you find the place God has for you.

Want in on a reading plan? The church community is reading E100 – The Essential 100 Challenge. We are already in the New Testament on Day 56. You can join us now or start from the beginning. We have worked our way through 50 passages in the Old Testament and are reading 50 in the New Testament.

Steve Teter is well into the process of chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. Though they cannot receive visitors cards may be sent to:

Hotel at WaterWalk

c/o Steve Teter

711 S. Main St.

Wichita, KS 67213

You can get updates www.caringbridge.org/visit/steveteter

The MAYM replanting of Dodge City Family of Friends is underway. Gerald and Dee Mendenhall, newly appointed pastors, are settled in and on the job. Twice this month, attendance has exceeded the capacity of the facility on Hwy 50 and they are looking for larger accommodations. Haviland Friends’ effort in beginning this work is bearing fruit. We urge prayer support and giving as the Spirit leads.  Designate your gifts for “Dodge City Re-plant.”

Worship Schedule

Sunday

Group Life                                                       9:30 a.m.

Sunday School | Community Groups                9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship                                           10:30 a.m.

Nursery is provided for children ages 0-3.

Children’s Church is available for children 3 years old through 5^th grade in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday Morning Services are broadcast live on the Website by clicking the HFC “LIVE” link on the welcome page

Wednesday | The Blend

Wednesday Meal – 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Faith Weaver Friends – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Jr. High Youth Group – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Women’s Bible Study – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Sr. High Youth Group – 8:00-9:30 p.m.

Refer to havilandfriends.org for an activities calendar.

Staff

Donnie Hinshaw                                         Lead Pastor

Josiah Williams                  Pastor of Student Ministries

KC Lingafelter                      Children’s Ministry Director

Joe Schoonover                                        Church Clerk

Lori Binford                                                    Treasurer

Audrey Wade                            Administrative Assistant

Haviland Friends Church

205 N Kingman PO Box 246 | Haviland, KS 67059 | 620-862-5258  hfcoffice@havilandfriends.org | www.havilandfriends.org

I have lately been reminded of some of these. One that comes to mind is Philippians 1:3-6.

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

It first came to my attention in high school at the end of a Thank you note from my youth pastor. All that was there: the book, the chapter, one verse number. Curiosity got the best of me and I looked it up but felt like I didn’t understand the verse fully. So I started over. I read verse one and continued through to 10. And then I cried.

That is how most of my memories of encounters with Him end. I have one letter that was an encouragement and encounter that I keep with me. My older sister wrote me a letter before she left for college, and her words are some that I turn to often. I turn to it often simply because she helps me realign my compass. She starts off telling me things that I needed to hear and it still makes me cry. But it’s the end that I look at most.

“Grow up in your faith Audge. Strive towards God’s will. You’ll know it when you find it. Find it and fly with it. I can’t promise that it will be easy, but I guarantee it will be the wildest ride of your life! One that will stay with you for eternity. Because Audge, God is forever. You relationship with him is eternal. That’s what matter. Whatever the Lord wants for you will be the BEST!”

Now, these small moments have been great encouragement to me. These are the moments when I am reminded that I am part of the eternal history, a never ending story that brings glory to God. These moments and words are part of what helps me to conquer one of my fears. I have a fear that God will choose to not use me. A fear that I will be at the end of my body’s story and I will look back and cry, weep with sorrow of not having been used; that I will ache at not having accomplished something for the One responsible for gifting me everything.

Snippets like these change that fear. They empower me and give me a boldness. I read them and cry because I know that I have already conquered that fear. The words are true. And I am still at the beginning; beginning my story and His. His story will always continue on and I will get to witness this. I get to witness this because I am part of His story just as He is part of mine. For some insane reason God chose to use me to help in the writing of the best (and longest) story ever. And He chose you. Wake up and take joy in the moment, knowing that He is using you in this day and you are integral in His story. It would be forever changed and different if you weren’t in it. That alone is a source of joy; a knowledge of a partnership in a piece of literature that will outlast anything and everything.

Audrey

This Week :

Get to Know HFC is having a session today, November 9. It will be lead by David Kingrey. Next week (November 16) is led by Kevin Mortimer on Quaker doctrinal in the Sanctuary at 6:15 p.m.

Committee Meetings are on November 14 at the usual time.

Friendship Quilters and others will meet November 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Youth Building.  Bring a dish for carry in meal.  All ladies are welcome. 

This Sunday:

Message: 

Offertory: 

Nursery Schedule:

0-18m: Jo Ross & Kaelie Kendall

18m-3yr: Jennifer Lee & Rhonda Hinshaw

3-4 yrs: Jana Hawkins

Upcoming Events:

Leona Missionary Society is meeting on November 21, changing the date from the 28^th due to Campus of Light.

There will be no Wednesday Activities November 23 due to Thanksgiving.

Christmas is around the corner and so is the Christmas Pageant. Make way for the wise men and their camels and put it on your calendar, December 3-4. They will be setting up the stage on November 28 at 8:00 a.m. so lend a hand and show up at the Barclay Gym.

Announcements:

Feeling Mission Minded? There is a mission group that will be going to Bangladesh January 19-28; the deadline for registration and a deposit is Thursday, December 1. The Salt Shaker trip is also approaching and Burundi is the destination this year; deadline for registration and deposit is December 15. For more information call or email the church.

The Nominating Committee is looking for eager servants.  If God has placed a calling on your heart to serve at Haviland Friends in a specific way, please contact the church office and let Audrey know of your willingness to serve. She will pass this information on to us. The Nominating Committee will prayerfully work to help you find the place God has for you.

Want in on a reading plan? The church community is reading E100 – The Essential 100 Challenge. We are already in the New Testament on Day 56. You can join us now or start from the beginning. We have worked our way through 50 passages in the Old Testament and are reading 50 in the New Testament.

Steve Teter is well into the process of chemotherapy and stem cell transplants. Though they cannot receive visitors cards may be sent to:

Hotel at WaterWalk

c/o Steve Teter

711 S. Main St.

Wichita, KS 67213

You can get updates www.caringbridge.org/visit/steveteter

Worship Schedule

Sunday

Group Life                                                       9:30 a.m.

Sunday School | Community Groups                9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship                                           10:30 a.m.

Nursery is provided for children ages 0-3.

Children’s Church is available for children 3 years old through 5^th grade in the Fellowship Hall.

Sunday Morning Services are broadcast live on the Website by clicking the HFC “LIVE” link on the welcome page

Wednesday | The Blend

Wednesday Meal – 5:30-6:15 p.m.

Faith Weaver Friends – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Jr. High Youth Group – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Women’s Bible Study – 6:15-7:45 p.m.

Sr. High Youth Group – 8:00-9:30 p.m.

Refer to havilandfriends.org for an activities calendar.

Staff

Donnie Hinshaw                                         Lead Pastor

Josiah Williams                  Pastor of Student Ministries

KC Lingafelter                      Children’s Ministry Director

Joe Schoonover                                        Church Clerk

Lori Binford                                                    Treasurer

Audrey Wade                            Administrative Assistant

Haviland Friends Church

205 N Kingman PO Box 246 | Haviland, KS 67059 | 620-862-5258  hfcoffice@havilandfriends.org | www.havilandfriends.org