The Gateway to the High Country Cowboy Church

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Our Current Newsletter

Howdy Pardners,

Well howdy and good afternoon friends!  Today is 9/11 and is a day of remembrance for our nation.  It has been 25 years since our nation faced an attack by terrorists in the name of Islam.  The days that followed were filled with shock, horror, anger, unity as Americans, and prayer.  Churches were filled and people came together in ways our nation had not seen in decades.  Sadly, as the years passed apparently so did the memories and lessons learned.  I hope and pray that we can be brought back to that place of unity and prayer without it all having to happen again.

In Psalm 23:2-3 King David proclaimed "He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.”

Some of us won't slow down for anything!  Sadly, when we become overly self-assured and get too caught up in our plans, we tend to press on until we crash from exhaustion, make mistakes due to weariness, or sin because we are spiritually vulnerable.  The Lord, our good Shepherd, slows us down, has us lie down, and brings restoration to our souls.  Our Shepherd knows we need rest, nourishment, and refreshment.  He helps us, and even makes us lie down in "green pastures" and walk beside "still waters."  Once our Shepherd restores our souls, he leads us in the paths of his righteousness.  Part of God's grace to us is his leading and guidance, enabling us to find rest, be restored, and walk in the right paths for our lives.  Jesus, as our good Shepherd, did the same with his disciples when he said to them "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." (Mark 6:31)

Upcoming Events:

Our Cowboy Band will be playing at the 137th Randolph County Old Settlers Reunion tonight, September 11th from 6-8pm.  The Randolph County Old Settlers Reunion is one of Missouri's longest-running community celebrations, gathering the town of Huntsville each September since the 1880s. The free, four-day festival on the Town Square blends live music, carnival fun, vendors and food trucks with an opening parade, a 5K, a kids' talent show, a grand Saturday parade, car and tractor shows, and a closing church service.

Fall Trail Ride - We have a church trail ride scheduled for tomorrow September 12th out at the Rudolf Bennitt Conservation Area.  Be ready to ride out at 10am or come on out and meet us for the picnic at 1pm.  Hopefully the heat will be waning and we can enjoy some fun, food, and fellowship with one another and our four legged friends. 

This September our Mission Focus would like to draw your attention to the work done at the Sturgeon Food Pantry.  They are open the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of each month and help provide food to those in need.  If you would like to pitch in and be a blessing right here in our community here's a great opportunity.  In talking with representatives from the food bank it appears their greatest need is paper goods.  So, we'd like to start collecting paper towels, plates, napkins, tissues, etc for distribution.  Please drop off donations on the table at the back of the pews by the door. 
 

Labeled shoe boxes are available in the back of the church if anyone would like to start packing their boxes for Operation Christmas Child. The collection date will be the first week of November.  A shoebox shopping table with supplies is set up in the back once again and the labeled shoe boxes are stacked up under the table.  We plan to have two Church Packing Parties on October 11th and 18th over in the building in Clark.  If you want to be more involved in preparations and packing please talk with Kathy Kurth.  

 
There will also be an OCC Mission Trip to Aurora, Illinois over Friday to Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend to help process shoeboxes. It is for volunteers 13 and over.  If you want more info on that please check with Kathy.  
 
The 27th Annual Saddle up for Saint Jude Trail Ride is coming up on September 19th.  See the attached flyer for additional information. 
 
September 20th after church we're having a Baby Shower for the Perrin family as they welcome their new baby boy soon!  They are registered on Amazon if you are looking for gift ideas.
 
Also September 20th the Crossroads Baptist Association is holding their Annual Meeting at 3pm at the First Baptist Church in Paris, MO.  If you are involved and want to ride together please see Pastor Brook
 
Our Annual Fun Show is scheduled for October 3rd this year.  So mark your calendars and come on out.  If you're riding we want to see you out there, and if you're not a rider let's get out and cheer one another on at this great event!
 
We are planning to have a fundraiser October 10th in the form of a BBQ here at the church.  Fliers and more information will be coming soon!
 
We're having a Round Pen Horse Training Demonstration October 24th with Stan Henderson and Kyle Jones from the Eastern Missouri Cowboy CHurch.  I've had the chance to see this done before and believe that you'll both learn some things and be blessed as well. 
 
The Missouri Baptist Convention is asking churches and organizations to conduct Crossover-type events in preparation for the annual meeting this October.  Crossroads Baptist Association will be holding a Night of Preaching and Prayer on October 24th at Carpenter Street Baptist Church, where our churches can come together to be inspired by teaching from God's Word, followed by times of corporate and group prayer. Mark your calendars and get your churches ready for God to move mightily in our Association. See the attached flyer for more information.
 
Saturday November 7th is a Fall Open House at Camp Cedar Crest.  This is where our youth have been going, and countless others have gone for generations!  They are planning to have a pig roast, live music, hay rides, kids fishing derby, and more.  See the attached flyer for more information.  
 
Fun Horse Stuff:  It's amazing how much patience looks like knowledge... Be patient. Training a horse takes time and patience. Be sure to be patient with your horse and don’t expect results overnight. It can be frustrating when your horse doesn’t seem to understand what you are asking of them, but stay positive and keep trying.
 

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God Bless and Happy Trails!

Pastor Brook