Assembly date: May 4, 2008

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our guests this morning! We ask that you fill out one of the white Welcome to Highland cards found in the rack on the back of the seats. Place it in the collection tray as it is passed or hand it to one of our greeters at the Welcome Center in the Atrium. If you would like help in selecting an adult Bible class to attend this morning, class information is available at the Welcome Center.

Highland Church of Christ
425 Highland Avenue
Abilene, Texas 79605
(325) 673-5295

Our Purpose: The purpose of the Highland Church is to call all people to God. The God we call people to is most perfectly seen in Jesus Christ. Our task is to imitate Him. We commit ourselves through the power of the Holy Spirit to be God’s living expression of Himself on earth.

Our Mission: The mission of the Highland Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ who prayerfully join together in missions, ministry and worship.

Sunday: Worship: 9:00 a.m. Bible Classes: 10:30 a.m.
Lifeteams: 1st and 3rd Sunday Evenings
Wednesday: OASIS Classes - 7:00 p.m.

Assembly Order • May 4, 2008
Worship Leader: Val Durrington

Come, Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy

Family Concerns ~ Sarah Campbell
Pastoral Prayer ~ Kim Vickers

How Great Is Your Love
Forever
Romans 12:9-18 ~ The Brent and Beth Reeves Family
448 - The Greatest Commands
Let Us Be You
The Lord’s Prayer

HIS KIDS Worship for 3 - 5 Year-Old Preschool Children
Be Unto Your Name

“Entertaining Angels” ~ Richard Beck

364 - Come, Share the Lord
Here in This Place

Communion: Luke 24:13-32 ~ Steve Hare
The Bread Has Been Broken
365 - How Beautiful

Tithes and Offerings
Special Prayer ~ John Willis

A New Anointing

Benediction ~ Richard

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others… ~I Peter 4.8-10a

Hospitality has an inescapable moral dimension to it. It is not a mere social grace; it is a spiritual and ethical issue. It is an issue involving what it means to be human. ~ Daniel Homan and Lonni Pratt

We truly worship God by showing hospitality to strangers, ‘for by so doing some have entertained angels without knowing it’ (Hebrews 13:2). A life of intentional praise will take seriously the importance of hospitality and service of every kind. ~ Gary Holloway and Earl Lavender

OUR WAY OF LIFE
Our contemporary western culture is characterized by high levels of alienation and fragmentation. In our families, churches, neighborhoods, and workplaces, many live as strangers even to those they interact with on a daily basis. We are taught to respond to strangers with suspicion, withdrawal, and fear. Scripture describes hospitality as the way of life of the people of God.

Christian hospitality is the art of sharing with others the gracious welcome that we ourselves have received from God. This hospitality is primarily the welcome we extend to outsiders, not to family and friends. In the Old Testament it was particularly the outsider, or alien, who was the recipient of hospitality. Aliens were to be protected in the knowledge that the Lord himself loves the alien (Deuteronomy 10:18) and watches over him (Psalm 146:9). Aliens live in a situation of high vulnerability to injustice and oppression; therefore, the Israelites are commanded to treat them like the poor, the fatherless, and the widows - with mercy and justice (Leviticus 19:10; 23:22; Deuteronomy 24:17-22; Jeremiah 22:3).

The New Testament also teaches the importance of hospitality toward strangers (Romans 12:13; Hebrews 13:2). It is a basic requirement for positions of ministry and leadership in the church (1 Timothy 3:2; 5:10; Titus 1:8). But it is in the ministry and teaching of Jesus that we are confronted with the profound implications of hospitality for missional living. Jesus regularly received hospitality from others while at the same time extending to His hosts the welcome of the kingdom of God.

May we learn to look for and see God in the strangers of our lives!

The financial office of Highland reminds you that direct draft is available for weekly or monthly regular contributions and pledges. If you are interested in this option please call the office at 673-5295 and ask for Amy or Robin. If you prefer to place a check in the collection, please be informed that one check may be used to combine regular contributions and pledges, rather than using multiple checks. If you choose to use one check, please make a notation in the memo line for how the amounts should be applied. If nothing is specified, it will be assumed that the total check should be applied to the regular weekly contribution.

Prayer Ministry: Everyone is invited to meet with the Highland Prayer Ministry from 12:00 noon - 1:00 p.m. each Monday in the Highland Prayer Room.

Mother's Day Dinner: All single moms, including those currently single due to deployment, with children under age 18 still living at home, are invited to this dinner which will be in the Highland Atrium on Saturday, May 10, at 6:00 p.m. Volunteers are also needed to help prepare the meal on Saturday afternoon and to serve as hosts/hostesses on Saturday evening. If you would like to attend or volunteer, sign up this morning in the Atrium or contact Patsy Watson.

Thank you, Highland family, for your giving hearts! Approximately $33, 000.00 has been received for the Community Ministries Special Contribution. Your donations will help fund the Highland Ministry of Care (counseling, benevolence, Mom's Meals) and other community outreach programs. If you did not have an opportunity to participate, you may place your donation, marked Community Ministries Special, in the contribution plate or contact any Highland staff member or elder.

Praise and Prayer Service: Please join us at Freedom Fellowship (941 Chestnut) on Saturday, May 17, at 5:00 p.m. for the monthly service. The main entree will be provided. Please bring side dishes (vegetables, salads, desserts and breads) to share with friends and neighbors. Rex Boyles from Lubbock, Texas, will be sharing his testimony.

Celebrate Recovery: A Christ-centered 12-step recovery program meets Sundays in Room 207 at 5:00 p.m. For more information, see the Highland Celebrate Recovery website at www.crhighland.wordpress.com.

SUNDAY MORNING UPDATE
Celebrate Jesus is a small class community for those who are getting to know Jesus and the family of believers at Highland. Joe and Becky Almanza lead this class which is in Room 106, located next to the Welcome Center in the Atrium.

Many of our adult classes are beginning a four-week congregation-wide study on hospitality called Finding God in the Stranger. Please stop by the Welcome Center in the Atrium if you need help finding a class.

WEEKDAY BIBLE STUDIES
Tuesday Ladies’ Class: Meet for coffee and fellowship at 9:00 a.m. and Bible study at 9:30 a.m. The General Class in Room 111 continues Twelve Extraordinary Women. The At His Feet class in Room 110 continues a study from I, II, and III John, led by Becky Porche and Tina Johnston.

WEEKLY BIBLE STUDIES
Mark your calendars for the following women’s studies:

To Live is Christ is an evening class beginning Monday, June 2, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Stepping Up: Psalms of Ascent begins Tuesday, June 10, and will meet mornings from 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.

SMALL GROUP MINISTRY
The Small Group Connection meets tonight from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. in Room 110. This is an informal meeting to get to know other people who want to grow more like Jesus in a small group community. Bring your own food and drink. Childcare is provided in Room 113, off the South Foyer.

SUPPORT HIGHLAND’S MOPS PROGRAM: Mothers of Preschoolers ministry is currently selling Mother’s Day cards in the Atrium. For Mother’s Day, next Sunday, May 11, please consider honoring the women in your life with a card and a gift donation to our MOPS ministry in their name. This ministry gently leads the way to (or back to) Christ for many of the young women, while providing quality care and teaching for their children. Your support provides scholarships for women in the community who otherwise would not be able to participate.

University Students and Young Adults: Class meets Sunday mornings at 10:30. Beginning today, and throughout the summer, this class will meet in Room 206, across the hall from the regular university classroom.

High School Class Planning Meeting: The last meeting of this school year will be in the High School Living Room THIS WEDNESDAY, May 7, from 6:00 - 6:45 p.m. Plan to be there!

Impact: There will be an Impact meeting with sixth through eighth grade boys and their parents, THIS WEDNESDAY night, May 7, from 8:05 - 8:30 p.m. in the Middle School Classroom. If you are planning to go, bring your $25.00 non-refundable deposit to the meeting. Applications can be picked up THIS MORNING at the Welcome Center or in the Middle School Classroom. The Impact mission trip will take place June 14 - 17.

Breakthrough 2008: All current fifth through seventh grade students are invited to our in-town Middle School Retreat, this summer June 6 - 8. Join the race as we face the Breakthrough Gladiators! The weekend will be filled with training to overcome obstacles. So be ready to dive into the Word and have some fun! The cost is $55.00 per student and scholarships are available upon request. Applications are available TODAY in the Middle School Classroom and at the Welcome Center. These will be due, along with the non-refundable $55.00, by Sunday, May 25. Sign up TODAY!

HIS KIDS Worship: All preschool children who are 3 - 5 years old are invited this morning to Room 113, off the South Foyer, for children’s worship.

Wednesday Night: All first through fifth graders meet in the Children’s Wing, Room G, for class. Nursery, preschool, and kindergarten children meet in their regular classrooms.

Father/Son Treasure Hunt: Mark your calendars for Friday, May 9, for this fun-filled evening! All boys, 3 years old through 5th grade, and their dads are invited. Please RSVP! Cost for this event is $5.00 per person.

Parent Prayer Connect: Parents, pick up a prayer card located on the glass tables in the Atrium or the Children’s Information Desk to use as you pray this week for protection for your child.

God Talk At Home: Family conversation starters that track with our elementary Wednesday night curriculum are available each week in the Atrium on the glass tables and at the Children's Information Desk in the North Foyer.

Childcare is available for all twos during worship. Younger Twos meet in Nursery E, off the South Foyer, and the Older Twos meet in the 2’s classroom, located downstairs in the North Children’s Wing.

Nursery care is provided each Sunday in the attended Nursery Suite off the South Foyer. Also, the Mom’s Nursery and Family Room are available for infants and toddlers accompanied by parents or grandparents.

A Global Day of Prayer - May 11
All together...in many places!
For Christ's glory and the blessing of all nations, join millions in ten days of united prayer, beginning May 1, leading up to Pentecost Sunday, May 11. Prayer guides will be in the Atrium for those who wish to participate in calling the world to seek GOD in repentance and prayer. The guides also explain how this Global Day of Prayer began on Pentecost Sunday, in Cape Town, South Africa. When the Day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. Acts 2:1

His Kids Ministry and 3D Ministry Moms! Mark your calendar for Mom's Night Out on Tuesday, May 20. Mothers of newborns through twelfth grade are invited! We will have pedicures, massages, crafts, dinner, and more! Watch your mail for details!

Into All the World Fundraising Opportunity:
All Teams - Movie and Silent Auction
Into All the World teams invite you for an evening of affordable entertainment on Saturday, May 24, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. We will host a classic movie in the Auditorium and offer pie and coffee in the Gym during intermission. We will show the 1944 Frank Capra film Arsenic and Old Lace, a classic comedy/thriller starring Cary Grant. The events of the evening will be offered on a donation basis, including child care, which will be provided by the Highland Youth Mission Teams. During intermission, there will be a silent auction in the Atrium. There will also be displays by each of the participating Into All the World teams highlighting their mission trips, designed to provide information about the purpose of the fund-raising.

Dwelling in the Word
Sunday: Psalm 19, 46; Exodus 3:1-12; Hebrews 12:18-29
Monday: Psalm 89:19-52; Joshua 1:1-9; Ephesians 3:1-13
Tuesday: Psalm 94, 95; I Samuel 16:1-13a; Ephesians 3:14-21
Wednesday: Psalm 119:121-144; Isaiah 4:2-6; Ephesians 4:1-16
Thursday: Psalm 105:23-45; Zechariah 4:1-14; Ephesians 4:17-32
Friday: Psalm 107:1-32; Jeremiah 31:27-34; Ephesians 5:1-20
Saturday: Psalm 33; Ezekiel 36:22-27; Ephesians 6:10-24