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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MAY 2008
 MONTHLY
First Sunday of Every Month -Friends Day - No Evening Service
Our morning service the first
Sunday of every month will be extended and dedicated to
getting to know our guests and members better. To achieve this
goal, members are asked to invite someone to have lunch with them either
in their homes or a restaurant. By doing so, the service is
extended beyond its regularly scheduled time; therefore, no evening
service will be held the first Sunday of each month only.
5th - Daughter's of Zion Prayer - 7:00 PM
5th - H2H Prayer/Daniel Dawson Home - 7:00 PM
6th - Men's Bible Study & Discipleship Training
7th - Children's Church
7th - Youth Coffee Shop
10th - Ladies Ministry Prayer Breakfast
Woman, Where Art Thou
"Our Journey Back to the Garden"
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
11th -
Pentecost Sunday - Rev. Jason Mitchum 10:00AM Service
Mother's Day - Sis. Rachel Cole - 6:00 PM Service
11th - Ladies Service Night
14th - Youth Service Night
15th - Quarterly Sunday School Department Meeting
16th - Men's Evening Prayer & Fellowship
16th - 17th - Spanish Training Seminar/Campground
18th - Homecoming
19th - H2H Prayer/Lucretia Wint Home - 7:00 PM
20th - Men's Bible Study & Discipleship Training
21st - Children's Church
21st - Graduate Recognition Service
24th - M E G A March
25th - Memorial Day Service
25th - Youth Kitchen Fund Raiser
28th - OUS Bake Sale
28th - Youth Service Night
FAN THE FLAMES
"And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they
were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a
sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the
house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven
tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they
were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other
tongues, as the Spirit game them utterance." Acts 2:1-4.
Pentecost is fifty days after Passover and this year we
celebrated this special occasion with Rev. Jason Mitchem who was our
guest speaker for Pentecost Sunday services. He presented powerful
messages, using examples from others lives, as well as his own, to
"paint the picture" of how God uses situations to change lives and turn
them around for service to Him. We had four who received the Holy
Ghost and two baptized as a result of these awesome services as we
"Practiced the Presence of the Lord"; received Him into our midst;
fanned the flames; and praised Him for his goodness. We thank God
for this outpouring of His spirit in our midst.
Pentecost Sunday
May 27, 2007 
MOTHER'S DAY 2007
 We began Mother’s Day 2007 in our morning service by honoring several mothers who were present: The eldest Mother; the Mother with the youngest child (this year we had two that were less than a month old); a visiting Mother (selected by number from visiting mothers in attendance); an expectant Mother and the Mother with the most children present. Then in the evening service, we had Ladies Service Night followed by a reception for the entire church body. This was an inspirational service that provided an opportunity for several of our ladies to speak about how Jesus has blessed their lives through their children, as well as the children of the church. Take a look at some of our honored Mothers.  LADIES “NOW FAITH” PRAYER BREAKFAST Our Ladies Auxiliary sponsored a “Now Faith” Prayer Breakfast on June 16, 2007. The purpose of the breakfast was to bring our ladies together in a relaxed environment so we could get to know one another better and to emphasize the importance of unity in the Church among our ladies. Three ladies from our Church were guest speakers, including our “First Lady” – Sis. Sarah Sheppard. After a special welcome to all by our hostess for the event, scripture reading and prayer, our first speaker talked about what it means to have faith. She said that sometimes we have faith in things we cannot see or have not been to and she used Australia as an example. She asked how many had ever been to this continent and no hands were raised. Nevertheless, she said that Australia exists and we accept it by faith, even though we have not seen it personally and because we understand that others have seen it. She gave an excellent acronym for FAITH. F – Forget what it looks like A – Allow God to be God I – Invest time in God’s Word and prayer T – Take steps because we walk by faith and not by sight H – Hold fast to God’s Word After a song of praise in which all in attendance participated, our next speaker spoke about Magnified Faith. She defined it as faith that not only sees something that does not exist, but can pull that thing that does not exist from what may be the distant future and bring it into the present. A person with Magnified Faith will begin to prepare for the promise as if it is happening Now! She then spoke of Bounce Back Faith which is persistent faith that will not allow us to give up, does not quit and stays strong even in the face of adversity. Even during life’s ups and downs, bounce back faith allows us to choose not to give up but to bounce back and we then bounce harder and are stronger than before. Our hostess stressed that we are walking testimonies and encouraged us to share our testimony because we never now how it will affect someone else’s life. Sister Sheppard spoke about how our life is like an EKG in that we have constant ups and downs. She used the analogy that if the line on an EKG is smooth and straight then it is indicative of being dead. She encouraged us to remember that when trials come in our lives, we do not need to look for a way around, under or over them but rather realize that if God has brought us to the trials, then it is His will that we go through them and He will always be there to help us do so. She gave three testimonial examples from her life of her faith in action.
FATHER'S DAY 2007
Just as we
did for
Mother’s Day 2007, we honored several Fathers who were
present in our morning service: The eldest Father; the Father with the
youngest child present; a
visiting Father (selected by number from visiting fathers in
attendance); several Fathers whose wives were expecting and the Father with the most children
present. Then in the evening service, we had Mens' Service Night. This was an
inspirational service that provided an opportunity for several of our
men to share testimony.
 CONVALESCENT CARE MINISTRY The Convalescent Care Ministry of The Church of Columbus has two passions: Jesus and the Elderly. We desire first and foremost to serve in the example of Christ. We are dedicated to ministering to the elderly to promote spiritual, emotional and physical healing. Our focus and prayer is to awaken and remind them of God’s Love, His Salvation; their worth in this world and that they be healed in all phases of their lives. Many years ago a story was told of an elderly, frail man sitting on the sidelines of life, watching others laughing, living and enjoying their lives. His heart cried out, “Please, bring me back into your lives and let me live too – don’t leave me on the sidelines by myself.” Our elderly have served others; they have worked hard and in the twilight of their lives, they deserve our love, care and concern. They need to know they are loved by others and, most of all by Christ Jesus. We are their eyes, ears, hands and feet to aid in time of need. Over the past few years through community donations and sacrifices of love, we have provided several local facilities with Christmas gifts of handmade lap robes; Christmas stockings; stuffed animals; toiletry items and in 2007 a Special House Blessing Gift - A Mezuzah. In October 2007 we hosted the Second Annual Christmas for The Elderly Charity Concert on the grounds of Fountain City Care & Rehab, 5131 Warm Springs Road in Columbus, GA. Through donations received, God provided the way for us to give over 450 Christmas gifts to seven local nursing homes. If you contributed to the success of this event--thank you for loving and for giving. For our next Christmas for The Elderly Concert date and time, please see our Calendar of Events. If you are interested in donating items for Nursing Home residents, please contact Barbara Sims at bsims@thechurchofcolumbus.org or call The Church at 706-571-0919.
2007 CHRISTMAS GALA
On
December 7, 2007, over 130 were in attendance as The Church of Columbus'
family and friends joined together to enjoy our annual Christmas Gala in
celebration of the Christmas Season. We enjoyed great food catered
by Columbus State University Catering Services, fellowship, music,
games, door prizes and a special story telling hour, during which The
Church of Columbus' First Lady, Sis. Sarah Sheppard, read to the
children. Special appreciation to Pastor Sheppard for bringing us
the Christmas message which CAPTIVATED the spirit of Christmas.
The support of all who made this event such a special occasion and
success is much appreciated.
OPERATION HOLLY T he Church of Columbus Children and Youth presented a drama on December 16, 2007. Food and gift donations were abundant as the drama opened and they began discussing how they would use them to let their light shine for Jesus as they distributed the items to others. The “local” news media heard about what they were doing and sent a news crew to interview the lead character. The mayor, being quite impressed with his own importance and anxious for all the media coverage he could receive, visited them and then made a hasty retreat when the media was no longer there.As is often true with human nature, the lead character became quite prideful about what she had begun and the notoriety she had received and it “went to her head.” During a period while the group was not present, some children from a nearby shelter found the items and began to take what they wanted and ate some of the food items. Hiding so as not to be seen when the group returned and found that items were missing, they observed the others talking about what they were doing was for – to let their light shine for Jesus by giving to others. They also learned that some of the items were going to be given to them anyway. Humbled by what had happened, Holly began to realize that what she had done was answer God’s call by starting the project and that she should not receive any of the credit for what the Lord had done through her. She and the other cast members began to talk with the children from the shelter, sharing the message of God with them. All soon realized that they could and should be friends and care for one other. God has blessed our Church with children and youth who are unashamed to share the message of hope that is found only in Jesus with others. God has given our children beautiful voices to praise Him and they did just that during this delightful and insightful presentation. The group finished with all singing the “Go Light Your World Medley.” The food and toy donations, (donated from The Church), were distributed throughout our community.
SPANISH SERVICE WEEKEND UNDER CONSTRUCTION
DEDICATION OF CHILDREN TO THE LORD When parents present their children before the Lord for dedication, they consecrate themselves as parents to bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They vow to instruct them in the teachings of Jesus Christ and in the practice of prayer and to guide them in the development of a Christ like character. They also commit themselves to scriptural discipline of their children; that is to spare not the rod but to do so not out of anger but always with love. To the best of their ability they vow to shape the home life of their children, both by words and example, so that the children will at the timely spiritual age seek personal salvation. The vow is taken before God, the ministry and The Church congregation to dedicate children to the Lord Jesus and themselves to the task of rearing them for God. Parents must address themselves faithfully to this sacred obligation, with wisdom, patience, devotion and the Holy Ghost. Having made these vows, they are endowed with the blessing of Jesus our Lord and Savior upon themselves and their children. God’s word is replete with scripture evidencing that children are to be dedicated to the Lord. Genesis 18:19 says: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him.” In Deuteronomy 6:6-7, we find these words about how we are to instruct our children concerning God: “And those words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart; And thou shalt teach them diligently unto they children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Then, in Proverbs 22:6 – “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Matthew 19:13-15 says: “Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray: and the disciples rebuked them. But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. And he laid his hands on them, and departed thence.” In 1 Samuel 1:20 & 24-28 & 3:19, we find the story of Hannah and her son Samuel. Hannah had “… asked him of the Lord.” and therefore, named him Samuel. When he was still very young, the scriptures say she took him to the house of the Lord of Shiloh – Eli and, dedicated him to the Lord. She said, “… For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord, And, he worshipped the Lord there. And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.” Then, in Luke 2: 21-2, we find passages where Jesus was presented to the Lord. The scriptures say, in part: “…his name was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb…. they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;” Respect in any relationship is important and especially in marriage. In the Greek sanctified means venerate (respected) and Holy means blameless. 1 Corinthians 7:14 says: “For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean, but now are they holy.” Here we find that the husband and wife are to be respected by each other and their children are blameless or holy in God’s eyes. Therefore, with these truths in mind, we present our children to the ministry for their dedication to the Lord Jesus Christ.
MISSIONS SUNDAY 2008
 E ach year we are blessed with a visit from one of our missionaries. This year Rev. J. R. Black and his wife, Janet were our special guests. Rev. Black was our guest speaker. He said that many people go to the Bahamas to vacation but he and his family went there to work for the Lord.They minister to the people from the Spanish Caribbean and what is referred to as the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire and Carousal) near Venezuela. One of his goals in each service is to promote love and worship of God and to create an atmosphere conducive to welcoming the spirit of the Lord into the midst of the people. He said there are five languages spoken in Carousal and they need at least three interpreters in each service. During the morning service, Rev. Black focused our attention on trusting the Lord with all of our living – holding nothing back from Him, believing and knowing that He will provide everything we need to live. This is the special Sunday each year when we make our pledges for missions for the year. Rev. Black concluded by challenging each of us to consider what we were going to pledge and then pledge more as an affirmation that we trust God for everything; believing and knowing that He will provide the way for us to meet the pledge. In the evening service, he spoke of the importance of laying aside all things that are not pleasing to God; living clean, holy lives. He reminded us that, although the person sitting on the seat beside us may not know some of the things we have done, that God knows everything and loves us anyway and that without Him we are doomed. He stressed that the Kingdom of God cannot be moved or changed and that God is the author and finisher of our fate; He overcame the grave and gave us the Holy Ghost to guide us while still on this earth. We are constantly being changed into His likeness when we yield to His will for our lives. He reminded us that God never changes; He is the same yesterday, today and always; that we must trust the Lord at all times for we know who meets our needs. 2008 Easter Sunday Morning Worship
Followed By
Balloon Launch
The day dawned beautiful with clear, blue skies and a chill in the air as we gathered to celebrate and worship our risen Lord on this Easter Sunday, March 23rd, 2008. This was an historic event. It had been 95 years since Easter had arrived so early in the year and it would be another 152 years before it happened again. It was quite a realization to think that, assuming the longevity of people today, there was not one person present who would be alive when Easter comes again so early in the year. There were 668 who joined us to celebrate our risen Lord. The choir ushered us into the presence of the Lord via their beautiful voices and instruments. There was a drama skit depicting several parables from God's Word - the Holy Bible - and our Pastor delivered his Easter message. Afterwards, we adjourned to receive a helium filled balloon and then gathered in the parking lot for our annual balloon launch. As the gentle breeze carried our balloons up, up and away, we rejoiced in the knowledge that because Jesus took on the sins of the world, we can look forward to all of our tomorrows with the peace that comes from knowing we can be with Him for all eternity. Later in the afternoon, there was a picnic provided for all who wished to attend, an Easter egg hunt for the children, other events and a wonderful time to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Preparing for the Launch Fellowshipping while awaiting the Launch
Getting Ready Up-up and Away | ||
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