SCHEDULE

              Camp Meeting Services, Tues., Wed., Sat., District Campground........................................7:00 p.m.
              Youth Services, Wed., Thurs., Youth Tabernacle.............................................................10:00 a.m.
              Children’s Services, Tues. ~ Thurs, Sat., Youth Tabernacle ...............................................7:00 p.m.
                   Fri., Des Moines First Church....................................................................................7:30 p.m.
                   Sunday, Youth Tabernacle .....................................................................................10:00 a.m.
              Missionary Convention, Tues., July 8, Des Moines First Church ..........................................9:00 a.m.
              District Assembly, Thurs., July 10, Des Moines First Church................................................7:00 p.m.
                   Fri., July 11, Des Moines First Church.........................................................................9:00 a.m.
              Ordination Service, Fri., July 11, Des Moines First Church ..................................................7:00 p.m.
              Youth Convention, Sat., July 12, Des Moines First Church ..................................................9:00 a.m.
              Camp Meeting Services, Sun., July 13, District Campground ..............................10:00 a.m., 2:30 p.m.

Sunday School Convention, Saturday, August 23, 2008
Oakland Church of the Nazarene, 3000 42nd St. N.E., Cedar Rapids

OUT OF CONTROL Psalm 51:12
Last winter I was on my way to Iowa City Hospital for some tests. As we left the house it began to snow and stick. Carol and I were traveling along 218 and a woman was in the median waving for someone to stop and help. Being the kind soul that I am, I tapped on the brake to release the cruise control and the next thing I knew the car was sliding sideways along the highway from the center lane across to the outside north bound lane. I steered into the skid and it seemed the car was recovering nicely. Suddenly, it leapt across the center line, across the left lane and into the median. After going up the median in a blowing snow, the car finally came to a rest. My car was out of control. Have you ever felt your life was out of control? Well, you are not alone.

What we need to do is get our lives and our churches under the control of God. Every part of our lives needs to be under His control - our thoughts, emotions, actions, tongue, relationships…everything in life.

We all share a common problem: a fast-paced culture. It happens to the best of us – letting our culture influence us rather than us influencing our culture.

In our Sunday school we need to ask God to “restore to me the joy of your salvation…” so that I can invite someone to Sunday school.

We’ve worked hard for years, serving God faithfully, yet attendance is dropping, enrollment fading. Life is out of control. David knew what it was to crash, but God is not going to reject us. He is going to restore us.

He wants your willingness! The past does not have to hinder us. He knows your struggles. He understands your weaknesses.

Let’s begin a new chapter in Sunday school as we celebrate the movement of the Church of the Nazarene in its 100th year!

As I was contemplating what I could write for this article that would compliment our May Prime Time emphasis, I opened my most recent issue of Focus on the Family magazine. An article written by Lettie Kirkpatrick Burress caught my eye. The article was entitled, “Get Up and Go, You’re Never Too Old to Try Something New.”

Stepping out of our comfort zone is often uncomfortable, but there is a whole generation of people who desperately need the wisdom of those who have traveled a little farther down the road of life. “Contribution and wisdom come with age.”

Consider what these people accomplished in their “later” years: Moses, at 80 and Aaron, at 83 demanded that Pharaoh release Israel from Egypt; Abraham, at 100 and Sarah, at 90, had their first child; Joshua, at 85 began leading the Israelites to the Promised Land and finished the task at age 110.

Maybe you will never accomplish such daunting tasks, but maybe…you can extend Christ’s love to a child or teen in your local church. Be the kind of person children and teens run to, instead of running from.

Maybe… you could invest in a newly married young couple and mentor them through the adjustments of those first few years of marriage.

Maybe….you could extend friendship and build a relationship with that new neighbor on your block.

Maybe…you could share the good news with an unbeliever, sharing the desire of David’s heart “Even when I’m old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation.”

Just maybe…you are destined to “make a difference?”

George Washington Carver said, “How far you go in life depends on being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong, because someday you will have been all of these.”

Make an eternal investment; invest in the lives of people. You can do that at any age.
“Get up and go, you’re never too old to try something new!”

Maybe something new for you would be attending the Iowa District Prime Time Retreat on May 17th. It is promised to be a day of fun, good food and inspiration.

 PRESIDENT:
    Sharon Meek
    P.O. Box 1021
    Newton, IA 50208
    E-mail: lsmeek@gmail.com
        TREASURER:
            Barb Dundson
            P.O. Box 402
            Tabor, IA 51653
            E-mail: gdunsdon@iowatelecom.net

“Making Christlike disciples in the nations”