The Key to Unity
By Steve Reeves
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Lurking in the shadows of every church, every home and every relationship, is a devious demon of division called “selfishness.” It makes frequent appearances as it seeks to satisfy our personal preferences, desires, likes and dislikes rather than considering the needs of others. I struggle with it constantly. How about you?
When the apostle Paul wrote a letter to the church in Philippi, he did not address any particular heresy within the church as he did when writing to the Corinthians or Galatians. He did, however, refer to a problem that existed between two sisters in Christ who were at odds with one another.
Though the Bible does not tell us the exact nature of the strife, it is obvious that Euodia and Syntyche were engaged in some type of personal conflict that threatened the church. Paul’s admonition was that they might agree with one another “in the Lord” (Philippians 4:2).
What does that mean? From his earlier statements in the letter, we can conclude that Paul was telling these ladies to put aside their personal desires and consider the needs of one another (Philippians 2:3-4). It is this attitude that comprises the “mind of Christ” (Philippians 2:5-8).
There is no conflict that cannot be resolved in an amiable way if the parties involved will simply stop insisting on their personal likes, dislikes, preferences and opinions in consideration of the greater need to maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
There is no setting, be it church, home, business, marriage or personal friendship, that will not benefit from such an attitude.
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Elders
Leon Cort
Mark Craigwell
Raleigh Gallington
Carlfred Malcolm
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Minister
Mark Craigwell
Assistant Minister
Denver Simmons
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Deacons
Anthony Johnson
Gregory Johnson
Albert Martin, Jr.
Walter Maxwell
Richard Meuse
Barry Person
Jason Reid
In Memoriam
Gone, but never forgotten, our beloved brother,
James W. Wade, Sr.
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Sermon for Sunday, October 27, 2024
Title: Built for Love, Part 2
Text: Ephesians 4:15-16
Speaker: Bro. Mark Craigwell
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HERE WE GROW AGAIN, AND AGAIN, AND AGAIN! | | |
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We had three baptisms on Wednesday, October 23, 2024, the final night of our Fall Gospel Meeting with Bro. Greg Dismuke. Let us welcome Claudette (Renee) Wright, Reginald (Reggie) Dumas, and Reginald Dumas into the body of Christ!
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GOSPEL MEETING RECORDINGS | |
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The Gospel Meeting sessions that were livestreamed last week are available for listening/viewing on our YouTube channel via the following links:
Sunday, October 20, 2024 - Bible Class
Sunday, October 20, 2024 - The Journey of Life (Part 1)
Sunday, October 20, 2024 - The Journey of Life (Part 2)
Monday, October 21, 2024 - In His Name
Tuesday, October 22, 2024 - At the Cross
Wednesday, October 23, 2024 - Man's Inescapable Reality
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This November we will host a Children’s Coat Drive to support the Horadan Way Children’s Early Education Center. We kindly ask for donations of new coats, hats, and mittens/gloves for the children. All donations should be brought to the church building by Wednesday, November 13th. We will deliver the gift bags on Friday, November 15th at 4 p.m. (volunteers are needed). Please sign up on the bulletin board downstairs and indicate if you are available to help sort donations and package the gift bags. Questions? See Sis. Wendy Craigwell. | |
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Don't Miss Out! Please scroll through the entire e-bulletin each week to be certain not to miss any important announcements or links. Many items are repeated each week, but there are also new announcements that you'll miss if you don't scroll through the entire bulletin.
Current and Upcoming Events
Education Ministry Open House: Sunday, October 27th at 10:00 a.m. and Wednesday, October 30th at 6:30 p.m.
Appreciation for Brothers Maxwell and Meuse: Saturday, November 9th, noon to 4 p.m. at the Italian-American Club in Dedham. See detailed flier below.
Manchester CoC Youth Rally: November 15-17 in Manchester, CT. Save the date and stay tuned for details.
City-Wide Evening Worship Service: Sunday, November 24, 2024, 5:00 p.m. at Florian Hall, 55 Hallett Street, Dorchester. Details above.
Ministry Meetings and Events
The Singles’ Ministry meets the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the church building.
The Couples’ Ministry meets the 2nd and 3rd Friday of the month via Zoom. See Couples' Ministry section below for connection information. Meetings will resume in the fall.
Young Adult Ministry Bi-Weekly Devotional: Every other Monday at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. See Young Adult Ministry section below for connection information.
Tech Day: 3rd Saturday of the month, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the church building. Bring your cell phones, tablets, and laptops for help with your tech issues. See Bro. Javier Jackson, Jr., or Bro. Jerard Samuel for details. Sign-up sheets will be posted monthly.
Community Outreach: Our next monthly community outreach grocery distribution will take place on Saturday, November 23rd at 9:30 a.m. at the church building. All are welcome to participate.
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The congregation is requesting member support of its Mission Fund as we provide an educational stipend to Bro. Phillip Morrison while he attends Sunset International Bible Institute full time for the next 18 months to train as a minister. We are asking members to commit/pledge at whatever amount your heart and ability can provide for this period of time. This is a commitment over and above your regular giving and we hope all members will participate to the level of their ability and heart for God. Our target is to provide $3,000 per month and all commitments, whether large or small, are helpful and appreciated.
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Please make checks and money orders payable to Church of Christ in Roxbury and write Mission Fund in the memo line.
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Electronic donations may be made via the E-Giving option at ChurchofChristinRoxbury.org/e-giving, followed up with a text or email to Bro. Gallington [(617) 922-4598, mrcg13@hotmail.com].
Click here to complete the pledge form electronically.
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Volunteers are needed to assist with our New Year's Eve celebration
in the following areas:
Media, Food, Program, Maintenance, Decorations.
Please reach out to Sis. Samantha Reid if you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions. 781.589.1081
Please use the link below to upload photos of this year's church events and activities to be included in the New Year's Eve movie project:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ph--DWbObKAHqKxrsao56Q-OiL4B9Red?usp=drive_link
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OUR CURRENT COVID PROTOCOLS | |
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Until further notice, we have suspended the requirement for attendees to sign up in advance to attend Sunday worship. We have also suspended attendance taking at our in-person services, classes, and events. Masking remains optional.
Remember that although COVID numbers are down, COVID has not gone away, and is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Please protect yourself and those around you by adhering to the guidelines below.
If you test positive for COVID after attending an in-person church event, please notify us by email at cocroxbury@gmail.com or by text to Sis. Gloria Gallington at 617-922-5987 so that notifications can be made as needed.
For up-to-date information regarding COVID in Massachusetts, click the link below:
COVID-19 Updates and Information | Mass.gov
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We will continue to offer two Sunday morning worship services to accommodate in-person attendees
The first service begins at 8:30 a.m. and runs until approximately 9:45 a.m.; the second service begins at 11:00 a.m. Our weekly Bible classes for all ages begin at 10:00 a.m. We will continue to livestream the 11:00 service on our YouTube channel, and we encourage members to utilize e-giving, even when attending in person. As noted under News & Notes, it is no longer necessary to sign up in advance to attend worship services in person.
E-giving link
https://churchofchristinroxbury.org/e-giving
Livestream link
Church of Christ in Roxbury - YouTube
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Our next monthly community outreach grocery distribution will take place on Saturday, November 23, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. at the church building. All are welcome to participate. Distribution will begin at 11:00 a.m. | |
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Remote & In-Person
Class/Meeting Schedule
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Wednesday Night In-Person & Dial-In Bible Study
Wednesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. in-person and via freeconferencecall.com.
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
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REMINDER: Please remember to mute your phone or computer when joining any of the above conference calls to avoid interrupting the class or service you are entering, particularly if you are joining the call after the event has started. | |
The Couples' Ministry meets the second and third Fridays of the month at 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Meetings will resume in the Fall. | |
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Our next Women's Class will take place on Sunday, October 27th at 5:00 p.m. at the church building and via Free Conference Call.
Presenters:
Pam Alexander, Liz Pegram,
Amy Toledano, Cindy Woodley
Dial in number: 978-990-5000
Access Code: 261232#
Or join the class online at join.freeconferencecall.com/carl95fred
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October 2024
Visitor Thank You Letters: Sis. Denise Simmons
Visitor Gift Bags: Sis. Esther Vallepu
Baptistry: Sis. Elaine McGlothin
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2025 Mature in Heart Pennsylvania Dutch Country Excursion: Thursday, September 18 - Friday, September 19
Next year's Sight & Sound production will be "Noah." Stay tuned for detailed information regarding the date and cost in the near future.
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Next men's class is Sunday, October 27th at 5 p.m. at the church building.
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Registration is now open. Scan the QR code above to register. | |
The Singles' Ministry now meets the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the building. | |
Young Adult Ministry (YAM) | |
Monthly Ministry Meeting
1st Sunday of each month at 1:00 p.m.
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Meetings & Events
10/6 - Youth & Family Ministry Meeting, 2pm @church building.
10/7 - Ministers'/Elders'/Deacons' Meeting, 7pm
10/7- Singles' Ministry Meeting, 6:30pm @church building.
10/14 - YAM Devotional via Zoom, 7pm. Details above
10/19-23- Roxbury Fall Gospel Meeting
10/20 - Area-Wide Fellowship @ Roxbury, 3:00 p.m.
10/26- Community Outreach, 9:30am @church building.
10/26 - Housewarming Celebration for Tara Myers, 1:00 p.m. Details above
10/27 - Education Ministry Open House 10:00 a.m.
10/27 - Men's & Women's Classes, 5:00 p.m. @church building
10/28 - YAM Devotional via Zoom, 7pm. Details above
10/30 - Education Ministry Open House, 6:30 p.m.
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Ministry Meetings - Please contact your ministry coordinator for remote meeting schedules.
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- Sunday New Converts' Class, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Bible Class (children) Sundays at 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Adult Devotional/Bible Study, 10:00am @church building
- Sunday Worship Service 8:30 and 11:00am in person and 11:00am via livestream on YouTube. See above for details.
- Men's/Women's Classes, 5pm (4th Sunday of the month) @church building
- Youth & Family Ministry (1st Sunday of the month at 2pm)
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Mature in Heart Women's Prayer (Tuesdays @ 10:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Prayer Meeting (Tuesdays @ 7pm) VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week Bible Study (Wednesdays @ 6:30pm) in person and VIA TELECONFERENCE (connection info above)
- Mid-Week New Converts' Class (Wednesdays @ 7pm) @church building
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Healing Hearts (Thursdays @6:15pm) VIA ZOOM
- Choral Ministry (Thursdays @7:30pm) in person @church building
- Couple's Ministry (2nd & 3rd Fridays @ 7 pm)
- Retention Ministry (3rd Sunday following 11:00 service)
- Women's Prayer (Saturdays 9:30am) VIA TELECONFERENCE (Connection info above)
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Bro. John Kurpiel, minister for the Lawrence congregation, hosts an international radio program, “Soul Food,” on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11AM until 3PM. The program airs on Ignite Radio Broadcast via Mixlr, an interactive internet radio platform. Use the link below to tune in to listen, or to participate in the conversation. Always free to listen. https://mixlr.com/ignite-radio-broadcast.
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Church of Christ in Roxbury
81 Walnut Avenue
Roxbury, MA 02119
617-442-5826
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