Spring
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)
Mini Devotional
A mini message to take with you this week to help you in your devotion to God.
Spring Devotional by: Ray Bowman
“The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for God founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers.”—Psalm 24:1-2
There’s no question that spring is my favorite time of year. Oh I love the snows of winter, the summer sun and the colors of fall, but spring captures the imagination and stirs the spirit as does no other season.
“There is no time like Spring,
When life’s alive in everything,
Before new nestlings sing,
Before cleft swallows speed their journey back
Along the trackless track –
God guides their wing”
‘Spring’ Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)
Is it any wonder poets rhapsodize so eloquently over bursting blooms, newness of life and the warmth of the spring sun on burgeoning meadows? It’s truly a joyous time. One can’t help but wonder if the Lord had that in mind when he chose spring as the time for his only son, abused and beaten by cruel hands and crueler hearts, to defeat death and emerge triumphantly from the tomb?
The world recently celebrated the annual observance of Earth Day, first held on April 22, 1970. Denis Hayes, organizer of the first Earth Day, said that Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin was inspired to create Earth Day upon seeing an 800-square-mile oil slick from an airplane in the Santa Barbara Channel. Since then, environmentalists championing the cause of the stewardship of nature have promoted the event, no doubt a worthwhile venture. Unfortunately, the focus is always on the creation, and not the creator. There’s little room for God in most of these celebrations and that I find deeply troubling.
“For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1:16-17 ESV
Every day should be a day of worship; everyday should be a day of gratitude; every day should be a day of realization that we and the world we see around us are the careful, planned, glorious gift of a magnificent and loving God.
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1 ESV
Praise be to God, “for it is He that has made us - and not we ourselves.” Psalm 100
Missions
These are the challenges that the congregation is actively working on this month.
Our Missions For April
Equip — Equip another disciple to remain faithful by encouraging someone to attend with you, or get involved with, a church activity or event.
Kids’ Challenge — Ask your parents how you can get involved at church, and ask for their help so you can make a difference.
Teach — Read Psalm 27 for as many days as you can this month, and each day, write down one thing you noticed either about God’s faithfulness towards us, or our loyalty to Him. Share your observations with someone.
Kids’ Challenge — Read Psalm 27 with your parents and ask them to help you understand what it means for you to seek God.
Serve — Look for a way to demonstrate faithfulness to God by helping someone, or getting involved, in a way that requires a sacrifice on your part.
Kids’ Challenge — Think of something that you like to do, and next time, sacrifice by by spending that time doing something kind for someone else.
*Be on the lookout for weekly training videos on our Facebook and YouTube pages, published each Sunday, to help you complete the challenges.
*As you complete each challenge, drop one of the pom-pom balls into the corresponding jar at the Mission Control Center in the lobby so we can see how many people are completing each challenge. One completion per person, per challenge, per month.
News
This section is for any special announcements that are not upcoming events or prayer requests.
Gavin Trent Was Baptized Tuesday Night, April 25th
Rejoice with us! Another soul was added by the Lord to His church (Acts 2:41)! Brother Gavin Trent was baptized for the forgiveness of his sins tonight! Be sure to congratulate and encourage Gavin the next time you see him!
Thank You, Mike Mayes!
I know most of these emails are asking for prayers, but I want to give a big church “thank you” to Mike Mayes. Most of you all know Dan passed away almost 4 years ago. Dan was an AG Major at UK, so he always kept our yard immaculate. He loved growing flowers and had a garden in the back yard. I have tried so hard to keep our lawn the way Dan kept it. I was given a riding mower by my son, Tyler, who worked on it several times over the last three years. Wednesday was Dan & I’s 37th anniversary and needless to say, it was a very hard day for me. Complete melt down at Lowes. I had my lawnmower being made summer ready and worked on by Mike, but I still couldn’t get it to start. Mike came to my house to help, sat down and immediately started it right up! So of course, I had another meltdown. Keep in mind my son never used the mower and I had no manual, so it was kindof a “wing & a prayer” for me to get the lawn mower to start anyway. Turns out I had not been choking it properly! Three years folks and I had not been choking it properly. I told Mike how bad my back yard was. He looked at it and said let me see something. He got on the mower and mowed my whole back yard. I do not have a small back yard. Of course, I cried. But Mike was great, I think he could tell how stressed out I was and he did a very nice deed for me. All of this above is to say Mike Mayes is a great man, for showing a great kindness to a woman in need. God bless you, Mike! I know the Lord smiled on you Wednesday for doing God’s Work for me! Praise shout-out to Mike, from me! Thank you and God bless!
-Brenda Stone
Formal Dress Donations (Deadline April 30th)
Hello church family,
I am looking for any formal dress donations. I have been in contact with the activities director at Homeplace in Midway. She is seeking donations for dresses because all of the ladies there have requested to have a prom in early May. So, if you have any dresses to donate, please let me know, and I will get them to the activities director when I donate mine. I will need any donations by the end of this month. Thank you all!
-Katie Bell
Operation Re-Stock the Food Pantry (April)
The Food Pantry needs to be re-stocked. During the upcoming months we will be asking for specific food donations. There will be a box in the foyer for you to place your food donations. Thank you so much and let’s make Operation re-stock a success!! For the month of April, we need:
Peanut Butter
Jelly
Cards
If you know someone that needs to receive a card in the mail from the church, please send a note to office@hollyhillcoc.org with “Cards” in the subject line. We will get that information to Sonia to prepare a card for the church to sign.Important Announcement Regarding Mail
To counter the recent instances of mail theft, we rented a post office post to secure the delivery of mail. For at least the next three months, please send all correspondence, especially checks, to the following address:
Holly Hill Church of Christ P.O. Box 4001 Frankfort, KY 40604
Friendly Reminder Regarding Church Announcements
Just a friendly reminder to everyone regarding church announcements: If you wish to make an announcement or have a prayer request, please contact Matthew Woodyard via email (office@hollyhillcoc.org). Announcements will be included in our daily email (5pm), our weekly Vine (Thursdays at 10am), and posted to Holly Hill’s Facebook page. If you wish something to be shared, please submit your announcement by 4pm. Emergency prayer requests can be submitted at any time and will be shared as soon as possible. If you’re not receiving our daily emails, weekly Vine Newsletter, or text messages, or if you have any questions about this process, don't hesitate to contact Matthew.
Church Records
Bible Class Attendance (Sun AM) — 69 (23APR2023)
Worship Attendance (Sun AM) — 125 (23APR2023)
Contribution — $8,479.00 (23APR2023)
Prayers
Here are some individuals that especially need our prayers this week. Please keep them in mind every time you pray.
New Prayer Requests:
Renaee Diffee & Family (Robin Iberschoff’s friend)
Butch Elliott (Robin Mayes friend)
The Horn Family
Mike & Patricia Robertson (Melissa Trent’s parents)
Larry & Renita Clarke
Brenda Perkins
Ongoing Prayers For: Montooth Family, Rhoda Jones, James Tutt Jr. (Donna White’s friend) & victims of the Louisville shooting, Wanda Justice (Alyson Woodyard’s grandmother), Betty Blanton, Janis Friend, Bill & Mary Jo Marion (friends of Robin Mayes), Helen Hall, The Family of Daniel Rowlette (Alyson Woodyard's cousin), Robin Iberschoff, Penny Harland (Katie Bell’s mother), The Parnell Family, Alyssa Deaton, Robert Lewis (Sharon Lewis’ son), Pete & Jessie Tropoulos, Codie Rich (Michael & Kimberly Mundt’s son-in-law), Emma Collins, Jerry Mayes (Mike Mayes’ brother), Blake Ramsay (Inez’s grandson), Bill Marion (father of Robin Mayes childhood friends), Rusty Bell (friend of Robin Mayes), Tanya Phipps (Brenda Stone’s niece), Samantha Stone (Brenda’s daughter), Gail Keith (Michele Blanton’s mother), Nikki Fenney (Johnny and Julie Widener’s niece), Bertha Young’s Family, Dorothy Trent, Polly Deaton, Jane Dempsey, Rita Tackett (Alyson Woodyard’s aunt), Inez Ramsey, Sandra Haden (Tiffany Quarles’ mother), The Valentine Family, The Family of Bob Tankersley, David Fair (prayers for his marriage and family situation), Steve Small, Phil and Suzanne Wilkins, Jim Clark (Continued Prayers), Prayers for Mission Control Challenges, Glenda Mitchum, Lisa & Pete Vogel (family of Brenda Stone).
* Please submit your prayer requests for inclusion at office@hollyhillcoc.org
Upcoming Events
Here are some events that are coming up that you need to make space on your calendar for.
Teaching Tabithas Ladies Meeting — Thursday Night, April 27th at 6pm
Teaching Tabitha’s Ladies Ministry is scheduled for April 27th, Thursday at 6pm in the fellowship hall. This month for Child Abuse Awareness Month I will be teaching how to make a drawstring bag to donate to help comfort abused children then the bag will be filled with items they may need. Please comment on this post if you are interested. We will also put a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board that way I know how many supplies to get. Thank you all!
“Game Night” Hosted By: Ray & Stephenia Bowman — Saturday Night, April 29th at 5:30pm
Game night will be held downstairs on Saturday, April 29th starting at 5:30pm, hosted by Ray & Stephenia Bowman. Bring snack foods, finger foods, a new game (to teach others), or board games to share. Stop by for a visit or stick around for the fellowship.
“Complete” (Week 7), Mid-week Adult Bible Study — Wednesday Night, May 3rd at 6:30pm
Our mid-week adult Bible study, “Complete,” continues, Wednesday nights at 6:30pm. Make sure to check your email this week for the lesson material. Previous week’s material can be found by selecting the following links: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6.
Men’s Bible Study Breakfast — Saturday Morning, May 6th at 8am
Join us on the first Saturday morning of each month, for the Men’s Bible Study Breakfast. We will meet downstairs in the Fellowship Hall and be studying from the book of James. See you there!
Great Day in May — Sunday, May 7th (Potluck Meal at 12pm)
Our “Great Day in May” service will follow our normal Sunday morning schedule, Bible Classes at 10am & Worship at 11am. We hope you’ll stick around following worship and join us for a potluck meal, downstairs in the fellowship hall. We look forward to seeing you there!
How You Can Serve
There are a lot of ways you can get involved and do the work of God in our community!
For more information or for help signing up for any of these ministries, please call the church office at: (502) 227-7796.
Limited-Time Opportunities:
Operation Re-stock the Food Pantry
The Food Pantry needs to be re-stocked. During the upcoming months we will be asking for specific food donations. There will be a box in the foyer for you to place your food donations. Thank you so much and let’s make Operation re-stock a success!! For the month of April, we need:
Peanut Butter
Jelly
April Mission Control Challenges
We have 3 new challenges for the month of April that we need your help on. Please see the section above entitled “Missions” for more information.
Long-Term Opportunities:
Mission Launch Team
We are needing individuals to sign up for the Mission Launch Team. People on this team commit to working on the Mission Control challenges each month, and they also commit to encouraging at least one other person to work on the missions as well. We need you to sign up for this ministry so we can grow the Mission Control program organically from person to person. Sign up for the Mission Launch Team at the Mission Control Center in the lobby.
Tech Team Support — The Holly Hill Tech Team needs help. We would love to have a few more people trained and available to set up the livestreams and audio equipment. It’s a fairly simple task and you’ll be well trained before being thrown into the seat alone. If you’re interested, see Nick, David, or Brad.
Greeter Ministry — We’re looking for people who are friendly and outgoing to welcome our guests and members each Sunday morning. If you are interested, contact Tom Owens.
Card Ministry — Every Sunday there are cards spread out on a table in the lobby that will be sent out to various church members and guests who need encouragement. You can help serve and encourage by making sure to sign these cards each week.
Casey Blessing Box — The Casey’s are collecting items to give away to those in need in their Blessing Box. Currently, they are accepting donations of: Can goods of fruit and vegetables. Crackers, or cereal.
Shriners Children’s Hospital — Donna White is collecting soda can tabs to donate to the children’s hospital. Please leave your donations in the lobby.
Children’s Bible Class Teachers/Helpers — Our next quarter begins in June, so we will be needing to staff our Children’s Bible Classes. If you’d be willing to teach, sub, or help, please see Matthew Woodyard. We have a wonderful opportunity to teach God’s Word to our children. Let’s make sure they get our very best! Thank you!
Holly Hill’s Children’s Bible Class Ministry Needs Your Help With Materials
We are requesting your help with our new Spiritual Heritage Bible Class curriculum for K-6.
The teachers are tasked to create a God-made wall. This wall is a focal point in the classroom and will provide an opportunity to speak of the magnificence and wisdom of God. To ensure successful implementation of the program in our K-6 classes, the Bible class teachers need photos of any kind showing the greatness of God. These photos could be any type including nature, scenery, seasons, animals, people, etc. Use your imagination!
Also included in the curriculum are specific lessons directed at certain topics. We need photos of these items also.
God Planned Animal Houses
God Made Desert Animals That Can Survive On Little Water
God Made Camels, Snakes, Great Eyes, Protective Coverings, Beautiful Animals, Mosquitoes, Giraffes, Animal Hands (Claws, Wings, Paws), Big Cats
God Made Animal Hides, Perfect Animals (even though they look silly to us), Porpoises, Animal Ears, Micro-Organisms, Animal Cooperation
Great sources for these needed photos are magazines, outdated calendars, and old books. Size of the photo does not matter. Our first Sunday class with the new curriculum will be March 5th. We will be accepting and using these photos throughout the next 26 weeks. Please turn them in as you find them.
All we ask is that you cut out the photos and place them in the box located in the foyer labeled, Spiritual Heritage. Let's support these dedicated teachers and help ensure our Holly Hill kids know that our God is very great!
Holly Hill Church of Christ
1020 Holly Hill Drive
Frankfort, KY 40601
Web: www.hollyhillcoc.org
Phone: (502) 227-7796
Email: office@hollyhillcoc.org
Service Times:
Sunday Bible Class: 10am
Sunday Morning Worship, 11am
Sunday Evening Worship, 6pm
Wednesday Evening Bible class: 6:30pm