Last fall the Southside church of Christ had a special Mission Sunday where we concentrated our efforts to contribute financially for a preacher’s training school to be built in Shone, Ethiopia. There was a special need to train gospel preachers in the native language of this area. The following letter was received this last week from John Ed Clark and Kevin Clark with an update following a personal visit to Ethiopia this past month.
Kevin and Gordon,
Hope all is well with you and the Southside church family. Kevin and I returned from Ethiopia last Thursday evening. We had a good and very busy trip. While we were there we participated in the Grand Opening of the new preacher training school in Shone that the Southside church helped with. The April Ethiopian News Letter will give the story about this new school. It will go out in the mail on April 24th, but I wanted to send it to you and Kevin ahead of time so you could print it for your missions committee, elders and any others you would like to include. I hope this will be an encouragement to everyone at Southside and will let them know of the wonderful part they have been in spreading the gospel message to the lost in Ethiopia; now and for many years to come. If you are unable to download the attachment, please let me know and I can send it in the mail on a CD.
Thank you for your continued interest. I fully realize that the Ethiopian work is only one of several your congregation supports and that the funds given to help make this school possible came because you felt the importance of training others to go to their own people with the message of Jesus. The Southside church is an encouragement to our Ethiopian brethren and to all who work in the Lord’s Army taking the gospel to the lost.
May God continue to bless the Southside Church.
John Ed and Kevin Clark
A special “THANK YOU” to all who helped financially and for your prayers for this work to be completed. It is our hope and prayer that this school will provide training for many years to come to the glory of God.
Gospel outreach in Ethiopia
Please see the newsletter below for the latest information about the work being done in Ethiopia. We work with the Woodward Park Church of Christ in Fresno, CA in support of this work.
Click here to see the Woodward Park Church of Christ website for the Ethiopia mission work.
Newsletters from Ethiopia
Ethiopian Newsletter November 2011
Ethiopian Newsletter June 2011
Ethiopian Newsletter April 2011
Ethiopian Newsletter March 2011
Ethiopian Newsletter February 2011
Ethiopian Newsletter January 2011
Ethiopian Newsletter December 2010
MembershipFebruary 6, 2011
This past Wednesday night we cancelled services due to the snow… Snow… SNOW… and the wind and the blizzard-like conditions.My back still aches from all the shoveling!We tried to call everyone and let them know.It was a reminder to me of the importance of placing membership.The way we called was to go through my list of members on my computer which I try – and try really hard – to keep up to date.
Placing membership is important.For one it gets you on my list.If you are not on my list you don’t get important information and may drive to a service we aren’t having!
I am always impressed that Paul when he came to Jerusalem in Acts 9 after becoming a Christian tried to join the disciples there.He was not trying to join the church.One cannot join the church.One becomes a member of the church when he is added to the church at his/her baptism BY GOD.However, Paul did want to identify with a local body of Christ, i.e., the church at Jerusalem.The church there test his membership.They didn’t think he was one of them.Thanks to Barnabas he was able to join the fellowship of the church there.
Placing membership says, I want to be a part of you!It is nice when people say to me, I want to be your friend!I like friendship!I enjoy doing things with others.And the part I like the best is the word want.I want people to want to be my friend.I want people to want to be a part of the church.When people do not place membership they send a message.The message says, I want all the benefits of being a part of this church, but I don’t want to be a part of you… I don’t want to be close to you…
Why not do more than just come?Why not become a part of SouthSide?Do you want a call when something important is happening?You have to be on my list!And, by the way, when you change your address… phone number… let me know.It is as simple as filling out the card in the chair pocket.
We WANT you!