AMONG FRIENDS
with
Robert Prater

Let me give you an update from our VBS Meeting last Sunday evening. We have a good number of people who are interested in working in our VBS. If you were not able to attend the meeting, but would like to be involved in some way this year, there are sign-up sheets on the table in the foyer covering the various areas to help in. Our VBS coordinators will need workers to help in teaching, story telling, crafts, puppets, games, refreshments, decorations, registration and follow-up. We want to make sure that as many people as we can are put to work in this congregation. See me if you have further questions.

The dates for this summer’s VBS will be July 17-21. Please mark your calendars now! We will once again be conducting a five day VBS from 9 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. each morning here at the building for ages 2 through 5^th. We are very excited about this year’s theme for Vacation Bible School, "God’s All-Stars: Champions of the Faith!" We’ll be looking at a different Bible character from Hebrews 11 that teaches an important characteristic of true, genuine, Biblical faith. Monday: Believing in God (Rehab and the Walls of Jericho); Tuesday: Trusting and Obeying God’s Promises/

Word (Abraham & Isaac); Wednesday: Perseverance in God’s Providential Care (Joseph); Thursday: Strong and Courageous in the Lord (David); Friday: Salvation by faith in Jesus Christ (Death, burial, and resurrection of Christ).

We continue to be in the process of planning and organizing many great activities for our children this summer during VBS. I’m so thankful for all the many hard workers that we have here at Central. Without your dedicated labor this teaching and outreach ministry would not be possible. We love our children and want to see them grow spiritually through well planned Bible lessons and activities. Please pray that our VBS will once again be a tremendous success this upcoming summer.

Finally, as you know, we have recently been announcing a planned trip to New Orleans to do continual disaster relief, cleanup and rebuilding efforts due to Hurricane Katrina. This effort is being coordinated and planned by the Tammany Oaks Church of Christ in Mandeville, LA, a suburb of New Orleans. Both the Central congregations here in Shawnee and in Chandler are looking to participate by taking a vanload of volunteers and workers. The trip is scheduled for the week of March 13 - 18 during Spring Break. So far we have six members from Central who are planning on going-Bob Perry, Jason Perry, Paul Harris, Jim Pettyjohn, Tracy Gettle and myself. We will be joining a group of about ten from the church at Chandler as well. If you would like more information about the trip or would like to go, please contact Bob Perry as soon as possible. I would like to ask all of you to keep our team in your prayers and the people we will be working with that we may encourage them and impact their lives for Christ.

--Robert--(robprater@sbcglobal.net)

SERMONS FOR SUNDAY

AM - Homosexuality: A Biblical Perspective

PM - Bible Question Series - Ghosts and spirits, non-apostles working miracles, and Numbers 14:18

ANNUAL LEADERSHIP DINNER

This year’s Annual Shawnee Area Leadership Dinner will be in Highland’s new facilities at Tecumseh on E. Walnut beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 10^th. All elders, deacons, ministers, and their wives should be planning to attend.

SYMPATHY

We extend our sympathy to Joann Cheney in the loss of her brother, Art Codding. Funeral services were Monday at Arlington Cemetery in Midwest City.

We also express our sympathy to Harvey Moore in the loss of his aunt, Ethel Mae Moore. Funeral services were conducted Monday at Fairview Cemetery.

Our sympathy goes to Zane Qualls in the loss of his mother, Elmira Qualls. Funeral services will be sometime this week in Stillwater.

We offer our sympathy to Vesta Mays in the recent loss of her niece, Pamela Mays of Earlsboro.

CONGRATULATIONS!

We extend our very best wishes to Steve and Mary Kelly on becoming grandparents again. Liam Everett Hicks was born to Taraand Jason Hicks on Saturday, February 25, 2:30 a.m. at Everett Tower, OU Medical Center. He weighed seven pounds, ten ounces and was 20 ½ inches long. Joyce Kelly is his great grandmother.

THANK YOU

Thank you Dwyane and Robert for the beautiful service. Thank you members for your prayers, visits, food, flowers, and many acts of kindness you have shown to us during this very sad time of the loss of our beloved Verna Nell.

Bertha Ann Young and family

PRAYER CONCERNS

To the best of our knowledge, we have no one from Central in the hospital at this time. James Childers is now in the McLoud Nursing Home, room 15.

Thelma Divine recently fell and broke her ankle which is keeping her and her sister Clovie Dossey pretty much confined to home.

CONTINUING PRAYER CONCERNS

Jearline Bates, Chad Beard, Virgil Beasley, Betty Bernard, Melba Boston, Bettie Boswell, Harold Carothers, James Childers, Ray Davis (Paul Harris’ dad) Harold & Clydean Decker, Bill Fleming, Mary Gaines, Barbara Hembree (aunt of Diane Lawerance), Roe Honaker, Anna Jarvis, Earnest Johnson (Yuavonda Sperry’s uncle), Carol Mahnke, Mary Martin, Mike Martin (Jim & Cathy Pettyjohn’s son-in-law) Don Allen McNutt, Harvey Moore, Niki Peltier, Elmira Qualls, (Zane Qualls’ mother), Polly Reece, Alice Rice, Millie Riley, Sarah Smith, Mary Sorensen, Chub & Dorothy Strickland, Floy Turner, Alvie Vanlandingham, Emma Wilson, Carl Worley, and Viola Yates All these members and friends have continuing health concerns or other special circumstances. They appreciate your interest and prayers

LOOKING AHEAD

Youth News

Bob Stephens

Happy Birthday to Austin Beard! Austin turned sixteen last week and will soon be driving the streets of Shawnee. Turning sixteen is one of those milestones in every teenagers life. Congrats Austin!

We have two of our high schoolers going to the OC Spring Visit this coming weekend. Nathan Kelly and Jason Perry will be going to Oklahoma Christian to take the ACT test and then spend the rest of Friday and Saturday there experiencing campus life. We wish you luck on the test!

Those that signed up to go to Spring Sing on Saturday afternoon, the van will be leaving at noon. We should be returning to Shawnee around 6:00 p.m.

COMING YOUTH EVENTS:

"As Christians we accept one foundational truth - God -
and everything else makes sense. An atheist denies God
and has to accept incredible explanations for everything else.
It takes more faith to deny God than to believe in Him.
John MacArthur -- 8^{)