Bridge Avenue

church of Christ

1220 South Bridge Avenue

Weslaco, Texas 78596

956-968-7457

Office Hours:

Tue-Fri 10-4 p.m.

www.bacofc.org

Worship Service Times

Sundays

Bible Study 9:30 a.m.

Worship 10:20 a.m.

Evening Worship 6:00 p.m.

Wednesdays

Mid-Week Service 7:00 p.m.

We have Bible classes for all ages.

Ministers

Cary Gillis

Hugo Camacho

EVENTS &

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Announcements—for prayer requests,

announcements, or calendar events please

fill out an Announcement Sheet available

in the foyer and place it in the office door

by Wednesday to be included in the

weekly bulletin. Thank you!

Visitors—We are so happy you could

join us today! Please take a Welcome

Packet, fill out the Visitor Card and

place it in the collection plate so that we

may have a record of your visit.

Food Pantry—needed are canned sweet

corn, cheese and macaroni, tomato sauce,

canned tomatoes, and small cooking oil.

New Sister In Christ!—Oralia Pineda

was baptized last Sunday morning after

services. Sister Oralia has been attending

worship services with the church in Elsa

where brother Rodrigo Palomares

preaches.

Elder’s Meeting—Tuesday, December

11th, at 7:00 p.m. If you have any

concerns or requests please give to BC in

writing to be included in the meeting

agenda.

Ladies’ Bible Study—Tuesday, Dec. 11,

at 7:00 p.m. in the fellowship hall.

Bilingual Service—Wednesday,

December 19, at 7:00 p.m.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Adelita Rios—health issues.

Boyd Lovelace—health issues.

Ella Cuthbertson—health issues. Friend of

Karen Heilman.

Ernestina Perales—recovering from surgery.

Guadalupe Fuentes—terminal cancer.

Israel Aguirre—terminal illness.

Jana Moore Swaffar—cancer.

J.M. Hardwick—still in treatment.

John & Mary Hall—health issues. They are

Jo’s neighbors.

Juan Webber—health issues.

Kristina Reyes—stage 3 cancer.

Matilda Corona—cancer. Mike Summers’ co-

worker.

Melinda Villarreal—cancer.

Mike Summers—health issues.

Nancy Christensen—recovering from surgery.

Friend of David Davis.

Nora Cano—in a coma. Friend of Dalia Salinas.

Nora Elia Zarate—health is worsening. Mother

of Dalia Salinas.

Pauline Downing—health issues.

Phyllis Connett– cancer.

Rafael De Los Santos’ son—eye surgery.

Patty’s friend.

Vincent Muñoz—health issues.

Virgil Aniceto—recovering from surgery.

Wally Lopez—health issues.

December 9, 2018

The Value and Work of the Individual

Christian

Christians stand in their own way of spiritual

growth, when they say or think things like:

“Well, I’m a woman… there’s not much for me

to do.” “What happens to the church doesn’t depend on

me.”

“I’m terrified to get up in front of people.”

“I just don’t know the Bible very well.”

“Well… I’m not an elder or deacon.”

“No one will listen to me anyway.”

“Well… the elders are in charge.”

“I wasn’t raised in the church.”

“Isn’t that the preacher’s job?”

“If only you knew my past.”

“I’m just one person.”

“I’m too young.”

“I’m too old.”

God set up the institution of the church with

a particular leadership structure. The elders are

to lead as shepherds of a given congregation.

Many of the above statements come from a

misunderstanding this divine principle.

There is a difference between the role of a

given Christian and the value of a Christian.

Just because someone has a defined role or title

that you don’t have doesn’t mean they’re more

valuable than you. The blood of Christ defines

our value, our worth… and how great our value

is – all of us! The roles within the church and

home simply define given responsibilities. The

idea, perpetuated by many, that male leadership

is devaluing to women, equates ‘role’ with

‘value,’ neglecting the clarifying reality of

Christ’s blood.

Christ’s blood has sanctified everyone that

has contacted it. All Christians have equal

worth, which means we have an equal work.

I am presently single, not meeting the

requirements to be either an elder or a deacon. But is

their worth or work somehow different than mine?

Are the character requirements for elders and deacons

beyond the character of Christ, every Christian’s

example? Within the church and home, spiritual

roles are assigned, but Christ reveals every

Christian’s work to be His work and defines every

Christian’s value by His blood.

Leaders of a congregation, whose egos are in

check, love every instance of an “untitled” member

spear-heading a particular ministry or addressing a

spiritual need. The oversight and responsibility is the

elders’, but the work is for all!

So, what does this mean for you? It means that

the opening statements of this article become

irrelevant – and some untrue. Your past, your

present, your insecurities, your title are all superseded

by the fact that you are an individual part of the body

of Christ. Let Him define your worth. Let Him

define your work.

“11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the

evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the

saints for the work of ministry, for building up the

body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the

faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to

mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the

fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be

children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried

about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning,

by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking

the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into

him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the

whole body, joined and held together by every joint

with which it is equipped, when each part is working

properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself

up in love” (Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV).

- Cary

Elders

Baldo Cantu

(360) 393-8646

Bill Roach

(956) 463-7391

Deacons

Virgil Aniceto

Braulio Carvajal

Matt McCain

Randy Summers

LEADERSHIP

Last Sunday, December 2, 2018

Bible Class: 111

Worship: 145

Evening Worship: 68

Wednesday: 35

Offering: $2552.00

Budget: $3171.00

FAMILY BIBLE STUDY

SCRIPTURE SUGGESTION:

2 Peter 1:5-8 ESV

Make every effort to supplement your faith with

virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge

with self-control, and self-control with

steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and

brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these

qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep

you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the

knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever

lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is

blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from

his former sins.