Unknown Riches
By Mike Riley
| |
The following story and its subsequent application is just as valuable for us living today as it was when it was written. Sadly, many of us hunt for treasure that has been right in front of our face all of the time, but we either can’t (or won’t) recognize it as such:
Several years ago an old man living in New Jersey discovered about $5,000 in a family Bible. The bank notes were scattered throughout the Book. In 1874 the aunt of this man had died, and one clause of her will was as follows:
“To my beloved nephew, Steven Marsh, I will and bequeath my family Bible, and all it contains, with the residue of my estate after my funeral expenses and just and lawful debts are paid.“
The estate amounted to a few hundred dollars, which were soon spent, and for about thirty-five years his chief support had been a small pension from the Government. He lived in poverty, and all the time within his reach there was the precious Bible containing thousands of dollars, sufficient for all his wants. He passed the Bible by. His eyes rested on it, perhaps his hands handled the old leather-bound Bible, with its brass clasps, but he did not open it once. At last, while packing his trunk, to move to his son, where he intended to spend his few remaining years, he discovered the unknown riches which were in his possession. What thoughts of regret must have come to his mind. If he only had opened that Bible years ago, he then might have used the money to great advantage. Instead of it the treasure lay idle for thirty-five years. And he might have had it and enjoyed it all that time.
This is a sad story. But there is something infinitely sadder than the experience of this man. It is the neglect of the Bible by God’s people. Our God has given to His people a costly treasure in His own Word. In this Book of books the riches of the wisdom and knowledge, the love and grace of God are made known. All the child of God needs spiritually is to be found on its pages; all wants are there supplied. And yet these riches, put at our display by a loving Father, are unknown and unused riches. Instead of being enjoyed, used, and in using them multiplied, they are neglected.
Many of God’s people are dragging along in a spiritually impoverished state, when they might have all their need supplied and constantly increase in the knowledge of God. Occasionally we receive letters from aged Christians, including preachers. They tell us how they deplore the fact that they did not know certain truths thirty or forty years ago. “How different my Christian life and experience as well as my service might have been,” is what an old Christian wrote to us recently. And all this time these riches were in the Bible, they might have enjoyed them. Oh, the neglected Bible! May we arise and possess our possession.
| |  |
Elders
Leon Cort
Mark Craigwell
|
Minister
Mark Craigwell
Assistant Minister
Denver Simmons
|
Deacons
Raleigh Gallington
Anthony Johnson
Gregory Johnson
Carlfred Malcolm
Albert Martin, Jr.
Walter Maxwell
Richard Meuse
Barry Person
Jason Reid
In Memoriam
Gone, but never forgotten, our beloved brother,
James W. Wade, Sr.
| |
|
Sermon for Sunday, January 7, 2023
Title: The Riches of God's Grace
Text: Ephesians 1:1-14
Speaker: Bro. Mark A. Craigwell
| |
Due to the impending inclement weather, we will only have one service on Sunday, January 7th, at 11:00 a.m. There will be no 8:30 service or Bible Class. Please pass this information on to those who may not receive email or text blasts. | |
|
We extend our sympathy to Sis. Sherrye Holmes and the Berry family in the passing of Sis. Holmes's cousin, Major Berry, and to Sis. Sylvia Cross and family in the passing of Sis. Cross's aunt, Thelma Adams. Let us keep all in prayer for comfort and strength in their bereavement.
| | |
|
|
Congratulations to
Marcus and Molly Craigwell
on the birth of their son, Mav,
on Monday, January 1, 2024
| |
|
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.
The Couples’ Ministry meets the 2nd and 3rd Friday of the month via Zoom. See Couples' Ministry section below for connection information.
The Singles’ Ministry will meet on Monday, January 8th at 6 p.m. at the church building.
Tech Day: 3rd Saturday of the month, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the church building. Bring your cell phones, tablets, and laptops for help with your tech issues. See Bro. Javier Jackson, Jr., or Bro. Jerard Samuel for details. Sign-up sheets will be posted monthly. The January Tech Day is currently scheduled for January 20th.
2024 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion: We are now accepting registrations for next year's excursion to see a live performance of "Daniel" and the Sight & Sound Theater. See Mature in Heart Ministry section below for details and link to registration form. Registration form and deposits were due by 12/31/23. If you have not yet submitted your deposit, please see Bro. Gallington, Sis. Nagarajah, or Sis. Keitrice Johnson to do so ASAP.
2024 Roxbury Ladies' Day: Saturday, March 16th at the Tirrell Room in Quincy. See Women's Ministry below for details. Please submit payments by the end of January.
Community Outreach: Our monthly community outreach grocery distribution will resume on Saturday, January 27th at 9:30 a.m. at the church building. All are welcome to participate.
| |
|
The congregation is requesting member support of its Mission Fund as we provide an educational stipend to Bro. Phillip Morrison while he attends Sunset International Bible Institute full time for the next 18 months to train as a minister. We are asking members to commit/pledge at whatever amount your heart and ability can provide for this period of time. This is a commitment over and above your regular giving and we hope all members will participate to the level of their ability and heart for God. Our target is to provide $3,000 per month and all commitments, whether large or small, are helpful and appreciated.
-
Please make checks and money orders payable to Church of Christ in Roxbury and write Mission Fund in the memo line.
-
Electronic donations may be made via the E-Giving option at ChurchofChristinRoxbury.org/e-giving, followed up with a text or email to Bro. Gallington [(617) 922-4598, mrcg13@hotmail.com].
Click here to complete the pledge form electronically.
| |
OUR CURRENT COVID PROTOCOLS | |
|
Effective immediately, and until further notice, we have suspended the requirement for attendees to sign up in advance to attend Sunday worship. We have also suspended attendance taking at our in-person services, classes, and events. Masking remains optional.
Remember that although COVID numbers are down, COVID has not gone away, and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Please protect yourself and those around you by adhering to the guidelines below.
If you test positive for COVID after attending an in-person church event, please notify us by email at cocroxbury@gmail.com or by text to Sis. Gloria Gallington at 617-922-5987 so that notifications can be made as needed.
For up-to-date information regarding COVID in Massachusetts, click the link below:
COVID-19 Updates and Information | Mass.gov
| |
|
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 9:45 a.m.; the second service begins at 11:00 a.m. Our weekly Bible classes for all ages begin at 10:00 a.m. 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. As noted under News & Notes, it is no longer necessary to sign up in advance to attend worship services in person.
E-giving link
https://churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving
Livestream link
Church of Christ in Roxbury - YouTube
| |
Our monthly community outreach grocery distribution will resume on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at the church building. All are welcome to participate. | |
|
Remote & In-Person
Class/Meeting Schedule
| |
Wednesday Night In-Person & Dial-In Bible Study
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in-person and via freeconferencecall.com.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
| |
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. | |
The Couples' Ministry meets the second and third Fridays of the month at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. | |
|
Our January Women's Class will take place on Sunday, January 28th at 5:00 p.m. at the church building and via Free Conference Call.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
Or join the class online at join.freeconferencecall.com/carl95fred
If you would like to present a lesson for our Women's Class in 2024, please see Sis. Wendy Craigwell.
| |
|
January 2024
Visitor Thank You Letters: Sis. Sharee Farley
Visitor Gift Bags: Sis. Sandra Wade
Baptistry: Sis. Wendy Craigwell
| |
Please check the bulletin board to make sure you are signed up to attend this event. The date will be here before you know it. The cost is $70 per person/$35 for ages 18 and under. Remember that we do not ask our guests or our sisters from other congregations to pay to attend this event. Please submit your payment(s) to Sis. Gallington, Sis. Cindy Woodley, or Sis. Maria Harris by the end of January or submit your payment online via our e-giving link at: https://www.churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving. If you submit your payment online, please follow up with an email to cocroxbury@gmail.com with the subject line "Ladies' Day Payment," and your name and payment amount in the body of the email. | |
|
2024 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion:
We are accepting registrations for the 2024 trip to Lancaster County Pennsylvania to see the September 19th showing of "Daniel" at the Sight and Sound Theater. The bus will be scheduled to leave at 4am on the 19th and estimated to return between 9pm and 10pm on the 20th. A minimum initial deposit of $120 is required to secure a spot. This should be completed by December 31, 2023 to allow us to plan for the number to attend. The deposit (and subsequent payments) can be made by cash, check (payable to Church of Christ in Roxbury), or electronically via our e-giving link: churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving. If you make your deposit or any subsequent payments electronically, please follow up with an email to cocroxbury@gmail.com with the subject line 2024 Pennsylvania Trip, and your name and payment amount in the body of the email.
The number of participants is limited by bus capacity. The overall cost of the charter bus, show ticket hotel and banquet has increased by $54 per person from 2023, however we have made some changes and restrictions to try to reduce the impact.
1. The minimum number for the event is increased from 24 to 30 (bus passengers). This will ensure that the bus cost per person is no more than $145.
2. The family-only restriction is removed for triple and quad hotel accommodations. However, we are requiring that all roommates be identified at the time of registration and the spots are not confirmed until all roommates have registered. There are also restrictions on refunds to make sure room costs are covered. More details are available upon request. Please see Bro. or Sis. Gallington, Sis. Keitrice Johnson, or Sis. Elizabeth Nagarajah with any questions.
Based on the changes described above, the following are the trip costs for 2024:
-
Quad Occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $352
-
Triple occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $371
-
Double occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $408
-
Single occupancy hotel room, banquet seat, bus seat and theater seat -- $535
-
Grand king hotel room, two banquet seats, two bus seats and two theater seats -- $859
-
Banquet seat and theater seat only -- $120
Please click here to access the online registration form.
| |
|
The date for the January men's class is Sunday, January 28th at 5 p.m. at the church building.
| |
The tentative date for our next zoom planning meeting is January 30, 2024 at 7:30pm. Please place this on your calendar. More details will be shared as we get closer to our meeting date. | |
Young Adult Ministry (YAM) | |
Date of next meeting will be announced. | |
Monthly Ministry Meeting
1st Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
| |
|
Meetings & Events
1/7 - Youth & Family Ministry Meeting, 2pm @church building.
1/8 - Ministers'/Elders'/Deacons' Meeting, 7pm
1/14 - Deacons' Meeting following 11:00 service @church building.
1/20 - Ministers'/Elders'/Deacons' Wives' Meeting, 9am
1/20 - Tech Day, 11am-1pm
1/21 - Retention Ministry Meeting following 11:00 service @church building.
1/27 - Community Outreach, 9:30am @church building.
1/28 - Men's & Women's Classes, 5pm @church building.
| |
Ministry Meetings - Please contact your ministry coordinator for remote meeting schedules.
| |
- Sunday New Converts' Class, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Bible Class (children) Sundays at 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Adult Devotional/Bible Study, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Worship Service 8:30 and 11:00am in person and 11:00am via livestream on YouTube. See above for details.
- Men's/Women's Classes, 5pm (4th Sunday of the month) @church building
- Youth & Family Ministry (1st Sunday of the month at 2pm)
-
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) in person and VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week New Converts' Class (Wednesdays @ 7pm) @church building
-
Healing Hearts (Thursdays @6:15pm) VIA ZOOM
- Choral Ministry (Thursdays @7:30pm) in person @church building
- Couple's Ministry (2nd & 3rd Fridays @ 7 pm)
- Retention Ministry (3rd Sunday following 11:00 service)
- Women's Prayer (Saturdays 9:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (Connection info above)
| |
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.
| |
Church of Christ in Roxbury
81 Walnut Avenue
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-5826
| | | | | |
