Help Needed In Kentucky
"We are making an appeal to you for some badly needed financial assistance, which we propose to use in building the cause of Christ in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. The church here is new and small, having begun in April 1959 with approximately 30 members who have to work for a living to support their families, therefore, we have no great amount of financial support. Contributions have averaged around $65.00 a week since the church began. We own no property and at present are meeting in the High School Gym on Lord's day afternoons, with a visiting preacher assisting us. We conducted an eleven night tent meeting in July with six souls being baptized into Christ.
We firmly believe that if we had adequate meeting facilities and also a good sound man to work full time with us, the cause of Christ would grow in this community. This is the end to which we are striving. It is our desire to build a strong church in Shepherdsville; one which is free from every ism and filled with the spirit and gospel of Christ.
At the present time, we have an opportunity to purchase what we think is a nice, adequate, well-located lot in a rapidly growing section of town. We need this lot to erect a building in which to meet for our services. This particular lot is 200' x 200' which will cost us four thousand dollars. We believe that with the amount of labor we will be able to get from brethren in the area, we will be able to purchase a lot and build an adequate building for approximately $20,000.00. As you know, this is a tremendous sum for 30 members who have to work to support their families. So we hope you brethren will consider this as a way to help us in this great work.
We believe you will be more interested in helping us because of the fact that there is not another sound congregation in all of Hullitt County, Ky. In fact, there is only one other congregation in the County and it is very liberal and institutional.
So we are asking you to help us to establish the Lord's cause in this community on a sound basis. The owner of the lot has promised to give us first chance at this property. But if, due to inadequate financial support, we are unable to build we might lose out on a good piece of property, which if purchased, would be a great asset to the cause of Christ in this community.
Therefore, any amount that you are able to give to this cause will be appreciated and used wisely to the glory of God. We hope that in the future we will be able to assist others who are in need.
Send all contributions and make all checks payable to THE SHEPHERDSVILLE CHURCH OF CHRIST. Address Church of Christ, Shepherdsville, Ky. C/O Garnett L. Shuffett, Treasurer.
Any information regarding the work here may be furnished by any one of these men. Bro. A. C. Grider, 4622 Preston Highway, Louisville, Ky. Bro. Earl Fly, Box 197, Valley Station, Ky., Bro. Leslie E. Sloan, Rt. 4, Box 549, Louisville 19, Ky."
H. Edward McCaskill, 417 S. Columbia Dr., West Columbia, Texas: "It was my pleasure during the dates of Sept. 30 to Oct. 11 to assist the church in East Orange, New Jersey in a gospel meeting. The congregation here in West Columbia supported me in this effort. The East Orange church is one of the very few congregations in the great metropolitan .area of northeast New Jersey and New Mors. Inc meeting house at East Orange is conveniently located on Main street of East Orange, connecting the cities of Orange, West Orange and Newark. The great potential for the Lord's work and the great mass of humanity is indeed astounding. The area surrounding the East Orange meeting house provides living quarters for many thousands of people. Essex county, in which East Orange is located has almost one million population. Perhaps no other area in this country, so small in size, could offer the potential as does this section. Any congregation, desirous of doing evangelistic work outside their own confines would do well to consider this section.
Bro. Bill Echols has been with the East Orange church for about four months, having moved there after Bro. Gene Lyles moved to Poughkeepsie, New York. Both of these brethren, good sound gospel preachers, have done an outstanding job in a most difficult field. They and the brethren that have worked with them have worked hard to overcome the opposition of worldliness, indifference, and a strong and powerful Catholic influence to place the church of the Lord on firm footing. The Castleberry church in Ft. Worth has supported this work for several years. Castleberry has also helped the fine church at Fair Lawn, N. J. where Bro. James Finney preaches. This church will soon be completely self-supporting. Both of these congregations are sound in the faith and apparently free of any sectarian spirit. The work in the Northeast section of our country offers unlimited challenges and opportunities. The ties that were formed between me and the faithful brethren in East Orange will be a source of continued strength to me for years to come. It has also been my privilege to be with the Green's Bayou congregation in Houston, the Woodlawn Hills church in San Antonio, the Washington St. church in Camden, Ark., and the congregation in Brazoria, just south of West Columbia in gospel meetings during the year. I return for a week's meeting with Green's Bayou beginning November I."
"Chart Sermons Vol. III by Steve Hudgins, the third in a series of chart sermon and outline books is ready. These lessons like those in the first two books are photographs of well illustrated charts along with outlines explaining fully each chart. In plastic cover and binding the book will open flat. They are $1 each and may be ordered from Steve Hudgins, Box 762, Gainesville, Georgia."
Reflecting - .
W. C. Hintos, Jr., Perry, Florida: "From time to time everyone comes across a pithy statement that contains a lot of hidden truth. While recently in Alabama a particularity profound statement was noticed in a bulletin. It went something like this:
'It would not take so much coffee and donuts, if it were not for the unconverted members in the church!'
This statement is arresting, for it points out emphatically the truth as pertaining the matter of "church entertainment" as carried out in some congregations. When the church has to resort to the "loaves and fishes" to keep its members, the church is in sad need of repair. If people were truly converted to Christ, they would not be sitting in a "fellowship-room or hall" dunking donuts in coffee made by a restaurant style urn ALL purchased with the Lord's money, given each Lord's Day on the pretense that it would help win souls to the Master. Truly, instead of sitting there "wining and dining" they (the truly converted) would be trying to tell the story of salvation to a sinner doomed to the fires of Hell. A really intelligent person does not think for a moment that the Lord intended the bountiful giving of sacrifice to be squandered in preparing the place and means for "coffee-drinking brothers and sisters" to quench their thirst. It would be wise for those individuals to think of the widow and her two mites the next time they have a mouthful of Maxwell House; possibly it will not taste quite as good as before."
Richard Cravy, Route 2, Box 348, Lufkin, Texas: "The new work in Groveton, Texas has made much progress since its beginning 23 months ago. There have been 22 responses to the gospel during this time; 8 of them for baptism. A meeting place within one block of the courthouse has been purchased and remodeled; making an auditorium and 4 class rooms. Last Sunday, Dec. 27th, 85 were present in the services, contribution was $103.76; setting new records in each. We are looking forward to our next meeting which will be the first week in June with Bro. Oliver Murray preaching for us."
M. A. Mansur, 350 So. Scraper, Vinita, Oklahoma: "Last Sunday two more came forward to be restored, making a total of 18 responses to the gospel in the past six months. When traveling we cordially invite you to stop and worship God with the disciples of Christ here in Vinita."
John Bullock, 1132 N. Hedgecoke, Borger, Texas: "I moved here last month to work with the Franklin & Juniper Streets congregation of this city. I did the preaching in a meeting with this church Nov. 29-Dec. 6. There were two baptized, two restorations, and one identified. This is a sound church, and we anticipate a good work with these brethren. I recently left the Hill Street church in Farmersville. Please take note of the change of address."