Journal Gazette from Mattoon, Illinois • Page 15

Gazette Friday, November 11, 1994 C3 Areola Presbyterian Church marks 140th ''1 WM Merediths to sing Nov. 18 in Casey Meredith's will present a. gospel concert Nov. 18 in the First Baptist Church of Casey, IQ1 E. Alabama, Casey.

several years the Meredith's of Swansea, S.C. have been an inspirational blessing to many believers fom coast to coast. For the p'a'st two years they have been joined by one of Casey's sons, Ihilip Robinson. The public ia welcome to attend and expect a Messing. ceiling is open with exposed beams.

Large stained glass windows add to the beauty of the sanctuary. On the south wall is a large window showing the women at the tomb after the Resurrection of Christ: On the west is a portrayal of Christ walking with the two Disciples on the road to Emmaus. The smaller window, above the dossal cloth to the north, depicts Christ in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. In planning for the new church, the Manse on North Pine Street was moved to the corner of Jefferson and Church streets. In 1962, the old Manse was removed AKCULA The Areola Presbyterian Church will celebrate the 140th year of its establishment Nov.

20. Morning worship service and communion will be at 10:30 a.m. followed by a special coffee hour with church birthday cake after worship. A rededication service will be held from 4 to 5 p.m. in the church sanctuary.

A dinner for past ministers, old friends and out-of-town members will be served at 5:30 p.m. in the Friendship Room downstairs. Members of the Areola church for 50 years or more will be recognized. Florence Smith and Modesta Scott, The Merediths The group is being hosted by Higher Destiny, a group of young people who have recently finished in the top third at the National Quartet Convention Talent Contest. Areola Presbyterian Church and replaced by a three bedroom home with attached garage.

The garage was converted into another bedroomden and bath in 1989 and a one and one-half car garage was added on the north. Much of the church work has been carried on by the women's societies. The Ladies' Aux-. iliary along with the Bethel Foreign Mission-1 ary Society were the early societies followed in later years by the Westminster Society ancl the Missionary Society which eventually bined. The other active women's group was the World Service Guild.

Presbyterian women's service organiza tion in recent years has been called simply "Presbyterian Women." In Areola, the group meets in the homes of its members at 9:30 a.m; the second Wednesday of each month, Sep-: tember through May. Today elders, although ordained for life, serve three to six year terms. After a year as an inactive elder, they may return to serve another term as many times as they wish. In the 140 years, 32 ministers have served the Areola Church. Rev.

Donald C. Winch, the, present pastor, has served the Areola Presby-; terian Church since 1986. members for 83 years and Gladys Pyle, a member for 76 years will be given special honor. Areola Presbyterian Church is the oldest organization in the city of Areola, which was a village built on the new Illinois Central Railroad in 1855. At the spring meeting of the Palestine Presbytery in Charleston, April 1854, a committee was appointed to organize a church.

On June 17, 1854, a committee from the PalestinePresbyterymetwitheightresidents of the Fillmore area in Coles County, to organize the Okaw Presbyterian Church. The first worship service was held and two elders and a deacon were chosen to serve the new church. Services were held in various homes and a school in Fillmore, located three-quarters of a mile south of Chesterville; in Flat Branch, which became Humboldt when the community moved to the new railroad; and in Bourbon until 1858. At that time, the church was permanently located in Areola and by 1860 plans were made for a church building. In December 1882, the session of the Areola Church with the pastor, Rev.

R.M. Roberts acting as moderator, met with 16 people as tile charter membership for organization of Bethel Chapel, to be located 2Va miles west of town on the Springfield Road, by September, the Bethel Chapel building was completed and dedication services were held. Rev. Roberts served both the Areola Church and Bethel Chapel. In 1895, the two churches subscribed money for a Manse to be built on North Pine Street in Areola.

The Rev. E.C. Lucas came to the pastorate in 1906 and two years later the Areola and Bethel Churches began procedures to unite. By the spring of 1909, sufficient plans and money were available for architects to draw up blueprints for the present edifice. The cornerstone was laid in August 1909.

Then in June 1910, the new church was completed and dedicated, free of debt. The two churches petitioned the Mattoon Presbytery to consolidate. Permission was granted. The new church building, designed in English Gothic style, is constructed of rock-faced Bedford stone. The woodwork of dark stained oak and southern pine.

The sanctuary midnight Rev. Carl Kingery were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them." They were doing just the opposite of what their flesh had to be telling them to do. The Holy Spirit was giving them the strength they needed to glorify God even in the worst of situations. Christians, it doesn't matter how easy or tough life gets, God is to be glorified. No matter how bad it seems we are to praise God.

One might ask, how do you do that, and my answer is get close to God! "Follow the teachings of Jesus! Get to know the Holy Spirit on a personal basis as Paul did How do you dothat? 1. Pray toGodtheFa-ther. The more you pray the better friends you become. 2. Read the Word of God (The Bible) and be obedient to its teachings! The more youread the betteryouknowl your purpose here and how to live as children of His.

3. Have a continual attitude of prayer. Be in tune to the Holy Spirit as he speaks to your spirit. Then be obedient to His guidance. That is why Paul says in Philip-pians 4:11, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." I am sure that Paul must have had Proverbs 3:5,6 upon his heart which says, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart leaning not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight" Notice how this situation ended up in Acts 16.

God provided an earthquake, and because of Paul's obvious love and devotion to the Lord, the jailer came to know Jesus, along with his whole household. This was the birth of the Church at Phillippi! When you get down and discouraged, praise the Lord because of what He is about to do through you. A wise man once said, Most people quit a half hour before the miracle. the clutter Singing at pjCARLKINGERY yrfrnerstone Christian "life is full of ups and downs. Different people handle both the ups Ijjti downs in different ways.

The majority of the people love the ups. You know, when life is fine, Everything is going good and there $re no major problems in your life speak of, Then you have your owns. Downs just keep getting arder to deal with in life the lyswhenthingslookgloomy.and ithine seems to be eoine ririit. Bills are piling up and your utgo is) more than your income. kids are sick.

Your marriage is the rocks. You hate your job. ou come home and the dog bites Jou. You just can't find God in any-hingyou do. You find yourself getting more and more depressed.

What is a person supposed to do when he finds himself looking at re through dark clouds? I believe that Paul is a good example to look at from the 16th dhapter of Acts. Paul had some problems with his brothers in Christ. They had a disagreement ind decided to go their separate fays, with both still doing the ork of the Lord. Paul was headed for Spain to Spread the Gospel of Christ when the Holy Spirit changed his direction and headed him for Macedo- f. Can you imagine how Paul UEt have teltr uod was in cnarge, Paul was being obedient would thinkthataslongas was going exactly where God Ranted him, that no harm would dome to him.

But that just is not so. faul cafe tout an evil spirit and paused a large crowd to come up 4gainst him and Silas. They were tjaken away, stripped, beaten, (severely flogged, meaning their Hacks would have been as raw ijreit), and then thrown into orison and put under heavy guard. The jailer took them and ilaced them in the inner cell and put their feet in stocks. 1 Now, I want you to understand mat things couldn't get much worse in this situation and Paul ijnd Silas stillbe alive.

Sitting with tjieir legs straight out, tied down, dotbeing able to lean against any-tlhiiig because of their backs being injthe flesh. This, my friends, is not a good aquation. Put yourself in their How would you react? If I $fere leaning only on my understanding I would be mad at God. I would be complaining. After all (Sfi4 had sent me here, and is this le reward I get for being obedi-tat? But look at how Paul and Silas Handle it.

Verse 25 says it all, ut midnight Paul and Silas orting out We cleaned out the garage last eek. It wasn't quite the Augean tables, but only because we've ever kept oxen there. We stored almost everything else, and most of i stayed until last week. There were screens that fit no iadows and boxes waiting for I ackages were never mailed. There was a doll house, although vfre have only grandsons.

There fere broken things, things we Sunday. Veterans of all branches of the United States Armed Forces will be honored in the 10 a.m. service. TVio Junior PQrvs OffirAra Training Corp from Mattoon High School will present the colors at the beginning of the service. Everyone is Calvary Baptists set revival Evangelist Charles Sanders-will conduct a Bible Evangelism' Crusade at the Calvary Baptist Church.

i It is located at 2201 Western: Mattoon. Services will be, held at 7 p.m. Nov. 20 through; Nov. 23.

The public is welcome to' attend. The Rev. Jacob Frederick is pastor of the church. Sullivan Church of God plans bazaar A bazaar, Treasures of our; Times, is planned from 8:30 a.m; to 3 p.m. Saturday at the First Church of God, 1213 E.

Jackson Sullivan. Coffee hour will be until a.m. with lunch until 3 p.m. In the Treasure Nook, there will be. crafts, needlework and holiday: items.

The Pantry Treasures will of-, fer cakes, pies, cookies, noodles and more. day. The special speaker on Sunday will be evangelist Joe Diener. The Rev. George Musgrave will be preaching Monday through Wednesday.

Services will be at 7 p.m. each night. Dan Morgan will be director of music. The church is located three miles north of Coles Station. The RevsHenry Graham is the host pastor.

Thanksgiving dinner set on Sunday i On at the DeMars Center iri Peterson Park, Christian Center will be hosting its seventh annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner, served with all the trimmings. The public is invited and there is no charge. Festivities begin at -10 a.m. with a special church service. Serving begins at 1 p.m.

There will be plenty of good food, singing and Christian Fellowship. Everyone is welcome to attend and have a good time. For information call the church at 235-2275 or 235-1142. First Baptist to honor veterans Anyone who is a veteran has a special invitation to attend services at First Baptist Church, 1804 S. Ninth Mattoon, on Church Briefs Promise Keepers to meet Tuesday There will be a meeting of Promise Keepers at 8 p.m.

Tuesday. It will be held at the First Church of God, 1225 Montgomery, Charleston. Promise Keepers slate training meeting Promise Keepers national office will hold a statewide training meeting for Illinois Pointmen and Ambassadors on Saturday. Pointmen will meet from 9 a.m, to 1 p.m.; and Ambassadors from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The session will be held at Grace Presbyterian Church, Forest Hill and Knoxville streets, U.S. Route 88, Peoria. This will be the only training to be held in Illinois in 1994. No advance registration is needed and there is no fee. For more information call 309688-0625.

Men's breakfast in Hindsboro The Kemp Church of Christ is holding a men's breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the Hindsboro Civic Center. :M.L Following breakfast, two tapes from the Promise Keepers Men's Conference held in Indianapolis, will be shown. The two sessions tq be viewed are "Calling the Prodigal Back to God" with Bill Hybels and "A Man and His Family" with George McKinney. There is no charge for this event.

Donations toward breakfast are optional. 41st pancake sausage supper set St. John's Lutheran Church will host its 41st annual pancake and sausage supper from 4 to 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for the all-you-can-eat dinner will be available at the door of the church fellowship hall, 200 Charleston Ave.

in Mattoon. Tickets are $3.50 for adults and $1.50 for children 5 to 12. Children under 5 may eat free. The supper is sponsored by St. John's Lutheran Men's Club.

Proceeds go to the church's scholar-ship fund. The public is invited to attend. i y'. Second Missionary Baptist special service' The Second Missionary Baptist Church is celebrating its 125th anniversary this month. A celebration service will be held at 11 a.m.

Sunday. The church is located at 2520 Shelby Ave. The Rev. Cyprus Hughes is pastor of the church. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Adventist youth to distribute food The Stewardson Seventh Day Adventist youth group will be distributing food baskets shortly Journal Gazette Every effort will be made to distribute the items in the Stew-ardson-Strasbiirg area. The youth group is thankful for all who contributed to the food drive recently. Phone 682-5545 or 682-5452 or submit names of families in need. Windsor Christians plan revival Teddie Renoelet of Fairview Heights will be holding a revival at the Windsor Christian Church Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Renoelet is the senior pastor at Oak Hill Chapel in St.

Louis. He is a retired business man and has served Oak Hill Chapel in various capacities for the past 28 years as an elder, a co-pastor with Carl Ketcherside and then senior pastor. He has held several evangelist I tic meetings at various churches. He and his wife, Charlene have three daughters and three grandchildren. The public is invited to attend this revival.

There will be special music each night. John Curtis will be the song leader. A nursery will be provided. Free Thanksgiving dinner planned The Lake Land Church of Christ is sponsoring a free Thanksgiving dinner. This event is open to the public and will be held at the Lake Land Church building, 1-57 and south U.S.

Route 45, Mattoon, on Nov. 19. Serving begins at noon. The Lake Land Church family is participating in the Thanksgiving season by giving a turkey dinner to those living in the greater Mat-toon-Charleston area. Only the first 100 people are guaranteed a meal.

Those who come after the 100 are served may register for a Thanksgiving dinner to be brought to their home, while sup-plieslast. Anyone who knows of a family in need this holiday season, or who would like more information about being one of the first lOd to get a free dinner, may call pastor Greg Swango, minister of the Lake Land Church at 235-1645. Mount Zion Baptists slate revival A revival will be held at Mount Zion General Baptist Church from Sunday through Wednes CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER SOON. 33rd St Mattoon -Spirit filled non-denominational fellowship -Experience the annoited Word of God accompanied by siqrtb and miracles, even as Jesus said. Sun.

10 A.M. Worship Wednesday evening service 7:00 p.m. Listen to our weekly program TOUCHING JESUS, on WLoH AM, 1170 each Sat at 9:45 A.M. COME GROW WITH US -(Ph. 348-0632) JESD EIOr.lG DULIUEHY? flUE GCOUICE PZIOOLEHG? Call the Circulation Office 'd S''Ei SSI TOUCH TONE DIAL 2 112 Regular Office Hours: Delivery Deadlines M-t- 5A.M.-4KM.

SAT 5A.M.-10A.M nwrwm Malcolm Nygren Nygrenisa freelance writer I and a retired pastor if I DAILY 235-2275 i MATTOON CHRISTIAN CENTER A WINNING HOSPITALITY DRAWING EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AFTER CHURCH FOR VISITORS $25.00 WALMART GIFT CERTIFICATE MATTOON CHRISTIAN CENTER 1801 LAKELAND BLVD. MATTOON, IL. 61938 don't need, and a few things I could- rft identify. Fm glad we don't have a basement to fill as well. Nature aphors a vacuum, and junk expands to fill the i space available.

Now it's all gone. It's gone to Goodwill Industries, to anyone we amid persuade to take something, to the recyclers, and as a last resort, tj fle landfill. Some of these things made me happy when I got them, ifliey all made me happy when I got rid of them. i jow did we get all this stuff? Not by carefully saving it. We kept each item by not making a decision.

It was useless to us, but we put off $dding it was useless. One avoided decision was stacked upon an- ffer until the garage was crowded with indecision. Our lives are crowded and confused by decisions we don't make. Postponed commitments and delayed refusals clutter our days. We are fenced in by things we plan to do on some undetermined day.

We ttfe weighted down by burdens we expect to put aside at some unspecified time. We do things not because we want to, but because we put off deciding to say "no." 5 The Old Testament proposes a Year of Jubilee, when slaves would be freed and debts would be canceled. It was supposed to happen every 6Q.years. There is no evidence that it ever did. It was another decision tat was intended but never made.

Everybody knows about the road paved with good intentions. It i leds to hell. But good decisions are another matter. Every worthwhile journey begins with the decision to start. Good decisions take us where we want to go.

Good intentions only delay the journey. Well tackle the attic next. PHONE: PASTORS: CHUCK AND CAROLYN STANFORD I.