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Week of September 11, 2022 |
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Faith Should Provide Peace
BY MICHAEL HITE (BEAR VALLEY BIBLE INSTITUTE)
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Turn on the news or plug into your favorite flavor of social media and within seconds you will hear about suffering all around us. There are countries tragically at war. We face a looming recession and economic struggles. The political divide and race relations continue to rage. There was another school shooting in Texas. All of these situations certainly can and do bring suffering into our lives. It seems that everyone wants us to be wound up and stressed out. I read one brother in Christ recently post, “prepare for the coming chaos.” Now I’m not going to suggest that there aren’t problems and that times are tough - they are. They may get worse. Only time will tell. But as Christians, we have a great opportunity to show people around us what faith does for us in difficult times. FAITH SHOULD PROVIDE PEACE.
At the end of Peter’s first letter to the early church, he encouraged them to remember who they are and what that provides. “Peace be to all who are in Christ” (1 Peter 5:14). Peace is a sometimes misunderstood quality. Some would define peace as the “lack of conflict.” The idea is that we will have peace when there is no strife or struggling. While that is a common way of looking at the word peace, God never promises a “lack of conflict.” We live in a fallen and sinful world. Man’s push to put himself first and satisfy his own desires often give rise to conflict and suffering. But the word “peace” in Scripture is more often talking about a calmness of heart in the face of conflict rather than a lack of conflict. It expresses “a state of tranquility” even as the struggles swirl around us. Peter addresses persecution and great suffering in his letter and yet he says that we are to “seek peace and pursue it” (1 Peter 3:11). The question becomes, are we feeding the chaos and panic in people’s lives by echoing the chaos or are we seeking and pursuing peace by showing others the calmness that comes from trusting God to see us through anything that comes? Are we contributing to the “worries of the world,” choking the word of God out of the lives of our brethren by echoing the doom and gloom around us? Or are we showing the tranquility and peace that comes from a saving relationship with the Master of the Universe? If we have “entrusted our souls to a Faithful Creator (1 Peter 4:19) there should be a marked calmness and peace that surrounds us.
May we be lights in the world that brings peace (a calmness in the face of conflict) to those around us. May our behavior be so different in difficult times that people will ask us to explain the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). But more than that, may we be those who show the world that “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard OUR hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7). Truly, may “peace be to you all who are in Christ.”
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Elders
Leon Cort
Mark Craigwell
Martin Samuel
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Minister
Mark Craigwell
Assistant Minister
Denver Simmons
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Deacons
Raleigh Gallington
Anthony Johnson
Gregory Johnson
Carlfred Malcolm
Albert Martin, Jr.
Walter Maxwell
Richard Meuse
Barry Person
Jason Reid
James Wade, Sr.
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Congratulations Bro. Holmes! |
Congratulations to Bro. Russell Holmes, who was re-elected to a 7th term as State Representative for the 6th Suffolk District in last Tuesday's Democratic primary. Bro. Holmes won a landslide victory over his opponent, garnering 75.6% of the vote (3,226 votes to 1,041 votes) and winning in all 20 precincts.
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Sermon for Sunday, September 11, 2022
Follow After Christ
1 Peter 4:1-3
Speaker: Martin Samuel
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DON'T FORGET YOUR MASK!
Remember that masks are required at all of our in-person events, including services, classes, and meetings. Please also remember to bring your mask with you. We have a limited supply of masks available for those who do not have them.
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We will continue to offer two Sunday morning worship services to accommodate in-person attendees
The first service begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until approximately 9:30 a.m.; the second service begins at 11:00 a.m. The auditorium is sanitized between services. The weekly 10:30 a.m. devotional/adult Bible class will continue as scheduled. The usual sign-up rules and COVID protocols remain in effect. When you access the online sign up form, you will be required to specify which service you would like to attend. Once capacity has been reached for a particular time slot, the form will no longer accept new registrations for that time slot. We will continue to livestream the 11:00 service on our YouTube channel, and we encourage members to utilize e-giving, even when attending in person.
PLEASE NOTE: THE LINK BELOW IS FOR NEXT WEEK'S SERVICE.
In-Person Worship Sign-up
Please also note that there is a new registration link each week.
E-giving link
Livestream link
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Don't Miss Out! Please scroll through the entire e-bulletin each week to be certain not to miss any important announcements or links. Many items are repeated each week, but there are also new announcements that you'll miss if you don't scroll through the entire bulletin.
See the following sections for new/updated announcements.
- News & Notes
- Farewell to Bro. & Sis. Samuel
- Congratulations to Bro. Russell Holmes
- Worship & Class Schedule - Links to Services & Classes; link to worship attendance registration form for next week
- Please note that the New Converts' Class now meets both on Sunday mornings at 10 a.m., and Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. at the church building.
- Latest on COVID-19
- Vaccine available for ages 6 months and up. Booster shots available for J&J, Moderna, and Pfizer. Walk in appointments available at many clinics.
- Current and Upcoming Events
- Monday-Friday Meal Distribution, 1:30 p.m. daily
- Bedford Street CoC Teachers' Workshop, September 17, 2022
- Community Outreach Monthly Grocery Distribution, Saturday, September 24th
- Save the Date: October 15-19, 2022, Roxbury Fall Gospel Meeting with Bro. Eric Owens
- Ladies Take Note
- 4th Sunday Ladies' Class, 9/25/22 @5pm
- Mature in Heart
- 2022 Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion, October 28-29
- Men Take Note
- 4th Sunday Men's Class, 9/25/22 @5pm at the church building.
- Men's Retreat Details
- Youth & Family Ministry
- Youth Ministry Meeting, 9/4/22
- Annual Apple Picking, 9/24/22
- 10th Annual Youth Rally, 10/1/22
TextAlertz: If you are signed up to receive church text blasts via textalertz, but have stopped receiving the blasts, please email Sis. Gallington at ggallington@gmail.com so she can troubleshoot the issue.
Please keep us updated: Please keep us apprised of any changes to your address, phone number and email address so that we can maintain an accurate database of member information. Please notify Sis Nagarajah at enagarajah@gmail.com or Sis Gallington at ggallington@gmail.com of any changes to your contact information.
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Midweek Bible Study
Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m.
via freeconferencecall.com
(Click image at left to join the class online, or see remote class schedule below for dial-in info)
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Current & Upcoming Events |
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Our September monthly grocery distribution outreach will take place on Saturday, September 24th, beginning at 10 a.m. for bag assembly at the building. Masks required. Thank you to all who assisted with our August outreach efforts on August 27th.
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Click anywhere in the announcement above to download full-size flier. If you would like to attend, please give your name to Sis. Gallington no later than Sunday, September 11th. |
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Save the Date!
October 15-19, 2022
Roxbury Fall Gospel Meeting
with Bro. Eric Owens
Minister for
the West Side Church of Christ in Round Rock, Texas
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The Department of Public Health continues to urge all who are eligible to be vaccinated and/or boosted to do so, as vaccination is currently the best medical defense against the potentially deadly effects of COVID and its variants.
All Massachusetts residents ages 6-months and up are now eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and many facilities have walk-in hours. Booster shots are available for the Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson vaccines at many pharmacies and health care facilities. Use the link below if you need assistance scheduling an appointment or locating a facility.
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Click here or anywhere in the announcement above for more information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). |
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Remote & In-Person
Class/Meeting Schedule
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Wednesday Night Dial-In Bible Study
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
Or join the class online at
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Mid-Week Youth Bible Study
Wednesdays 7-7:30 p.m. via Zoom
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Women's Saturday Prayer Meeting
Join us for prayer on Saturday mornings at 9:30 a.m. via freeconferencecall.com
Dial-in: 701-802-5069; Access code 3730930#
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REMINDER: Please remember to mute your phone or computer when joining any of the above conference calls to avoid interrupting the class or service you are entering, particularly if you are joining the call after the event has started. |
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2nd and 3rd Fridays of the month @ 7:00 p.m.
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4th Sunday Ladies Class
Sunday, September 25 at 5 p.m.
Presenter: Sis. Pamela Alexander
Topic: The Book of Ruth
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Our 2022 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion is scheduled for October 28-29. Please give your name to Bro. Gallington, Sis. Gallington, Sis. Keitrice Johnson, or Sis. Elizabeth Nagarajah if you plan to participate. A deposit of $100 per person is required to secure your spot, followed by monthly payments of $100 in June and July, with the balance due in August. Payments can be submitted electronically via our e-giving link. Please follow up any electronic payments with an email to cocroxbury@gmail.com with the subject line "Pennsylvania Trip Payment" and your name and payment amount in the body of the email.
Participants must be fully vaccinated, and masks will be required on the bus. Participants must also agree to comply with whatever COVID protocols are in place at the hotel, restaurant and theater, as well as any stores visited during the trip.
All monies will be refunded if the trip has to be cancelled due to rising COVID levels.
Cost:
*Quad (4 people in room): $330 per person
*Triple (3 people in room): $347 per person
Double (2 people in room): $381 per person
Grand King (couples): $807 per couple
*Quad and triple accommodations are only available to members of the same household or family.
This trip is now open to members of our sister congregations, who should email their names to cocroxbury@gmail.com with the subject line "2022 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Trip."
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Sunday Morning Devotional: Brothers, please see Bro. Phillip Morrison if you would like to present a Sunday morning devotional at 10:30 a.m., prior to our Sunday morning worship service.
4th Sunday Men's Class Sunday, September 25, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. at the church building.
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All payments are now due. To pay online, use our e-giving link to make your payment and follow up with an email to cocroxbury@gmail.com with subject line "Men's Retreat Payment," and your name, congregation, and payment amount in the body of the email.
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No announcements at this time. |
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Young Adult Ministry (YAM) |
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Click here to join the YAM Zoom meeting online.
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Monthly Ministry Meeting
1st Sunday of each month at 2:00 p.m.
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Meetings & Events
9/5 - Labor Day - no lunch distribution
9/6-9 - Daily Lunch Distribution 1:30-2pm @church building (no lunch on 9/5)
9/11 - Deacons' Meeting, following 11am service @church building
9/12-16 - Daily Lunch Distribution 1:30-2pm @church building
9/13 - Young Adult Ministry meeting 7pm via Zoom. Connection info above
9/17 - Ministers'/Elders'/Deacons' Wives Meeting, 9am via teleconference
9/17 -Bedford Street CoC Bible Teachers' Workshop
9/19-23 - Daily Lunch Distribution 1:30-2pm @church building
9/24 - Community Outreach, 10am @ church building
9/24 - Annual Apple Picking Outing
9/25 - Roxbury 4th Sunday Ladies' Class 5:00pm
9/25 - Roxbury 4th Sunday Men's Class, 5:00pm @church building
9/26-30 - Daily Lunch Distribution 1:30-2pm @church building
Masks are required for all in-person events
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Ministry Meetings - Please contact your ministry coordinator for remote meeting schedules.
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- Sunday New Converts' Class, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Bible Class (children) Sundays at 10:30am @church building
- Sunday Adult Devotional/Bible Study, 10:30am @church building
- Sunday Worship Service 8:30 and 11:00 am in person and 11:00 a.m. via livestream on YouTube. See above for details.
- Men's/Women's Classes, 5pm (4th Sunday of the month); Men @church building; Women via Zoom (details above)
- Youth & Family Ministry (1st Sunday of the month at 2pm)
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Mature in Heart Women's Prayer (Tuesdays @ 10:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Prayer Meeting (Tuesdays @ 7pm) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week Bible Study (Wednesdays @ 6:30pm) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week New Converts' Class (Wednesdays @ 7pm) @church building
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Healing Hearts (Thursdays @6:15pm) VIA ZOOM
- Couple's Ministry (1st & 2nd Fridays @ 7 pm)
- Women's Prayer (Saturdays 9:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (Connection info above)
- Ministers/Elders/Deacons Wives Meeting, (3rd Saturday @10 am) @church building
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Bro. John Kurpiel, minister for the Lawrence congregation, hosts an international radio program, “Soul Food,” on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11AM until 3PM. The program airs on Ignite Radio Broadcast via Mixlr, an interactive internet radio platform. Use the link below to tune in to listen, or to participate in the conversation. Always free to listen. https://mixlr.com/ignite-radio-broadcast.
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Church of Christ in Roxbury
81 Walnut Avenue
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-5826
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