FRANKFORD W.Va. (WVDN) – The Ladies of the Henning Church of God held their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 16, in the church fellowship hall. Carole Spencer presided, and Dyan Hefner led in prayer. The ladies provided the following report:
“Dyan Hefner presented the devotion, “Morse Code.” It was developed by Samuel Morse in the 1830s and 1840s after the telegraph was invented. SOS is a message that the sender asks for immediate help, such as a plane crash or shipwreck. Most people think it stands for “Save our Souls” or “Save our Ship.” However, this is not the case. It is used because it does not resemble any other signal for emergency or distress. Most people experience extreme sorrow, anxiety, and pain in their life. Sometimes, they cannot even look up and sense help. They need to send God an SOS and keep on praying. In some cases, Jesus will have to rescue them from their thoughts.
“In Japan, a pastor went to an orphanage filled with cribs of infants and toddlers. There was complete silence because they all had cried so much, and no one came to take care of them before they came to the orphanage, they had stopped crying. When Jesus rescued the author from her mind, she could not have fallen any lower. Jesus saw her distress signal, rescued her from her mind, and saved her soul. Pray without ceasing. We should never give up. The Holy Spirit helps us to remember God’s promises in times of distress and intercedes for us. (John 14:26) The Holy Spirit helps us to keep our thoughts on holy treasures. Prayer is universal. Don’t lean on thine own understanding; trust him, acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy path. (Proverbs 3:5-6) The cornerstone of healing is when a person reaches a place of complete surrender. Focus on peace and contentment and good things. (Philippians 4:8) Do you have an SOS today? Send it out!
“Barb Seldomridge gave the missionary report on Kris and Megan Gilbert, missionaries in New Zealand. They want to produce a healthy network of cell churches and expand the kingdom of God. They both grew up in homes committed to Christ. Kris has been in the ministry for over fifteen years, and Megan is a physical therapist. The Gilberts were in New Zealand for three years, returned to the States and settled in Billings, Montana. Kris was a discipleship pastor. They were called back to New Zealand in 2014. They were there for about six months and then helped to start multiple house churches, which are still growing. New churches meet for two weeks and then have a group meeting. Their approach to ministry is gospel rhythms. The first is to eat together and commune around the gospel truth. (Matthew 6:11) The second is to celebrate God’s blessings. (Hebrews 10:24-25) The third is to recreate by resting, playing, and creating and restoring beauty in ways that reflect God to others. (Genesis1:2-3) Fourth is to listen to God. (Romans 1:20) The fifth is story by understanding, experiencing and intersecting with God’s story. (John 1:1) Sixth is to bless others with words, gifts or actions. (I Peter 2:12)
“Jamie Harvey gave the treasurer’s report, and Pauline Perkins read last month’s minutes.
“Carole reminded the group about the yard sale on Saturday, May 4, from 8 am – 2 pm in the church fellowship hall. We will have baked goods, hot dogs with all the fixings, and many items. The group is still discussing purchasing a building for the church grounds to use for storage. The group will be serving the Maxwelton Ruritans on April 25. Dues were paid this month, and an election was held. Carole Spencer will remain president, Joan Vance is vice-president, and all other positions were ratified.
“The next meeting will be held on May 16, and Michelle Carpenter dismissed in prayer.”
Attending were Alice Coff, Barb Seldomridge, Cari Nelson, Carole Spencer, Cindy Fleshman, Donna Scott, Dyan Hefner, Fran Spencer, Jamie Harvey, Joan Vance, Kim Brookman, Marty Burns, Michelle Carpenter, Pauline Perkins and Patty Owens.
