Following is a "devotion" written by the late Bill Bright. As we approach the new year, we tend to make plans for the year to come. This seemed appropriate to be a part of that planning process.

I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step
(1 Corinthians 9:26, NLT).

Dear friends:

Some critics have said that Campus Crusade for Christ has not always met its very ambitious goals in the past.

That may be true, but I believe it is always good to set goals. If you shoot at nothing, you are certain to hit it. If you don't have any goals, you're not going to achieve anything worthwhile for the glory of God.

We have always been a goal-setting movement, and I have always believed in big plans, because small plans do not influence the minds and hearts of men and women. Also, God is glorified when we bear much fruit (John 15:8), and I know that it is God who works in me to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13).

We have not always seen our goals fulfilled, however. For example, we set a goal of attracting 100,000 people to EXPLO '72 in Dallas. "Only" 85,000 showed up, which still made it the biggest event of its kind in history. Actually, more than 200,000 attended a special musical event on the last day. Approximately ten times more people participated in EXPLO '72 than in any other similar Christian training event. Yet some of the newspapers said it was a failure because we didn't achieve our goal!

Friends have cautioned me against goal-setting because they think falling short of announced targets makes me look stupid. I am not worried about what people think. I want to please the Lord, so I do what He tells me to do. And God has led us to set many goals and prayer targets from the beginning of this ministry.

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There is no doubt in my mind that our goals, whether we achieve them or not, have helped bring additional millions of people to Christ. So I am happy to undertake great and ambitious things for God even at the risk of failure and being criticized by others.

Goal setting involves aiming. You have to have a target at which to aim. The opposite of aiming is aimlessness. Paul said, "Aim for perfection" (2 Corinthians 13:11, NIV). Let us aim for perfection in all that we do for the Lord and He will take care of the results.

I do not believe our Lord will rebuke me for aiming at 100,000 at EXPLO '72 and only getting 85,000. But He might not be pleased if we only aimed and planned for 50,000 and missed those extra 35,000 He wanted to reach.

Yours for fulfilling the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright

Copyright (c) 2003, Bill Bright. All rights reserved. However, readers may copy and distribute this message as desired, without restrictions in number, as long as the content is not altered. Forwarding this e-mail to friends is encouraged. For many evangelistic and spiritual growth materials, visit the Campus Crusade for Christ Web site at http://www.ccci.org. See http://www.campuscrusade.org for Bill Bright's own materials.

What if? - I've asked the question before - most recently in an article for the Villisca Review.

What if we as a community prayed about community issues? Yesterday at church I was reminded of that article when we were asked to pray for the chaperones and the teens going to the FFA National Convention in Nashville - the going and the coming and the time there. With this site up and there being a page specifically dedicated to the Faith Community, I decided to list here some community concerns that we, as a faith community, should be praying about. I am not including prayer concerns of individuals because the list would be difficult to maintain and I'm not sure this is the place for it.

Join us in praying for:

• the FFA students and chaperones at the National Convention in Nashville which begins October 25
• parents and teachers during the Parent/Teacher Conferences
• the funding of a grant that has been applied for from the ISU/Trees Forever/Living Roadways Visioning Program which would fund comprehensive planning for transportation and beautification issues in Villisca which could be used to secure funding for signage, beautification and improvement in areas of transportation
• our students who are preparing to take the ACT test on October 28.
• the efforts of the new Villisca Alumni and Friends Associations and the Villisca Historical Society, Inc. - both of which will be working toward community growth
• increasing the population in Villisca and the number of students in our school district - it makes a significant difference in the funding available to provide for the education of our students. Included in this is praying about curbing the open enrollment out of our school district.
• success of the various fundraisers for community groups including the Sunday dinners at the Community Building - this week sponsored by the Presbyterian Church
• our city government that their decisions will be guided by what God would have happen in our community
• that the pews in our churches will be filled each Sunday

Following is a portion of the article appearing in the Review in July:

"In the spring of 2006, a grant was applied for on behalf of the Villisca Interchurch Council. The grant was for leadership development. It was a well-written grant, if I do say so myself. And by the numbers, the points added up well. About June 1, we received notice that we had not received the grant. The denial letter indicated there were more than double the number of applications as there were grants available. But, I was disappointed. A look at the list of the grantees gave some insight what advantaged those receiving the grants. That analysis would indicate that there were things Villisca could not have overcome in its application.

"Recently I sat at a table with representatives of some of the organizations receiving the grants. One gal, just so excited that they had received the grant, exclaimed; "We just prayed and prayed. We put it on our church's prayer line and everyone was praying." Prayer was part of the decision of the Interchurch Council to apply for the grant and I did pray for guidance as I wrote the grant. But I can't say that anyone prayed with such exuberance and deliberateness as that group that did receive the grant. Since sitting with that group, I have pondered if perhaps that - exuberant prayer - was what was missing from our grant application. .....

"But let's get back to the missing exuberant prayer. Community growth and economic development are not areas for the faint of heart. They are areas that need to be put on our prayer chains over and over again with "everyone praying." As I have pondered the gal's exclamation about their praying for their grant to be funded, I've had to ask - what if? … what if all the churches in Villisca had deliberately prayed for those who lost their jobs in the closing of RoMech or about each of the barriers put in front of the City Council regarding the sewer project or about getting the enrollment up in the Villisca School District? What if we, as a community of believers, made the Annual Prayer Walk just the start of determined prayer about the education of our young people and all that touches their lives. What if every week calls went out on the churches' prayer chains about specific things happening at the schools? What if the call went out and everyone was joining in prayer for new businesses to come to town or for investment money to fund those businesses? What if … ?

"Matthew 25:31-46 talks about the Christian's responsibility in community growth and economic development. Well, not in those many words but what is community growth or economic development if it is not providing for the hungry, the thirsty, for strangers, for those who have material needs, for those who are in prison?

"Be deliberate. Be determined. Be specific. Be exuberant. Be in prayer."

Information about events at the school can be found on the Events Calendar at www.villisca.k12.ia.us and the daily bulletin which is at www.villiscareview.com/Education.htm

from a recent post on the www.wideawakeweekly.blogspot.com - a blog of Job Tate - Job is not from Villisca but he is Joe Tom and Velma Tate's grandson (Joe Tom as pastor of the Advent Christian Church in the 40s and again in the 80s) and Barry Tate's son (Barry was born in Villisca during his father's first pastorate) and Roxanna Sieber's nephew (Roxanna is the webmaster for this site) so he sorta belongs:

"And if I told you I was convinced that every American on the planet owned at least some denim and could give you precise directions to the exact location of where that denim was at the moment you asked them - be it on their legs or on the bottom of the clothes heap?

"I would believe you and then I would wish that denim were like Christ..."

Job also says on his blog "I used to be in awe of the magic in this world...now I am only in awe of the Magician. "

Today the churches in Villisca work together through the Interchurch Council. They worship together, they minister to the community together, they play together. But it was not always so. The following is an exerpt from An American Story. click here to read the full story

The Villisca ax murders, still Iowa's biggest unsolved crime, dominated life in the town and especially in the Moore family for years. A suspect was acquitted. A detective hired by Ross Moore accused the local state senator, F.F. Jones, of hiring the killer. Jones sued for slander.

Folks in town picked sides and pointed fingers. Children from one camp were told not to play with those in the other, and adults would not patronize merchants in opposing camps. For years, the Presbyterian (Moores') and Methodist (Joneses') churches, across the street from each other, would not cooperate on anything.

Contributing to the food pantry can be fun and practical. Instead of just dropping off cans of assorted items, put together the items in your favorite pantry recipe; bundle them in a single bag and include the recipe. If the recipe calls for a couple perishable items, the food pantry gives a small gift certificate to purchase perishables at Villisca Foods so the family should be able to purchase the perishables.

shown here are two Food Pantry Volunteers. Above - Paul Barker sorting through contributions to the food pantry from collected by students at Sylvia Enarson Elementary School; Right - Vince Else sorting and shelving contributions to the food pantry.

If you would like to contribute to Wee Care in preparation for the Christmas season or to the ongoing needs of the food pantry, you may send your contribution to any of the Villisca churches (with checks made out to the Villisca Interchurch Council) and they will be glad to get it into the right hands.

Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church

Presbyterian Church