LIFE TOGETHER ON WEST MORRIS STREET
A weekly information and prayer journal by Pastor John Hay, Jr.

November 8, 2006

Contents
- A Prayer-Filled Life
- A Word-Centered Life
- A Christ-Incarnating Life
- A Gathered-Together Life
- A Lingering Blessing

A PRAYER-FILLED LIFE

GIVING JESUS ACCESS TO OUR NEEDS "To pray is nothing more involved than to open the door, giving Jesus access to our needs and permitting Him to exercise His own power in dealing with them…Will we give Jesus access to our needs? That is one of the great and fundamental questions in connection with prayer." - Ole Hallesby in Prayer

PRAY FOR BREAKTHROUGH With thanksgiving, pray for encouragement, wisdom and spiritual breakthrough in these situations:
-- God's centering, empowering peace in your daily life.
-- Jack and Jeanne Munos (from Indianapolis) have returned to Haiti to serve as Free Methodist Missionaries.
-- A significant number of post-high school young people are in need of guided fellowship and encouragement. Who will lead?
-- Ruth Lucas is moving to northern Indiana to live with her daughter. This is a big transition.
-- Nursery and Preschool leadership is in transition after coordinators have served faithfully in these roles for several years.
-- Several new families are participating hopefully in WEMO regularly since August.
-- Leadership for young families and young adults as focused ministries of fellowship and encouragement.
-- Neighbors and friends who live daily without an assurance of faith and hope.
-- Our outreach through a monthly neighborhood dinner and clothing ministry is this evening.
-- God's guidance in your life, household, family, and extended family.

PRAY FOR HEALING Pray God's healing for the following who have expressed a desire for intercession from the WEMO community:
-- Gayle Foster is recovering from gallbladder surgery last week.
-- Dorothy Livengood is recovering from back surgery last Friday.
-- Nora Roberts is at Eagle Creek rehab for a stroke.
-- Charlene Benge's granddaughter, Mia, will have extensive brain surgery on Friday, November 10.
-- Iqbal Nassir continues chemotherapy treatments for lung cancer.
-- Joe Black lingers in advanced stage of Parkinson's at Lakeview; Phyllis attends to Joe daily.
-- Riker Simcoe is in rehab at Heartland Healthcare.

SCAMPS PRAYER & SHARE SCAMPS (all who are 55+) now have a monthly prayer group the 1st Tuesday at 7:00 pm. Next prayer time: December 5; home of Jim & Pat Strange.

MEN'S PRAYER BREAKFAST All men are invited each Wednesday @ 6:15 am in Ellis Hall. Food, fellowship & prayer.

A WORD-CENTERED LIFE

SO CLOSE AND YET SO FAR One of the striking realities of what we learn in Deuteronomy 1 is that the people were so close to entering the Promised Land…and yet so far. Instead of going in and possessing the land, as God had directed, they shrank back in light of their fears. So, they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. The issue? Obedience. Here are the principles we explored on Sunday morning:

A PASSAGE, NOT A MAZE 1. The wilderness is meant to be a PASSAGE to fulfillment, not a dead-end MAZE. If you keep wandering around, maybe it's time to ask why.

READY TO OBEY? 2. The way through and the way out is to trust and OBEY God's GUIDANCE, God's Word. God's been there all along, ready to guide and bring breakthrough. Are we ready to listen and heed?

YOUR NEXT TURN 3. God does not ABANDON us--or His promises--even when we have acted in fear and FAITHLESSNESS. Made all the wrong turns? God has not abandoned you. Let you next turn be right into His loving, forgiving embrace.

BUILD FAITH INTO CHILDREN 4. Keep your FOCUS always on the next generation of people to be FORMED by faith and led to the Promised Land. Avoid becoming self-absorbed or despairing about missed opportunities. Invest in children. Build faith that faces down fears into them. They are our link to the Promised Land.

CROSSING JORDAN Before it was the name of a TV crime drama, "Crossing Jordan" was one of the great turning points for the Israelites in their journey from slavery in Egypt to settling in the Promised Land. Crossing Jordan is often used to refer to a person going through death to their final home-heaven. But what does it mean for us, now, who live by faith? We'll explore the story on Sunday. See you then! Catch up on "MOSES Today" at www.westmorrisfm.org.

THE COMPASS AS A DAILY RESOURCE The Compass is prepared each week as a tool for spiritual growth. Work the exercises in personal devotions. Reflect on them in your small group. Each edition of The Compass extends and applies our focus in the Word from Sunday mornings.

SUNDAY EVENING BIBLE STUDY In addition to your opportunities to explore the Word in Sunday School at 9:30 am, each Sunday evening @ 5 pm in the Chapel Conference Room, Steve Strange leads a chapter-by-chapter exploration of the Bible.

A CHRIST-INCARNATING LIFE

ENCOUNTERING CHRIST IN OTHERS Service is the greatest and simplest way we make Christ known to others and in the world. It is also the way we experience Christ in others. How and where can you serve others--directly or indirectly--today or this week?

CLOTHING MINISTRY This evening is our monthly Neighborhood Dinner at 5:30 pm and Clothing Ministry at 6:30 pm. Thanksgiving food will be served (call Dee if you can still offer an item or help serve). With Ruth Lucas moving away, another person is needed to assist with clothing sorting on Mondays, 8:30-11:30 am.

CLC & THE UNDERGROUND CLC/CLC+ and The Underground are serving each Wednesday evening. CLC/CLC+ is for children K-6, 7-8 pm, and meets at the church. The Underground is for youth 7-12 and meets at 1062 S. Pershing. These ministries are staffed by WEMO volunteers.

MORNING DEVOTIONS FOR HABITAT? Thanks to those who have stepped forward to lead a small group of Habitat for Humanity volunteers in devotions at 7:45 am one day in November. We have one date available; please call the church office if you can help.

GIVE BLOOD ON DECEMBER 10 I've invited the Central Indiana Blood Center to receive blood from WEMO participants on Sunday, Dec. 10. Giving blood takes about 30 minutes. Times begin at 9:00 am and continue to 1:00 pm in the Lower Level.

MRNC TOY PARTY Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center assists many neighborhood families with Christmas each year--including 700 children. You can support this community effort at the annual Toy Party on Dec 1, 5-8 pm at MRNC, 1920 W. Morris Street. You can either bring new toys or a donation of $25. Or, you can make bids on items at their silent auction.

A GATHERED-TOGETHER LIFE

BE WHERE YOU BELONG Fire lives and shines brightly when singular embers are close together. So do believers. We belong to each other when we belong to Christ. So, draw near. Be where you belong. Engage. There's a place waiting for you at the table. The church won't be the church without you.

ALL-CHURCH HARVEST DINNER Please plan to join in the Harvest Dinner in the Lower Level on Sunday, Nov 19 at 12 noon. Bring food for your household and a little more to share with others as we celebrate Thanksgiving within the WEMO family. Because a few of our hospitality team members will be out of town, extra help is needed for set-up/clean-up of this gathering. Please let Rick Domogalik know of your readiness to assist.

COFFEEHOUSE Anna Shepherd and Pastor Mike Conkle are offering Coffeehouse each Wednesday 6:30-8:00 pm in the East Conference Room. Devotions, guided discussions and prayer are a part of this weekly gathering.

SCAMPS TO KOPPER KETTLE All SCAMPS are invited to travel as a group to the Kopper Kettle restaurant in Morristown on Nov 16. Please make reservations with Mary Murray by Nov 12. Meet to carpool and use the church van at 11 am.

WEDDING SHOWER All women are invited to a come-and-go wedding shower for Stacy Rector, finance of Jeffrey Bick, on Sunday, Dec 3, 3-5 pm in the Lower Level. They are registered at Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

YOUNG FAMLIES FELLOWSHIP/MEETING I want to invite all young families (those with children through grade school) to an evening of holiday fellowship and planning on Friday, December 8, 6:30-8:30 pm in the Lower Level. Children are welcome; special activities and nursery care will be provided. Each family is welcome to bring a holiday dessert to share. In addition to the fellowship, I want to hear of your hopes and ideas for fellowship and involvement for 2007.

ON THE HORIZON Please note the following dates. They may be important to you…or someone in your family. Updates @ www.westmorrisfm.org.

- Sign up for family Christmas assistance @ Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center - Oct 23-Nov 21
- Energy Assistance seniors sign-up @ MRNC - continuing
- Youth Thanksgiving Dinner - Nov 15 6:15-8 pm
- Energy Assistance for non-seniors @ MRNC - sign-ups begin Nov 20
- 1st FMC Thanksgiving Day Meals - Nov 23
- Official Board - Nov 27, 7 pm
- SCAMPS Christmas Luncheon - Dec 9, 12 noon
- Blood Drive - Dec 10, 9 am-1 pm, Lower Level
- Ben Davis Madrigal Choir @ WEMO Christmas Dessert Evening - Dec 10, 6:30 pm, Lower Level
- Jeffrey Bick, Stacy Rector wedding - Dec 16, 2:30 pm

A LINGERING BLESSING

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. Amen" -- 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17

West Morris Street Free Methodist Church
2302 West Morris Street
Indianapolis, Indiana 46221
John Hay, Jr., Senior Pastor
Phone: 317.632.8311
Office e-mail: wmsfmc@juno.com
Website: www.westmorrisfm.org

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