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FORT DES MOINES CHURCH OF CHRIST

Love God Love People Serve Everyone

Fort Connections

What Matters Most?

Before you read the next paragraph, please answer this three-part question: What is the single most significant thing you could begin doing regularly that would: (1) make you more effective at your work? (2) create a better atmosphere for your family? and (3) enrich your spiritual life?

Now that you have named three specific things that would make your life better, can you defend your choice to omit any one of them from your schedule for this week?

All of us have urgent things that will have to be attended to: phone calls, appointments, deadlines, interruptions, etc. But some of us will also do the things you probably named earlier, like planning next week's big presentation or making three extra calls, telling someone "I love you" or helping children with homework, or reading the Bible and praying.

The difference in people who tend to life's really important things and those who simply react to events and live the scripts others write is discernment. Or maybe you prefer to call it determining priorities.

It is absurdly easy to fall into the activity trap. We can think that being busy is being productive. We can equate having done huge amounts of unimportant things with having done something significant.

Moving quickly and efficiently is important only if your movement is in the direction of a worthy goal. Since you took the time at the start of this piece to name specific steps toward noble ends, why not take the time now to figure out how to include them in today's schedule for yourself?

You may have to cut out some waste and cancel some unimportant things, but you will feel better for it. You will have started practicing discernment between the things that really matter in life and second-rate distractions.

Don’t let the tyranny of the urgent be your master that pulls you away from what matters most in life. I pray you will implement the items you named at the beginning now.

Mike Demastus July 2017

To remove your name from our mailing list, please notify us by e-mail secretary@godsfort.org or call 515-285-1254.

WWW.GODSFORT.ORG

Service Times: Sunday School– 9 AM Worship– 10 AM

Office: 515-285-1254

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Missions Ministry Update By Mary Rowedder

The next meeting of the missions ministry is July 18th at 7pm.

The mission of the month for July will be ACI with Steve Hagerman.

We are going to have a Prayer Meeting on the first Sunday of every month at 8:00 am throughout 2017. We will be praying for our Country and our elected officials, our Church and the ministries and missions we support, and the Families of The Fort. Our meeting will be Sunday, July 2nd at

8:00 am in the CIA room.

For the last 7 weeks we have been collecting change to help Agape Pregnancy Center get a new ultrasound machine. So far we have collected $826.00 (and some change :D).

We are almost to our goal, we need $174.00. Please don’t stop now! Remember the mustard seed, we may be small but we can do mighty things through Christ who gives us

strength! Mike is having a telethon on his radio show the week of July 31-August 4 from 4-5 pm. Make sure you tune in. If you are able to help take phone calls during that week, please see Shannon for the details. Mike and Rachel Demastus have been pounding the pavement asking Christian businesses and churches to help with the ultrasound machine! They have been having a great response. Please keep praying for this ministry, please

keep bringing in your change.

Agape’s Basement Sale

2550 MLK Jr. Pkwy

July 14th 9-5

July 15th 9-2

PFD will meet on Monday, July 17th at 6:30. We are honored that Kim Laube with Lutheran Social Service will be with us to give us a presentation on the history of Planned

Parenthood. If we have extra time, we will be watching “Life is Best” lessons 3 . Everyone is invited to attend.

We are switching up the Praise Teams for the summer! Each team will be singing every two weeks. We still have

room for others to join us! If you would like to join a team, please see Stephanie!

Team 1 Team 2 Shannon Stephanie

Cathy Vicki Mary Jennie

Lonnie Mike

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Total Income for April: $14,225.55

Total Expenses for April: $14,416.71

Fort Facts

Scripture Memorization for July Isaiah 40:28

“ Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his

understanding no one can fathom.”

Cary Gordon, pastor of Cornerstone World Outreach in Sioux City, Iowa will be preaching at The Fort on July 16th! Cary is a fantastic

preacher, and a dear friend of Mike’s. You won’t want to miss this special Sunday!

Our next VBS Meeting will be June 28th at 6:30.

We will be putting together the decorations! Please make plans NOW to attend!

The Fort is going to the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter on July 10th-13th. Please be in prayer for those of us who are

going that we will have safe travels and that we will be changed because of what we see and hear!

Vacation Bible School is just a month away! Can you believe it? We started planning in February!

Please be in prayer for our VBS, for the teachers and the children. Please check the list and see if you can help in any way by donating one or more of the needed items.

The JAM kids and their mommies had a great time at

Star Park!

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Server Schedule

Birthdays Anniversaries: Timmy Croy 7-7 Luther and Jennie Abel 7-14

Paula McClintic 7-8

Jennie Abel 7-19

Marge DeRuyscher 7-20

Austin De Young 7-27

Ivan Eggers 7-29

Forrest Glick 7-30

*If your birthday or anniversary was forgotten, please send an email to secretary@Godsfort.org.*

Mowing in July:

8/4 Terry 8/11 Dale/Sue

8/18 Kevin/ Mary 8/25 Forrest

Special Dates to Remember 7/2 Prayer Meeting

7/6 VBS Meeting 7/9 Board Meeting

7/10-13 Creation Museum Trip

7/14-15 Agape Basement Sale

7/16 Cary Gordon

7/18 Missions Meeting

7/28-30 VBS

07/02/17 07/09/17 07/16/17 07/23/17 07/30/17

Greeters Doug/Sue Terry/Bev Natalie Bill/LeAnn Dan/Cathy

Scripture Justin Kevin Hunter Forrest VBS

Praise Team Mary/2 Jacob/1 Abel’s/2 DVD/1 VBS

Communion Meditation Lonnie Jacob Nate 2 Doren VBS

Server Miles Doren Terry Jacob VBS

Closing Prayer George Kirk Lonnie Forrest VBS

Stewardship Jim/George Nate 1/Dale Doren/Shawn Miles/Austin Bruce/Terry

Nursery Nate/Melissa/

Tammy Justin/Lindsay Jacob/Shan Kirk/Ashley Nate/

Deanna

Junior Church Shay 1:14 No Jr. Church Justin1:15 Jennie 1:16

No Jr. Church

Commun-ion

Prep Dorothy Dorothy Dorothy Dorothy Dorothy Communion

to the Sick Richard Nate/Deanna Kevin Kirk Jacob

Security Nate 2/Ben/

Kirk Jim/Doug/

Forrest Mike/Bruce/

Austin Lonnie/Shawn/

Kevin Mike/Jacob/

Richard

Welcome Wagon Dale/Sue Dale/Sue Dale/Sue Dale/Sue Dale/Sue

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