WINDWOOD CHURCH MISSION SPOTLIGHT For the month of September, Community Outreach would like to highlight Northwest Assistance Ministers & Meals On Wheels! Learn more on pages 5 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 15TH - MEET US AT THE CHURCH HOUSE OUR LIVING WATER TEAM Senior Pastor - Rev. Kevin C. Rudolph What’s the Church House you ask? Is it the new RETURNS TO HAITI counseling building? No, but that’s part of it. Learn more about our Windwood Team’s So, what is the Church House? Well, we all know upcoming trip to Haiti and the importance of the that the Church is not the buildings, but the people! So when we work they do there. See page 6 talk about the buildings at 10555 Spring Cypress Road, we all know that these buildings are not ‘Windwood’ but instead where the Church named ‘Windwood’ meets! Continue on page 1 WEDNESDAY @ WINDWOOD It’s that time again! Classes begin on A FUTURE & A HOPE Wednesday, September 4th with dinner at A Future & A Hope - Rev. Dr. Patricia Ryan 6:00pm & classes at 6:30pm! I don’t know about you, but I can hardly believe that Learn more on pages 7-8 summer is now officially over – and we know this because school is back in session! – Where does the time go?! . .And, make no mistake, friends, time continues to march on. I think what’s important in this life is what MARK YOUR CALENDARS TODAY we do with the time we have been given. Read more on page 2 Fall is in full swing, be sure to mark your calendars so you don’t miss a thing! A120 FELLOWSHIP See upcoming events on pages 9-11 Prayer Group Contributor– Ann Miller The Pacific theater of World War II was officially over when Japan formally signed surrender documents on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. But for many who experienced the brutality of the enemy, the memories did not 55+ Bus Trip end—they battled on. It was that way for Louis Zamperini. Continue the story on page 3 Tuesday, October 1 EVEN THE COMMUNIST SAW THIS! Join the 55+ Group for a bus trip Senior Pastor - Rev. Kevin C. Rudolph In July we celebrated the historic down to the Port of Houston for a accomplishment of 50 years ago, when Neil Armstrong became the first man in history to Boat Tour! Be sure to save the set foot on the moon! It was an astounding accomplishment, especially considering it was done through the efforts of men and date and check The Latest for women using less computing power than is in any of our ‘smart phones’. More of the calculations were done on a slide rule than more information! a computer! Read more on page 4 Sunday, September 15th - Meet Us At The Church House hat’s the Church House you ask? Is it the new counseling building? No, but that’s part of it. So, what is the Church House? Well, we all know that the Church is not the Wbuildings, but the people! So when we talk about the buildings at 10555 Spring Cypress Road, we all know that these buildings are not ‘Windwood’ but instead where the Church named ‘Windwood’ meets! Language, being the imperfect tool that it is, uses the ‘short-hand’ of referring to the buildings as the Church, but we know that this is not so – the Church is the people. “WELL, ON SUNDAY, By the way, the buildings at 10555 Spring Cypress are also not the SEPTEMBER 15TH, ‘house of God’. That is another idiom, but it should not be taken literally. God doesn’t WINDWOOD WILL BE have (or need) a house! God is God everywhere, and our entire universe is too small to JOINING IN AND contain him. The phrase ‘God’s house’ was used to indicate that it was not built to be a CELEBRATING “NATIONAL BACK TO CHURCH SUNDAY”. store, or a shop, but a ‘house’ dedicated to the worship of God. That is not bad in and of MANY CONGREGATIONS itself, but to be more accurate, the buildings at 10555 Spring Cypress Road are not ‘God’s ACROSS THE COUNTRY JOIN house’ but the ‘house’ where the Church (the people) called Windwood, meets and uses IN TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS for the glory of God. Hence, if we want to be accurate, the buildings are the ‘Church A SUNDAY WHERE WE INVITE PEOPLE TO “COME House’ for Windwood! BACK TO THE CHURCH”. WE ARE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE So, why this detour into semantics? Well, on Sunday, September 15th, Windwood will be IN INVITING MEMBERS OF joining in and celebrating “National Back to Church Sunday”. Many congregations across OUR COMMUNITY the country will join together to make this a Sunday where we invite people to “come (INCLUDING OUR OWN MEMBERSHIP) TO COME back to the Church”. We are happy to participate in inviting members of our community “BACK” TO CHURCH,” (including our own membership) to come “back” to Church, but even as we do, we want to remind everyone that it really means coming back to the ‘Church House’ where our Church meets! There is no particular ‘magic’ about the place, but there is something very special about God’s people coming together on the first day of a new week (and the beginning of a new school year) in response to His call, to be reminded of the priorities we should have as Christians. What priorities, you ask? Good question! How about the priority of observing a Sabbath? Even Chick-fil-A takes one day a week off, and it hasn’t hurt their business! What happened to the idea of a day of rest to remember who God is? I think it got lost somewhere between the invention of the electric light bulb and the internet! We are multitasking our way into an anxious mess that is hardly distinguishable from our neurotic society. That is not what God has called his Church to be! So, mark your calendars – and do invite a friend – to join us on September 15th to set a new goal for this ‘academic year’ – the goal of finding again the Community of the Committed – those committed to following Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life; the God who is not in a hurry with us, because he has given us everlasting life! Come join us and rediscover the fellowship of the family of faith who is learning to live at the pace of God’s grace! You really do have the time for it. You just have to reset your priorities! I’ll meet you at the Church House! Page 1 A Future & A Hope don’t know about you, but I present evil of the age around him (his outer self) and the can hardly believe that summer moral and spiritual transformation of his life into the is now officially over – and we image of God (his inner self), it says, “. .So we do not lose know this because school is heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is Iback in session! – Where does the being renewed day by day.” This becomes an effective time go?! . .And, make no mistake, affirmation of how God made us as human beings that need friends, time continues to march on. rest, renewal and refreshment from the struggles of this life, I think what’s important in this life is which as it turns out, is a good argument for the practice of what we do with the time we have stepping away from the grind of our daily routines. We been given. So, how did you spend you summertime? Was actually honor God when we seize the opportunity to be it eventful? Noteworthy? Prosperous? Educational? renewed in strength, energy and passion for being prepared, Relationship-enhancing? A time of spiritual and emotional equipped and ready for the Kingdom work that God sets growth? – However you spent your summertime, I pray it before us. was worth what it cost you. Because it cost you one of the most valuable resources we have been given – a resource The upcoming season of the year – the fall and winter we can never get back – namely, time! months– is our time to turn our efforts and attention to noticing where God is at work, and then joining Him in that Personally, I don’t like summer. Now, it’s not because I work. It is a time, now that we are rested and renewed, to don’t appreciate a time to slow down and take a break from take stock, to make plans, to watch, to listen and prepare for the routine of daily life. It’s just that I am one of those God’s call to us – and to make the decision to respond in strange individuals who thrives on routine, and stepping out obedience to His call. of routine somehow disorients me. In truth, I have no choice about any of this. Life in our 21st century American It is a rhythm that seems to work pretty well for most of us; culture is set up in such a way that there are generally nine work, then rest. So, as we enter the busy time of returning months of work and/or school and three months of summer to our routines of the discipline of work and school, it is our for rest and relaxation, with a few extra weeks around the prayer that you will remember to take the short breaks that holidays.