Jan 29, 2019
by Steve Moncrief
After a restful Sabbath and a good night’s sleep, a new week began. Several were up early on October 28 and ready to go. It was the day of the annual Chicken Barbeque to raise funds for the William Lupton Fund for Needy Children. The preliminary work had been done, the tickets sold, and we were ready to go. By 8:00 a.m. the barbeque racks had been delivered to Jersey Oaks, the barbeque pit was ready to go, and the sauce was on the stove cooking. Now on to picking up the 720 chicken halves. By 9:15 the fire was lit, the chickens were at camp and being loaded on the racks for cooking. Meanwhile the ladies were home baking the 720 potatoes, making baked goods for the bake sale, and preparing the beans and cranberry sauce for the meals.
As the men continued to cook the chickens, the ladies gathered at the church to package the meals that would be picked up between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m.
This barbeque couldn’t be completed without the whole church family working together as one. The barbeque not only helps many needy children in the area, it also brings the community together. It is a witness to others that we care.
When all was added up there were relationships made with those outside the church family and over $6,000.00 raised for the needy children.
On Wednesday, October 31, several from the church gathered at the Shiloh Municipal Building and held a “Trunk or Treat” from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. All the trunks were biblical-based themes. We shared with the community and gave out candy and funnel cakes. Our intention was to have Christ the focus of the evening.
On Thursday evening, November 1, we welcomed Pastor Wayne North and Pastor Steve Hinton from New Auburn, WI, to share with us. “Come Alive” was the focus of our three days of meetings, Thursday evening, Friday evening, and all day Sabbath into late evening.
We worshiped, learned, and prayed together. God was moving in those sessions. The spirit was alive and moving in each of us. Sabbath night during our prayer time there was healing, emotions were set free, and the overwhelming knowledge that Christ is with us—we need to only rely on Him.
It was a busy week. But more than that, it was a blessed week because the Lord was there with us by our side each and every moment—guiding us, walking before us, with us, and behind us, surrounding us with His love. What a way to spend a week!
On December 29,this “Thank You” was in the church bulletin:
A special thank you to each one of you who helped sell or buy tickets, bake potatoes, cook chickens, prepare beans or cranberry sauce, pack dinners, or clean up afterward for the William Lupton Fund Barbeque. In October, sometimes it seems like a lot of work to pull it off successfully. But on Christmas Day, knowing that we helped 73 needy children, some that would have had nothing at all if it wasn’t for this, is a blessing not only to them and their families but also to each of us. One mother responded with a hug and said “no one has ever done anything like this for us before.” Showing God’s love, that’s what it’s is all about!