My parents are the children's pastors here at Rolla

First Assembly. I have been in Tucson, Arizona for the past

2 1/2 years in an internship called The Edge. This season
of my life has only been made possible though God opening doors and
you, my church family, supporting
me financially, and through prayer. I
wanted to let you all know about the
wonderful experiences I have been
part of! Over the last 2 1/2 years, I
have been involved in every ministry
that Victory Worship Center in Tucson, AZ, offers. As a part of my internship, we have been reaching out
to our community though volunteering at our local schools, feeding the
homeless, giving out groceries to families in need, visiting
(Feller continued on page 4)

I have been
attending Evangel
University for the
past two years.
This past semester, I chose to
take a semester
off in order to be
a MAPS worker to
Italy. On September 19, I boarded a plane to Padova,
Italy, to work three months abroad. My MAPS assignment was to work at an international church with a
congregation that represented over 26 nations, many
individuals being refugees. My responsibility was
working in their childrens ministry; this included childrens church, an afterschool program, Sunday school,
Missionettes, and directing a childrens program. In
addition, I also was a part of helping the missionaries
in all of the other aspects and projects that were tak(Whitmire continued on page 4)

I graduated from high

school this past spring. Right
now, I am part of a ministry
called Youth With A Mission
(YWAM). Youth With A Mission is
a ministry committed to helping
people know God, and then
making God known throughout the whole world! I am
doing a discipleship training at a base in Madison, WI.
The first part of the training, the lecture phase, is focused on teaching the principles of being a follower of
Christ, and helping you understand the mission that
God has called you to. God has done so much work in
my life, more then I ever thought possible and I have
loved it!
(Smith continued on page 6)

Zechariah Cunningham is
currently in the midst of his first
year of bible school/ministry training at The Master's Commission in
Cape Girardeau, MO. He is working with the Staff and Leadership
of Bethel Assembly of God in Cape
Girardeau as well. The Master's
Commission is a three-year program that combines the academic
training of Global University with the hands-on practicum of real-world ministry work. Zack is currently gaining valuable experience is the areas of children, youth
and young adult ministries. In addition to the busy
schedule he keeps at Bethel Assembly, Zack has gone
on work trips to Austin, Texas, and has several more
work/ministry trips to complete this coming
spring. Zack is being greatly impacted by the example
and ethos of the Master's Commission Pastor, Bryan But(Continued on page 6)

SCHOLARSHIP OFFERED TO STUDENTS

First Assembly of God is pleased to be able to

offer a scholarship for continuing education of our students. The Lord blesses each of us with abilities and
often leads young people to seek educational experiences to further develop these abilities. We are grateful to be able to be a small part of the continuing education of our young people.
Scholarship forms are available in the church
office year round and should be turned in there as
well. The committee will consider applications as
needed. Please watch the bulletin and church emails
for further deadline announcements. This scholarship
is available to first-time college or discipleship training students under 21 who have been active mem-

bers of First Assembly and Forge Youth Church for at

least two years during their high school studies. See
the scholarship application for additional details
about application requirements.
This scholarship is set up and overseen by a
committee of no less than 3 church members and a
pastoral representative. It may also include board
members. These members will serve a one-year term,
from May to April. At the end of their term they may
choose to give up their seat on the committee and
other committee members will be sought from the
church body.
Donations toward the scholarship fund would be
appreciated.
Kathi Garner

One thing that I love about Jesus showing up on the scene is that He turns everything upside down and
challenges the status quo. His actions were/are rejected by the world, but when practiced they are life
changing. Examples include if you want to be a leader you must be a servant of all (Matthew 20:26)
and everyone is created equal (Romans 10:12). The one that is the most difficult and perplexing, yet
most rewarding, to me is when Jesus commands us in Matthew 5:44 to love our enemies (But I tell
you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you). I often wonder why this was so important to Jesus that He felt like he needed to specifically address it and why Paul reiterates it in Romans 12. The truth is, there is not a more powerful way for the love of Jesus to be illuminated in this
dark world more than when followers of Christ bear fruit to this commandment. The world tells us to
respect those who deserve respect, to love those who love you, and to treat poorly those who treat you
poorly. The world understands it when we hate people because they hate us. At the same time they
are astonished when we love those who hate us. Why? Because the only way it is physically possible to
love those who persecute us is because there is a REAL God living inside of us and loving others
through us. By us loving those who hate us, Jesus is able to reveal Himself in a dark world in ways that
would not otherwise be possible. People come to faith in Jesus because of Christ followers loving
those who hate them. Do you need to love someone who is treating you poorly? If so, start today and
watch as the Savior of the world works miraculously in the midst of your total surrender to Him. Be
Blessed!

Isaiah 45:18 He did not create it [the Earth] to

be empty, but formed it to be inhabited."
Is Earth really all that unique in the cosmos? How narrowly defined are the factors in
the universe for life on Earth to exist? One expert said there are more than thirty separate
physical or cosmological parameters that require
precise calibration in order to produce a lifesustaining universe. [Strobel, 132] Dr. Robin
Collins who holds degrees in physics, mathematics and philosophy stated this, Over the past
thirty years or so, scientists have discovered that
just about everything about the basic structure of
the universe is balanced on a razors edge for life
to exist. The coincidences are far too fantastic to
attribute this to mere chance . . . The dials are
set too precisely to have been a random accident. [Strobel, 131] (Boldface mine) Here are
a few examples.
1) Ideal Oxygen Percentage On Earth the air
is 21% free oxygen. Chemical reactions
that maintain just the right amount of oxygen in our atmosphere keep on taking
place, and keep carbon dioxide at
about .03%. . . . Without oxygen, animals
could not breathe. If there were just a little
more oxygen -- 25% instead of 21% -- the
whole world would actually burst into
flames!" [Richards, 32]
2) Ideal Size Earth is not a large planet. Yet
its size is exact and essential. If it were too
small, Earth's weakened gravity could not

hold either our air or water. And thinner air

would provide no protection from the
20,000 or so meteorites that rush toward
Earth daily. With thinner air, temperatures
would drop, and life could not exist. If Earth
were twice as large, the atmosphere would
be pulled closer to its surface. Everything
would weigh eight times as much, and that
weight could crush most living
things." [Richards, 27]
3) Ideal Distance from the Sun "If Earth were
twice as far from the sun, it would receive
only one-fourth the amount of heat we now
receive. Living things would freeze during
winters twice as long as now. If Earth were
half as far from the sun, its surface would
get four times the heat and would become
a burning desert." [Richards, 27]
4) Ideal Gravity -- How precisely is the dial set
for gravity in the universe? Think about a
tape measure marked in one inch increments which stretches across the universe many billions of light years across. One light
year is about 6 trillion miles long and one
mile has 63,630 one-inch markings. You do
the math! Dr. Robin Collins explained,
Now, lets imagine that you want to move
the dial from where its currently set. Even
if you were to move it by only one inch, the
impact on life in the universe would be catastrophic. He declared that, Animals anywhere near the size of human beings would
(Balanced continued on page 6)

FOR THOSE WHO VOLUNTEER, OR WISH TO:

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your
partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now. Phil 1:4-5 (NIV)
Here in the letter to the church at Philippi and earlier in the letter to
the church at Rome (Romans 16), Paul was mindful of those who gave
of themselves to the work of the Lord. Volunteers, if you please. Those
who willingly, freely, graciously, thoughtfully, and tirelessly gave of themselves without compensation to the ministry of Christ and the furtherance of the Gospel.
Volunteers, who in one place are named and in another unnamed,
invested their time, talents, and energy to be a part in the work of the
Lord, in whatever way possible.
To all those who volunteer here at First Assembly, we thank you for
the labor of love given in so many areas of the work of the Lord. The list
(Whitmire continued from page 1)

ing place within the church; some of these ministries

included youth group, a young adults group, video/
photography, womens Bible study, and retreats. At
first, I felt inexperienced and unprepared for all of the
work I was expected to do, especially with childrens
ministries. All of my fears faded when I saw all of the
kids smiling faces and experienced their carefree personalities. Throughout these three months, Ive been
blessed to be able to build meaningful relationships
with the kids and members of the congregation. Overall, it was an incredibly fulfilling and impactful trip. I
would like to thank everyone for your financial support
and prayers during my time in Italy.
Aimee Whitmire

(Feller continued from page 1)

and helping widows, helping single moms with their yard

work and serving in our church every day. Over this time,
my heart for high school aged kids grew, and I found myself
being open to every opportunity I had to work with them.
Coming into my 3rd year at the end of July this last year I
decided to work with Elevate Youth Church as a full-time
intern. Since starting my 3rd year, I have worked full time in
our Youth offices planning events and services for our
church. The highlight for me this last year was being the
service director (I was responsible for every detail and volunteer from set up to tear down) for a healing and prophetic conference in San Francisco. Not only did we see God
move powerfully in the services, but we also walked the
streets and prayed for people and saw miracles happen!
My hope is to make Tucson my permanent home once I
graduate in July 2016. God has burdened my heart for the
people of Tucson and I wish to continue my ministry there
until God moves me to the next thing He has for me. I know
with all my heart that God has made the impossible, possible the last few years and I know as long as I am willing to
follow Him, He will continue to do so in my life. Again, I am
so thankful for the support you have been to me in my
launching-out season! I never would have been able to do it
without you!
Brylee Feller

THANK YOU FOR SERVING

is long and the names many. However, there is always room for more to be a partner in the ministry
of the Gospel, as we continue to serve the Lord here
at home and abroad.
If you are called to serve, please call the church
office, or fill out the form at rolla-firstassembly.org/
helping and someone will contact you. There are
many areas of need in our congregation; from food
preparation to driving vans to clerical assistance to
teaching to special events, many hands make the
work light.
Ray Cook

OUR TURN TO SERVE THE ROLLA COMMUNITY

In March 1999, Grace Church began distributing
groceries and USDA commodities to needy families in
Phelps County, in conjunction with The Food Bank for
Central and Northeast Missouri (Columbia, MO.) Continuing every month since then, the ministry has assisted
thousands of families with items from Feeding America
and USDA.
Annually about 15,500 individuals (5,400 families) are
helped with more than 300,000 pounds of food and other needed items.
The ministry was organized as a separate 501c3
organization called Phelps County Faith Distribution in
2006. Members from area churches comprise a local
leadership board, led by founding members David and
Diane Hagni, Gerald Dowdy and Carl Mathews. Carol
Creighton is the organization's volunteer coordinator, and
Brad Pettijohn also serves on the board.
It takes 150 hours of volunteer manpower every
month to make each food giveaway a reality. About
25,000 pounds of food and other items are distributed

monthly to about 550 families (1,500 individuals). When

you offer your time to volunteer, PCFD believes you are
doing something great and that God will reward you richly.
The actual distribution is held the third Saturday
each month at Grace Church of Rolla, 1390 S. Bishop.
First Assembly has agreed to supply the volunteers for
the January 16 food distribution. Email phelpscountyfood
@gmail.com or call 573-368-3040 to sign up for one of
the two shifts that day.

(Smith continued from page 1)

I have just finished the first phase of this training, and on January 1st will begin the second and final phase: outreach
phase. Its very hard to believe that in just a matter of days I will be getting on a plane and flying to Latvia! I honestly cant
express how excited I am to be going on outreach. I will be spending a month in Latvia and three weeks in Greece.
In Latvia we will be working at two different places; the first place is a bakery where we are able to bake bread for
girls in the red light districts. We will also be doing a lot of prayer walking and really just whatever God asks us to do. The
second place is a transition home for those who have escaped or left the brothels in the surrounding cities. At this home
they are trained in a trade and helped to get back on their feet. We will have a chance to really just love on them, and show
them how much God cares and values them.
In Greece we will be working with a ministry on Lesbos Island in a camp with 10,000 refugees. We will potentially be
receiving the refugees off the boats and also doing other work around the camp, such as building toilets. (There are very
few toilets in the camp, and people have no place to take care of their business, with 10,000 people there, Im sure you
can see the need.) We will also be building relationships with the authorities and police that work at the camp, to help the
ministry build connections and trust.
I am SO excited about all that God has in store for us in Latvia and Greece! I really love each and every member on
my outreach team! There are nine of us altogether, with two leaders. I believe God has picked every one of us to be on this
team for a reason and am so excited to see what He will do.
Please be praying for my outreach team as we are going to Greece and Latvia as many of my team members are battling fears. Please pray that God would bring about a Christ-like unity in our team, and that we would be able to trust God in
whatever He has for us.
As for praises, God is so good. I have been stretched and grown in so many areas! The community here at YWAM definitely feels like family. Thank you all for your prayers and support.
Bethany Smith
(Cunningham continued from page 1)

(Balanced continued from page 3)

be crushed. [Strobel, 132]

Scientists are looking for life in other galaxies. But only Earth in the entire universe was designed for life and especially for mankind, the
pinnacle of Gods creation. The entirety of the
heavens was created to declare Gods glory
(Psalm 19:1). The fine-tuning of the universe so
that life could exist on our planet is a testimony
to the existence of our Creator God and to His
greatness. As our opening Scripture stated, God
formed the Earth so that it could be inhabited.
Why? Because He has great purpose for us. Lets
praise our awesome Creator and spend our life
fulfilling His purposes.

ters.

Zack's goal will be to complete the three year Master's Commission program, which will culminate in his Pastors' Ordination within the Assemblies of God--where his
area of expertise will be in youth and young adult ministry. Zack's goal is "To Love, Serve, and Pursue"...which
means to Love our God, Love All people, Serve All people,
and pursue All people! Zack has committed his life to God
as a soldier for the Kingdom--willing to take up the full armor everyday as he enters the arena of battle for the
hearts and minds of men and women in this great struggle
between righteousness and evil.

References: Lawrence O. Richards, It Couldnt Just Happen: Fascinating Facts about Gods World, pp 26 -32
Lee Strobel, The Case for a Creator, A Journalist Investigates
Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God, pp. 125-152

Beverly Flori

tcmccollins@gmail.com

417-521-8404

OUR PASTORS

Jason Gibson
Youth Pastor

pastorjason@rollafirstassembly.org

Sam Parker

After School &

Missions Director
kcatsc@rollafirstassembly.org

Brian Feller

Childrens Pastor
pastorbrian@rollafirstassembly.org

Ray Cook

Associate Pastor
fireguy@rollafirstassembly.org

Chuck Whitmire
Lead Pastor

pastor_chuck@rollafirstassembly.org

ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS

Karen Turner, Administrative Assistant office@rolla-firstassembly.org
Mark Berry, Facility Manager office@rolla-firstassembly.org
Pansy Bingham, Business Administrator pansy@rolla-firstassembly.org
Abby Swearingen, Media Assistant media@rolla-firstassembly.org

NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT #116
ROLLA, MO

1608 N Oak St
Rolla MO 65401-2342

LOVE IN ACTION
Pastors Corner

BALANCED ON A RAZORS EDGE

Worldview FAQs

PHELPS CO FOOD DISTRIBUTION

This is our month to serve Rolla

STUDENTS TRAINING FOR MINISTRY

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