AMBASSADORS
Adult Bible Fellowship

Saturday, December 6, 2008, we had our annual Ambassadors Christmas Party. This was an excellent opportunity for good Christian fellowship. Click on any picture to see a larger version. I don’t know what these gals were talking about but it looks interesting. Of course, one reason for the gathering was to EAT. There was more than enough of everything but I think everyone was most interested in this dessert table. After dinner, John led the time for selecting and trading (kind way of saying TAKING) gifts. There were an abundance of gifts to choose from. These ranged from treasures (chocolate) to trash. Bob was a fortunate “trash” collector and went home the proud owner of a bowl with a mechanical hand. Likewise, Barb received the DUCK FEET. This is something that gets passed around every year and no one typically wants them. However, Sandy did a fantastic job of marketing the feet (with CANDY) and people actually wanted them! Another traditional gift (trash) is the gas pump handle. Gra...

Saturday, November 8th we had our annual Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox packing day. Of course we couldn’t do this without having an excuse for breakfast. There were thirty of us, including a few grandchildren. I think we packed between 35 and 40 shoeboxes. Like I said, we needed an excuse for breakfast. There was plenty to eat and enough of us to dig in! The meal time was a good time for fellowship. I had difficulty deciding how to caption this photo. It is easy to see that Don is contemplating the teddy bear; but I don’t know why Jerry is cooling his strawberries. After breakfast, it was time to go to work. Some worked alone, others worked in pairs, while Mark seems to be just enjoying the coffee and the spectacle of others at work. Of course, Bev enjoyed giving instructions. Or perhaps this is just proof that us guys need supervision when it comes to wrapping creativity. No matter what we were doing, everyone seemed to have a good time while we were providing for others less fortun...

Today was a fantastic Celebration in the Park for our Church and for our Adult Bible Fellowship. For the Celebration part we were treated to a great concert by D.C. Washington. I really enjoyed his voice and his choice of music. At the end of his concert Pastor Kisner spoke for a few minutes and also invited members of the police, firemen and also rescue personnel to join him in the front. Then a bagpiper did a short performance. It brought back some great memories for me! Of course, it would not be a Celebration in the Park without our annual Ambassador's picnic. We had a large crowd, I think the largest in our history, in and around our shelter. There were also other class members who ate with family in other areas of the park. I have in on good authority that no one went home hungry. Am I correct? As we were cleaning up the rescue helicopter arrived and everyone had a chance to examine it!

Sunday May 18, Dennis taught from James 3. Here are his notes. I. James 3:1-12 __a. Context: ___i. Going from theoretical to the practical ___ii. James 1-2 v. 3-5 __b. Starts with the biggest problem in the church: gossip II. Definitions (Merriam-Webster): __a. a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others __b. rumor or report of an intimate nature __c. a chatty talk __d. v: one who tells gossip III. Opens with a warning: __a. Not many teachers! __b. Stricter judgment (cp. Pharisees: Matt. 23) __c. Why? Our words are the most direct measure of our character IV. James uses metaphors for the tongue – What is a metaphor? __a. “Her eyes were blazing like fire” __b. “Her eyes were burning coals” __c. Direct comparison (“The tongue is a fire”) __d. Cp. "simile” – uses ‘like’ or ‘as’ __e. E.g., “Her cheeks were like roses” V. Three pairs of metaphors: __a. Power to direct (bridle and rudder) __b. Power to destroy (fire and wild animals) __c. Power to delight ...

Here are the questions that Dennis mentioned on Sunday from James 2: Examine yourselves in the spirit of 2 Cor. 13:5 Some key self-examining questions: Was there a time when I honestly realized I was a sinner, and admitted this to myself and God? Was there a time when my heart was stirred by all this? Was I moved by my sinfulness? Do I truly understand the Gospel: that Christ died for my sins and rose again? Do I recognize that I cannot save myself? Did I sincerely repent of my sins and turn from them? Have I trusted Christ and Christ alone for my salvation? Do I continued to enjoy a living relationship with Him through the Word and through His spirit? Has there been a change in my life? Am I growing in my faith? Can others tell? Do I desire to share Christ with others? Do I enjoy fellowship with other believers? Is worship delightful to me? Am I ready for the Lord’s return?

Friday evening, May 9th, we had a game night in the church for our class. We all played table games and ate snack foods. I would have liked to see more in attendance but I know that this Mother’s day weekend may have posed problems for some. As you can see from the photos below, we played a variety of games. Good times for fellowship and discussion. But, someone must be the expert to explain the rules. Hmmm, looks like our lawyer is examining the evidence! Watch out! This one will hurt! Hey! Are you watching my moves?! Linda it going to make a move! The Thinker!

It is always nice to have special guests with us and this Sunday we were blessed to have missionaries from Zambia with us. The Chambers shared their hearts, and voices, with us. I really enjoyed the singing even if I could not understand a word. Pray for them as they survey new opportunities for service. They are looking at two possibilities in Togo and South Africa. Events: May 4 - Dennis will be our teacher again after 3 weeks off. May 9 - Game night at the church (7PM) Sign up next Sunday if you missed the opportunity this week. May 13 - YAH Luncheon This past week we had many opportunities to hear from our missionaries from near and far. What a blessing we had. The Allens will be returning to their field very shortly. Pray for them. This is a new photo of the entire family, minus Josiah who is in the service.

Larry and Nancy Allen had another grand-daughter. This one is Selah Irene Niclasen (pronounced Say-La) She is about 7 pounds and 20 inches. Anniversary: April 6 – Rudy & Hallie April 10 – Tony & Betty Dates to Remember: April 8 – YAH Luncheon (Dave Darkow presents on Fraud Prevention) April 9 – Clay Crosse Concert April 13 - Second Floor ABF Breakfast - Plan to bring something to share and participate, even if you did not sign up on the 6th. April 20-26 – Mission Conference and Power Lunches April 24 – YAH Day Trip to Reds Game against Houston April 25 – Cottage Meeting with Todd and Dawn Entner at the Bostater’s home (7PM)

We had a good day today. We have a number of people away for the weekend but still had fun fellowshipping together and opening God’s Word. Dennis’ Lesson: This week we reviewed where we have been the last few weeks in James 2. We discussed 2:14 and how our faith is dead without works. Our salvation is by Faith first then we are to exhibit our faith through works. We continued in verses 18 and 19 - 18But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. 19You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. We are to demonstrate our faith by what we do. Many people believe that our salvation is merely by believing that there is a Christ. However, as we can see in verse 19, even the demons know that and fear God. We are differentiated by or faith and trust in Christ with outward proof through works. Birthdays: March 28 - Char Copeland April 3 – Don Rickard April 4 ...

Rudy supplied this very interesting link. He commented that this illustrates where we need to focus some home missionaries. Or perhaps this shows where we should all move. Check out Oklahoma and Arkansas! On the other hand, lets avoid Utah. Great place to start a Fundamental Church, though. Check out this link. Topography of religion This is a flash map, so be sure you have Flash installed. Just run your mouse over a state to see the results.

Happy Valentines Day! Even though this is a day when we should remember and pay tribute to our sweethearts, I believe we should also remember the one who loved us so much that He gave his only son so that we might live eternally with Him. Co-Laborers/Ambassador Luncheon I think it is fair to state that this event last Sunday was a resounding success. There was plenty of great food and fellowship to go around. Thanks to the Co-Laborers for suggesting this event and inviting us to participate. Anne Wamsley also prepared a special Valentines Day PowerPoint for us to show during the lunch time. After the time of feeding our faces and enjoyable fellowship across the table, Nancy and Larry Allen shared something from their hearts with us. It was great to have them around for the weekend.

Last Sunday, January 20, Larry Smith led a great discussion about our “Communities of Faith”. These focused on our beliefs based on Biblical evidence versus personal preference. Of course much of our Biblical Evidence is subject to personal interpretation, so this is included as a factor. This discussion really challenged all of us to think seriously about what we believe and why. Of course, this also impacts what we teach and attempt to force on our brothers in Christ. I learned that we must all be very careful to discern what are Biblical Absolutes (non-negotiable), what is open to interpretation (Biblical Convictions), and what is purely based on our personal preferences. Larry provided the following illustration to show how these interact: As you can see, we need to measure our beliefs (convictions) based on what the Bible says. In some cases the Bible is totally silent. One example may be our church worship style. In other cases, the Biblical interpretation is debatable. Often thi...

I'm sorry about being late with this update. There has been a lot going on this week with family, friends and the church. Then, to be honest, this skipped my elderly mind. :) Check your email for prayer items. If you are seeing this but don't get the email, let me know and I will see that you get on our email list, if you wish. ABF Class time: Sunday morning was the first time our Ambassadors ABF has met in several weeks. Unfortunately, Dennis was not prepared to teach. He had planned to be out of town, then was "under the weather" and didn't travel or make it to our class. Fortunately, because of his plans, he warned me that he did not plan to teach last Sunday. So, rather than look for another teacher, I decided to cover something that was/is on my heart. We talked about what the Bible says about caring for the elderly and more specifically about how we could respond to the needs of those who are reaching a point of needing more care. I titled my presentation/di...