We call this Quartzsite Church of Christ, the stone-soup church, no not officially...just between us. Do you remember the story of the poor soldier who walked into a poor town and no one would share any food with him? He built a fire, borrowed a big pot from someone, added water, and announced he was making stone -soup. He then placed a large clean stone in the pot. People watched and asked how that was going to turn the stone into soup. He told them it would be better if he had a potato...someone ran to get one, and then he said carrots would make it better, and someone ran to get some, and so forth and so forth until all the town ate and shared a wonderful soup made from just a stone. Well, that is how this church has been furnished and equipped! Everyone has been thinking about it all summer, it appears, and when they arrive, they bring something for it. How fantastic! It is just wonderful to see and feel the support from so many!
Let's catch up now.
First Sunday of November, worship services began again in the building onEmelia St. with Wendell Seawright preaching. Since then we have added a Sunday evening service and a Ladies' Bible Study! A small group of us cooked and ate Thanksgiving Dinner, as well as Christmas dinner in the single-wide that has a kitchen in it. We have also purchased 500 DVDs, "Searching for the Truth" and "The Kingdom" and are working on an informational insert to be added with the DVDs and other tracts in anticipation of a town-wide canvas to let residents know The Church of Christ is here! We praise God for this great freedom to be able to spend what time we need and want in our own buildings, on our own time-table, i.e., we don't have to get out of the Senior Center before the next group comes in. We do not ever want to take all of it for granted: how the Holy Spirit just pulled it all together for us, when God's timing was right!
The contributions and pledges and surprises just keep coming in. To remind you, we have a huge lot, and two older modulars, and a new garage/storage area. The double wide modular is where we hold worship services, the single wide is our "potluck" area. It also has a small bedroom to accomodate someone who may need a temporary place to stay. The selling price was only $125,000, and because money had been being regularly deposited from contributions for the last several years, we were able to pay $60,000 down. The seller was kind and lenient towards us and said we could make interest-only payments until we were able to pay more, but he told us the balance of $65,000 had to be paid in five years. So, since March, we have been paying interest-only payments. But because of the generous gifting, just last week, we made the first of what we hope to be 5 payments of $13,000! Our account still has over $6,000 in it for emergencies and repairs, etc.
Our hearts are full of gratitude and our heads are now turned towards making the second payment next fall.
If you want to be a partner in this with us, the Quartzsite church of Christ now has its own P.O. Box, #5073, Quartzsite, AZ 85359 (yes, this is the new zip code for the P.O. annex in Quartzsite.)
Contributions can also be made directly to the church's bank account at Horizon Bank at Quartzite. To learn how to do this, or for any other questions, feel free to call Vern Miebach at 541-619-4443 or Wendell Seawright at 603-707-8408.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wonderful news!
Kay and Woody just called, and their mail had caught up with them in Wyoming, and there was a "letter of determination" from AZ. which means the new Quartzsite Church of Christ, now has legal NON-PROFIT status. We were told that would take about a year, so we would have to pay this year's property taxes (coming yr.) of about?? $800.00....but the letter got here in record time...a few months only, and it got here before the Aug. 15th deadline for taxes! Once again, God is blessing this endeavor, folks. Let's not make him sorry, ever, for these blessings.
Along that line, let's be saving any soaps, shampoos, etc. etc. we may get at motels, etc. and bring them when we come back. These can be handed out to the missions, in the name of the Quartzsite Church of Christ......also, any perfect condition used/ or new stuffed animals, bring them and we will begin that ministry, for children in stressful situations, etc., and also, it has been suggested that we have a clothes give away. We would want them to be very good condition, and we could have a day a week or something that the building was open for free clothes, for all ages. So these are some ministries that we are thinking about, as well as food pantry, so be thinking about all of these...and coming up with more ideas of yours!
By the way, the bank account is staying up! Bless the ones donating. We have been looking at chairs, and really want to have comfortable ones, eventually, because most of us are seniors, and if Wendell is going to preach eight hours, we need to be comfortable. Not sure about getting them now. Guess we could go back to the old days when everyone bought their own pew. ha.
We have heard from Hazel and Paul and Pat and Bob, too. Bob's dad just passed away in Texas. Vern and I
Blessings to all
Just wanted to share the great news.
vern and judy
Kay and Woody just called, and their mail had caught up with them in Wyoming, and there was a "letter of determination" from AZ. which means the new Quartzsite Church of Christ, now has legal NON-PROFIT status. We were told that would take about a year, so we would have to pay this year's property taxes (coming yr.) of about?? $800.00....but the letter got here in record time...a few months only, and it got here before the Aug. 15th deadline for taxes! Once again, God is blessing this endeavor, folks. Let's not make him sorry, ever, for these blessings.
Along that line, let's be saving any soaps, shampoos, etc. etc. we may get at motels, etc. and bring them when we come back. These can be handed out to the missions, in the name of the Quartzsite Church of Christ......also, any perfect condition used/ or new stuffed animals, bring them and we will begin that ministry, for children in stressful situations, etc., and also, it has been suggested that we have a clothes give away. We would want them to be very good condition, and we could have a day a week or something that the building was open for free clothes, for all ages. So these are some ministries that we are thinking about, as well as food pantry, so be thinking about all of these...and coming up with more ideas of yours!
By the way, the bank account is staying up! Bless the ones donating. We have been looking at chairs, and really want to have comfortable ones, eventually, because most of us are seniors, and if Wendell is going to preach eight hours, we need to be comfortable. Not sure about getting them now. Guess we could go back to the old days when everyone bought their own pew. ha.
We have heard from Hazel and Paul and Pat and Bob, too. Bob's dad just passed away in Texas. Vern and I
Blessings to all
Just wanted to share the great news.
vern and judy
Monday, June 8, 2009
Post number 3-June 8, 2009
Hello! If you are viewing this blog, would you let us know!
Just want to say hello! We have been blessed by all that Kay and Woody have done for the church. They have moved out of the hot weather, and are camped-at last notice-along a lake on the Utah/Idaho border, fishing! Yeah! They said they had the best night's sleep since it got so hot in AZ!
We are keeping up with the bank account, and even after making almost $1,000 in required "permits/payments" the account balance is just short of $9,900! Over $1200 has been deposited since May 26th! Praise the Lord and thank you!
Drop us a note to tell us you are reading this,please.
In HIS service
vern and judy
Just want to say hello! We have been blessed by all that Kay and Woody have done for the church. They have moved out of the hot weather, and are camped-at last notice-along a lake on the Utah/Idaho border, fishing! Yeah! They said they had the best night's sleep since it got so hot in AZ!
We are keeping up with the bank account, and even after making almost $1,000 in required "permits/payments" the account balance is just short of $9,900! Over $1200 has been deposited since May 26th! Praise the Lord and thank you!
Drop us a note to tell us you are reading this,please.
In HIS service
vern and judy
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
2nd Update, May 5, 2009
So much continues to happen to support our belief that the Holy Spirit is with us in this endeavor.
On the last Sunday Vern and Judy worshipped with the Quartzsite body of the Lord, a young gentleman was present and volunteered to make our pulpit. That was wonderful enough, but he also made a lovely communion table, too! He is a gifted wood-worker. They have both been delivered and are being used!
Brother Wendell reports that attendance was at 18 and 20 each Sunday, which is about double what it has been in past years, but expects it to drop this month.
A couple of weeks ago, Judy stopped at an estate sale and was able to buy 2 large artificial plants to set up front on the building's "stage" area. They are lovely! And when they heard they were for a church building, the couple gave them to us for the price of one, which was incredibly reasonable already! Praise the Lord.
We hear from Woody and Kay that things are being painted and fixed constantly. It is now very warm (102) my computer said, in Quartzsite. They are also doing much of the book work, bank work, application work, etc. We say prayers of gratitude for them being able to stay on longer than we could and doing so much. Hazel and Paul are not able to do these things from Iowa, so it is a great blessing.
Hazel and Paul are doing well as of the last call we had with them. Hazel has acquired some towels, silverware, etc. for the building! The Coffeys are doing well, also. Bob recently had surgery on the palm of his hand, and his fingers. They report it was successful! A recent tornado missed them, and we hope the five inches of rain expected in parts of Arkansas will also miss them. The weather is unsettled everywhere it seems.
Oregon has had snow in the mountains falling regularly since our return. We feel we are living in a rainforrest, as we do every May, with all the trees which encircle our house leafing out, moss on every tall trunk, rain dripping off of each tree, and the hay field tall with green grasses waving.
The bank balance is at $9,600+ which is the result of generous hearts. It would be good to mention here that if you pledged monthly support, and don't know how or where to send it, please contact us: 541-619-4437. If you want to send a note to Kay and Woody, or have some other reason to write the Quartzsite Church of Christ, our official P.O. Box is 5073, and we have the 2nd zip code which is for those with P.O. Boxes at the Quartzsite's auxillary post office, which is 85459.
The insurance for the building and liability has been paid for one year!
Contact us, Judy and Vern, at vjmiebach@peak.org, or the phone number above, 541-619-4437.
On the last Sunday Vern and Judy worshipped with the Quartzsite body of the Lord, a young gentleman was present and volunteered to make our pulpit. That was wonderful enough, but he also made a lovely communion table, too! He is a gifted wood-worker. They have both been delivered and are being used!
Brother Wendell reports that attendance was at 18 and 20 each Sunday, which is about double what it has been in past years, but expects it to drop this month.
A couple of weeks ago, Judy stopped at an estate sale and was able to buy 2 large artificial plants to set up front on the building's "stage" area. They are lovely! And when they heard they were for a church building, the couple gave them to us for the price of one, which was incredibly reasonable already! Praise the Lord.
We hear from Woody and Kay that things are being painted and fixed constantly. It is now very warm (102) my computer said, in Quartzsite. They are also doing much of the book work, bank work, application work, etc. We say prayers of gratitude for them being able to stay on longer than we could and doing so much. Hazel and Paul are not able to do these things from Iowa, so it is a great blessing.
Hazel and Paul are doing well as of the last call we had with them. Hazel has acquired some towels, silverware, etc. for the building! The Coffeys are doing well, also. Bob recently had surgery on the palm of his hand, and his fingers. They report it was successful! A recent tornado missed them, and we hope the five inches of rain expected in parts of Arkansas will also miss them. The weather is unsettled everywhere it seems.
Oregon has had snow in the mountains falling regularly since our return. We feel we are living in a rainforrest, as we do every May, with all the trees which encircle our house leafing out, moss on every tall trunk, rain dripping off of each tree, and the hay field tall with green grasses waving.
The bank balance is at $9,600+ which is the result of generous hearts. It would be good to mention here that if you pledged monthly support, and don't know how or where to send it, please contact us: 541-619-4437. If you want to send a note to Kay and Woody, or have some other reason to write the Quartzsite Church of Christ, our official P.O. Box is 5073, and we have the 2nd zip code which is for those with P.O. Boxes at the Quartzsite's auxillary post office, which is 85459.
The insurance for the building and liability has been paid for one year!
Contact us, Judy and Vern, at vjmiebach@peak.org, or the phone number above, 541-619-4437.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Our first update! (3-31-09)
Hallelujah! Praise God! Papers were signed and property just four blocks from the Senior Center (where we have been meeting for 15+years) has been acquired for a place of worship and service to God.
The physical address is 76 Emelia There is an older double wide modular for the worship area and a single wide modular for the fellowship area, complete with stove, sink, bathroom and small bedroom. There is also a large garage type building with room off to the side, both plastered and fairly new.
History: This property and buildings were used by the Baptist Church and then for Music Jams. There is a beautiful Mexican brick "fence" all around the acre of property, two sliding black iron gates and plenty of parking!
Over half has been paid down, but we need to raise the rest. The former owner, "Red," is carrying the contract at 4.5%. A great price!
Thank you so much for being a part of this historic event…Quartzsite now has a permanent place to worship in and allow Brother Wendell to preach his eight hours, without having to leave to let someone come play BINGO !
We are hoping you will have fun attending garage sales, or going through your basement or attic to help find things for the two buildings. We are researching stackable chairs at a surplus store at Oregon State University right now, as well as a couple more tables, etc.
We now have a P.O. Box for the Church: P.O.Box 5073, Quartzsite, AZ. 85359. Any correspondence or donations (unless you have bank deposit slips) may be sent to that address.
Woody and Kay Hoyman have parked their RV on the property and we have heard they have been painting and perking up things.
Such an incredible group of supporters are YOU! We love you all!
This blog was created for us to keep in contact with each other, and notify of articles acquired and/or needing.
Articles acquired so far!
Some silverware
Some towels
An on the counter roaster
A warmer
Coffee pot with 2 pot warmers
A pulpit (being built for us!)
A P.A. sound system
Speakers
Refrigerator
Washer
One eight-foot table
Several chairs for fellowship room
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
