Lafayette Church of Christ 115 New Ballwin Road Ballwin, MO 63021 636.391.6697 office.lafayettechurch@gmail.com lafayettechurch.org

Gatherings Sunday mornings 9:00am Worship Gathering 10:30am Bible Classes Wednesday evenings 7:00pm Bible Classes and teenEPIC

Shepherds Les Keim Greg Malcom Jackie Roland Dan Roper Jim Zeller

Stats, August 6/13, 2017 Worship 219/222 Classes 113/124 Offering $10,080.00/$5,501.00 2017 weekly goal $8,600.00 2017 avg. weekly offering $8,822.08 2017 YTD variation vs goal 7,328.73 Ghana missions for August $131.75

Ministry Staff Mike Brown, Youth Minister mike.lafayettechurch@gmail.com Bob Clark, Preaching Minister 636.346.2795 bobtheclark@gmail.com Kyle Johnson, Neighborhood Interaction kyle.lafayettechurch@gmail.com Becki Pulley, Church Secretary becki.lafayettechurch@gmail.com

Lafayette Christian Preschool Anna Weaver, Director lafayettechristian@gmail.com

Phyllis Roark (Lee Ann Brown’s mother) is awaiting surgery. Don Roark (Lee Ann Brown’s step-father) is requiring special care due to Alzheimer’s. Kendall Malcolm has begun her teaching career at Ezell-Harding Christian in Nashville. Richard Schleuter (the Malcolms’ friend) died. Pray for his wife, Sue, and daughter, Mikaela. Denis Francis Chove (student from Tanzania) is with the Van Meters this semester. Judy Cooper has been experiencing intense pain and back spasms. Hospice: Christeene Moore (Kathy Velloff’s mother) and Carol Schreiner (former member) Cancer treatment: Terry Pulley, Deb Leahy (former member), Barbara McKeel, and Carol Dalton (Charlotte McIllroy’s sister-in-law) Preparing for marriage: Dion Shaffer and Kirsten Sneed; Jordan Noyes and Kendra Stevenson; Luke Uebelein and Julianne Bigham

Assisted living and homebound Delmar on the Green: Calvin Uhls 338 and Velma Barfield (Pat Beach’s mother) 228; Gambrill Gardens: Fern Orme, 312E; Home: Judy Cooper.

Neighborhood interaction AWARE tutoring kicks off at Lafayette on Monday, August 28 from 6:30-8:00pm. Pray for the team who will be ministering to students and families this year.

International missions Burkina Faso: Pray for peace in Ouagadougou and for all affected by the recent attack. Cambodia: Pray for Dara, a young man with whom Dale has invested time over several years, that God might give him wisdom and guidance in his decision about who he marries. Asia: Pray the body of Christ in the USA can be built up by what we're doing.— Logan

Students please send corrections to bobtheclark@gmail.com Azusa Pacific: Jared Pudiwitr; Chamberlain College of Nursing: Anna Crawford; Crowley’s Ridge: Donovan Tritschler; Harding: Samuel Anderson, Eli Andrews (London), Mariana Andrews, Maleah Brown, Michalie Brown, Blake Buehrer, Grant Buehrer, Peyton Buehrer, Emma deSambourg, Gabe deSambourg, Emma Fields, Austin Gray, Brendon Noyes, Kaci Noyes, Jeffrey Simmons, Caleb Uebelein, Luke Uebelein, Mary Joy Uebelein, Rachel Uebelein; Jefferson College: Brittany Grentz, Danielle Simmons; Lipscomb: Karl Aston, Aaron Thompson; Maryville: Laci Johnson, Lynda Oppong; Missouri: Ryan Shepherd; Missouri St: Emily Fritz, Emily Shepherd, Olivia Turney; Meramec: Brendan Wren; Paul Mitchell School: Alexandra Wren; St. Louis CC: Tyler Pudiwitr, Jordan Roland, Trent Ruckman; UMSL: Troy Ruckman, Emma Schwada, Ben Smith Wash U: Bailey Hall, MaryKate Riffle; Wildwood Community College: Makenzie Gray; Wyoming: Reed Brack

Prayer list

Singing .......................................................................................................... Alan Shepherd When we sing from our hearts and minds we praise God and encourage each other.

O Worship The King #144 Ancient of Days*

Shepherd’s welcome ......................................................................................... Dan Roper We welcome and accept one another as Jesus welcomes and accepts each of us.

In Christ Alone* Lord Most High*

Communion ...................................................................................................... Eli Andrews All followers of Jesus are invited to participate as we remember and proclaim Jesus in the Lord’s Supper. The bread is the body of Christ. The juice is the blood of Christ. Gluten free bread is available in the kitchen.

I Need Thee Every Hour #837

Offering ............................................................................................................. Eli Andrews We worship God by giving God the first fruits of our income to express both thanks and trust. We seek to honor God as we give joyfully, generously, sacrificially, and dependably.

Thank You, Lord #781 Listen To Our Hearts #810

Reading of Romans 11:33-36 .................................................................... Brett Wimberley We invite God to shape us as we listen attentively to God’s Word.

Message: Reality and Mystery ............................................................................. Bob Clark Preaching is a time of worship: God is revealed and we respond with our hearts and lives.

Prayer opportunity ........................................................................... Dan and Donna Roper If you would like to pray, exit the back of the worship center, turn left, and you will find the prayer room on the right just past the kitchen.

If You Say Go* Ring Out The Message #622

Child care .......................................................................... June Wilhelm and Kyra Rhoades To drop off children (up to their third birthday), exit the back of the worship center into the foyer, turn left, and you will find the nursery at the end of the hall. Children may stay in the nursery to attend the cradle roll/toddler class following the worship gathering.

#Songs of Faith and Praise Songbook *Song sheets - available at the Welcome Center

Worship Gathering August 20, 2017

Whether you are a first-time guest or have been gathering with us for some time, we are glad you are with us today. We are a family of Jesus-followers who gather each week to worship God and scatter each week to reflect God. Thanks so much for worshipping with us. Please join us in reflecting God throughout the week.

Please complete a blue guest card from the back of the worship center seats and place it in the offering tray as it passes you. We would love to be able to contact you to say hello. If you would like to know more about being a Jesus-follower, being baptized, or becoming a part of Lafayette, you are invited to meet with those in the prayer room just after the sermon. Turn left as you exit the back of the worship center; the prayer room is on the right just past the kitchen.

1 Lafayette 101 Our adult class meeting on Sundays will feature Lafayette 101 presentations for the next couple of weeks. Today’s presentation is about discipleship. There are no accidental disciples. What’s your plan? Next week’s presentation is a report from our group of Israel pilgrims.

2 Building relationships Building relationships is an important part of our life together at Lafayette and floating the Meramec with your church family is a great way to do it. On Saturday, August 26 we will have an easy, relaxing float on the Meramec River and all are welcome! Your choice of canoe, raft, or kayak. Cost is $25 per person -- bring cash the day of the float (we have to do one cash transaction when we get there). Meet at the commuter parking lot in Eureka at 8:00am and carpool to Steeleville. Pack your lunch, drinks and sunscreen. Those who want will get dinner in Cuba before heading back. Sign up at the Welcome Center or see Cindy or Kevin Fields for questions.

3 Gospel of John Studying the Bible is an important part of being a disciple of Jesus at Lafayette. All adults are invited to study the gospel of John on Wednesday nights beginning August 23 as several teachers guide us through what is for many a favorite gospel reading. To prepare for this study, all participants are asked to set aside the time needed to read through the gospel of John in one sitting.

“Never stop praying.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Welcome to Lafayette

Word of encouragement

3 Things to know this week

Aug 20 Adult class: Lafayette 101: There are no accidental disciples — What’s your plan? Aug 23 New adult class: Gospel of John Aug 26 Float trip on the Meramec Aug 27 Adult class: Israel Pilgrims Aug 27 LCM Back to School Ice Cream Party, 10:30am Aug 28 AWARE Tutoring, 6:30-8:00pm Sep 2 Superset Birthday Breakfast Sept 3 Holiday schedule: no classes Sept 10 Adult class: Lamenting with God Sept 10 teenEPIC to Ne-O-Tez Volleyball Tournament Sept 11 AWARE Tutoring, 6:30-8:00pm

Sept 13 The Tuesday Bible study for women will be offered on Wednesdays at 7:00pm for women who cannot attend on Tuesdays Sept 14 Tutoring at North City, 5:30-7:30pm Sept 15 Superset Crockpot Luncheon at the church building Sep 17 Church at the Park, 10:00am at Wildwood Community Park Sep 18 AWARE Tutoring, 6:30-8:00pm Sep 21 Tutoring at North City, 5:30-7:30pm Sep 25 AWARE Tutoring, 6:30-8:00pm Sep 28 Tutoring at North City, 5:30-7:30pm Sep 29 LCM Movie Night, 7:30pm outside the church building

The way of the cross

Area events

Sep 10 Ne-O-Tez Volleyball Tournament Sep 22 CFS Annual Dinner Nov Adoption Month at CFS Nov 10 Refuge -- Area-wide Teen Retreat

Nov 11 CFS Trivia Night Nov 23 West Central Community Luncheon, 11:00am-1:00pm

Lafayette calendar

There appears to be a significant disconnect for many followers of Jesus, between their profession of faith and trying to live it out. Anger, rebellion, revenge, and lust often drives behavior far more than the direction of Jesus. "Turn the other cheek" is seen as a suggestion rather than a life-altering instruction. It certainly isn't seen to apply in family disputes, workplace environments, or church upheavals.

Why? Well, after all the elaborate excuses, rationalizations, and the dust settles, the answer is... "I don't want to…." Yes, that is the bottom line, a form of rebellion.

We may phrase it, "I can't yet," "I'm not there yet," or even "I can't believe, in this situation, God would expect me to..." but they all mean, "I don't want to…."

A walk with God demands trusting him when you don't understand, following his word when all the self-protection bells and whistles are going off, it means surrender. When the person you love the most has hurt you the worst, even then.

The way of the cross is hard.

— Carl Feril