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Planning Ahead...

Corn Feed & Ice Cream Social Sunday, August 14th at 5:30 p.m.

The Cottage at Edgewater Park Sweet corn, ice cream, and pop will be provided.

Please bring a dish to share & your own eating utensils.

T-shirts are available this year for $10 each - see the sign up sheets in the

hallway. VBS directors, Sue, Sandy & Robyn are still looking for a few more volunteers to help during the week.

Haitian Ministries Update Overall ministry oversight has transferred from the Albert Lea Church to the Dassel Church of

Christ. At Mike’s request, Dan Schue will replace him as ministry leader. Mike will remain intimately

involved in the ministry as lead fundraiser and church liaison, and will be a key resource for the ministry. For now, please continue to send your donations to Haitian Ministries c/o Albert Lea

Church of Christ. If you are giving regularly, your continuity in giving is crucial for real people to continue their work in the Dominican Repub-

lic. We will publish new instructions for donations as soon as the banking transition is complete.

VBS begins each evening at 6:00 pm sharp!

Invite

Your

Friends!

Sunday, July 31st 8:45 am

In the fellowship hall SS will be held at its normal time

Watch the bulletin board for a food sign up sheet

Please add VBS to your daily prayer list!

Vacation Bible School! Featuring the Go Fish Guys

Kickin’ It Old School Sunday-Thursday, July 17-21 For all kids Pre-K thru high school. Vern will be teaching and leading activities for the 7th-12th graders.

Our deepest sympathy to Jen Newton and her family at the death of her father, David Euerle. He passed away June 13th from lung cancer. The funeral was held June 20th at the Kok Funeral Home in St. Paul Park.

Congratulations to Kevin & Missy Bunnell on the birth of their son, Nicolas Robert. He joined his parents and big

brother, Landon, on Wednesday, June 8th weighing 8 lbs. 10 oz. Grandparents are Bob & Sue Hamberg and Bruce & Helen Bunnell.

A congregational meeting is scheduled for Sunday, July 17th following the morning worship service for the purpose of voting on a name change for the church. All voting members 16 years and older are encouraged to attend.

Thank you to those who generously gave to the Military Biblestick offering. $475 was raised which will provide 17 Biblesticks to military personnel serving abroad.

Vision Team Update: Areas currently being discussed: name change, education program-ming, staffing, facility, needs of youth/family, and outreach. Feel free to speak with any of the Vision Team members - Kendall Langseth, Kim Storvick, Cindy Copas, Bob Hamberg and Ryan Shea or Vern and the elders.

We rejoice with Tristan Cournoyer and his family as Tristan accepted Christ as his Savior and was baptized at NE Iowa Christian Camp on Thursday, June 16th. Congratulations!

There are still several camp opportunities at Pine Haven not only for the youth but adults as well. Family camp is July 3-8; the Women’s Retreat July 8-10; Adult Weekend July 15-17; Family Weekend Aug. 11-14 and Motorcycle Weekend

Aug 19-21. September brings two Scrapbook weekends and a Ministry Leadership Retreat.

Thank you cards were received from: Kevin & Missy Bunnell at the birth of Nicolas; LeRoy & Edna Schocker following Edna’s surgery; and Dorothy Sorenson following her surgery.

The SE MN Seniors will meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month (June 28, July 26, August 23) from 11:30 am -1:00 pm in the meeting room at the Old Country Buffet in Rochester.

July 2011 Serving Schedule

STATISTICS REPORT FOR MAY

General fund balance 5-1-11................ 7,632.91 Receipts ............................................. 15,282.76 Disbursements................................... 12,369.69 General fund balance 5-31-11............ 10,545.98 Total all assets ................................... 44,375.40 Average attendance: Sunday school ...............64 Average attendance: Morning worship ..........118

3 10 17 24 31

Communion Jerry Kendall Justin Dave A. Bob S. Offering prayer Kendall Justin Dave A. Bob S. Jerry Outside Usher Dar/Ben LeRoy/Nathan Bob N/Scott Vern S/Troy Wayne/Dar Smalls Bob/Diane Michelle/Abigail Rebecca/Rigel Grace/Marissa Cindy A/Faith Communion prep Instruments Marsha/Sandy Video Debra Sound System Ken Worship Team Kelli, Rick, Steve, Priscilla Greeters Ben & Kathy Back-up greeters: Rose & Kim

Kathy & Cindy C.

SUMMARY OF THE JUNE COUNCIL MINUTES Meeting called to order by Dave at 7:03 pm. Ken opened the meeting with a devotion & prayer. Minutes of the May meeting were read and approved. Minister's Report: 1) Made several hospital calls in and out of town. 2) Continued leadership of the MCEA, delegating as much responsibility as possible. 3) Vision Team work is progressing nicely. 4) Need to schedule a congregational meeting for July 17 to vote for name change. Elders' Report: 1) Members’ health concerns considered. 2) Camp scholarship criteria discussed. 3) Discussed MCEA items – Hermantown plant and Derek & Amanda’s planting efforts in Bismarck. 4) Received enough donations ($425) for 17 military Bible sticks. 5) Reviewed the Vision Team report and the church’s web site development progress. 6) Vern suggested that the elder’s compile a “shepherding list” from the church directory. Treasurer's Report: May was a very good 5-Sunday month. Jerry made a motion and Ken seconded to close the mower fund and eliminate the $32 deficit that remained. Trustees' Report: Still planning on pulling the west bushes. Ken contacted the city inspection office to see if we are able to replace our old storage shed with a larger garage kit. We are legal for an unattached garage up to 24’ x 36’ if the old shed goes. Deacons' Report: Planning for the August sweet corn feed is in progress, August 13th or 20th are possible dates. Old Business: 1) Kendall was able to dispose of our old electronics at the county collection. 2) The new color copier arrived and is networked to three computers. 3) A church-wide rummage sale has been approved, details to follow. Phil made a motion to adjourn, Jerry seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned with prayer. Ken Fiscus, Board secretary

Focus on Our Families Chuck & Amber Anderson family

We are the Anderson family, Chuck and Amber, both born and raised in Albert Lea and have been married for 10 years come this October.

Chuck has worked at Motor Inn Company for four years, working on cars and doing many other things. Amber has worked at Applebee's for nine years as a manager.

Together we have four children, Chase, 16, Madisyn, 10, Cadence, 6, and Brooklyn, 2. We are expecting a baby boy September 4th.

As a family we enjoy doing things together, like going camping and fishing as well as spending time with friends and family and playing co-ed softball in the summer. We always stay busy with kids activities and day to day things. With four kids there is never a dull moment. We just recently bought a house with 6 1/2 acres that has also been keeping us busy. We are all getting used to and loving the country living.

PRAYER REQUESTS • Jen Newton & family at the passing of

her father, David Euerle • Deb Schewe, recovering from surgery • Edna, infection from recent surgery PRAYER OF PRAISE • Derek & Amanda Olsen sold their

home in Iowa • Tristan’s life decision ONGOING PRAYER CONCERNS • Dorothy Sorenson • Bill Fritsch • Dan Hatten • Laura Knudsen • Joshua Bryand and our military • Vacation Bible School, July 17-21 • The Vision Team • Our Christian camps - PHCA & NEICSC • Jean Paulite & Haitian Ministries

CHURCH OF CHRIST 1705 SE Marshall Albert Lea, MN 56007

Stamp

REAL BEAUTY by Vern Harris Billions of dollars are spent in the USA every year to improve our physical appearance. That would include everything from lipstick & hair-

gels, diets and tummy tucks, to Botox injections. By the way, I still have trouble figuring out why people are injecting a form of botulism bacte-ria into their bodies in order to push out wrinkles, but I just add it to the list of stuff I will never understand. The list of things we buy, try, and commit to in order to keep this old physical tent looking as good as possible is incredibly long and imaginative. Believe it or not, I am not using this space to condone or condemn the practice, but to propose an alternative.

What I would like for us to consider is that while some of us may be losing the battles against age and gravity, we can still win the war and insure constant and abiding beauty. We do so by tending to what really matters, the stuff that God gives us to keep us looking, feeling, living our very best:

1. Let’s go with a new wardrobe as we read in Romans 13:14 Clothe yourselves with Christ Jesus; and in Colossians 3:12 Clothe yourselves with compassion. While we are at it, how about 1 Peter 5:5 Clothe yourselves with humility.

2. If we are concerned about the proper diet, please consider John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.” Still not filled up? Try a helping of Ephesians 3:17-18 And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be FILLED TO THE MEASURE OF ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD.

3. But maybe you want to be a real looker, to really stand out in the crowd: Philippians 2:14-16 …become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the Word of life.

4. But you say your desire is great beauty, a look that will not only be stunning today but will last and last: 1 Corinthians 3:18 and we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Which is most beautiful, the face of a newborn baby untouched and untroubled by the weight of this world; or the face of the truly elderly lined with deep wrinkles and marked with the various scars of life, but it's a face that smiles with the certainty of eternity? God loves them both the same, and every face in between. If we strive to “put on Christ” and to be filled with his glory and righteousness there truly is a beauty for us that transcends the physical and shines out from our lives for all the world to see.

You are a beauty!

MINISTER: Vern Harris

Office 507-373-0814 Cell 320-248-1842 vern.alcc@q.com

ELDERS: Dave Anderson 402-6000

Steve Borge 391-4333 Bob Snow 684-2010

OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR:

Kim Storvick 507-373-1533

kim.alcc@q.com

WEBSITE: www.albertleachurch.com