Bill Alsup 505-2282Tom Anderson 615-351-6239John Corn 540-230-8713 Kerry Couch 840-0445 Wade Denney 619-0544

Jerry Duggin 731-613-1876Mike Kesler 388-6125 John Law 698-2236 John Simmons 381-8869John M. Smith 388-5841

Randy Owens PreachingAlex Quintero HispanicHaley Schmidt ChildrenTucker Vincent Student

Ramona Ward Office Coord.Glenda Kesler SecretaryRachel Basham SecretaryDavid Ward Facilities

EldErs

Jon BennettBilly BrooksEric BryantRob CoferSteve CoferJim CriswellRandy DavidsonMarty DeJarnetteDavid EsslingerGeorge FreelandMike ForsthoffPaul GibsonMike Greene

Bill HallCalvin JacksonBen JonesIvan JonesPorter KingDavid KirkZach KittrellDuane LeachJacob LoveDarrel MarlinTommy McEwenJerry OakleyKent Pardon

Jim RobinsonWillie RobinsonRickey SavageChuck SimpsonJames ThomasDarrell TrimbleJoe WestmorelandJeff WhiteZach WhitworthGreg YokleyPhillip Young

dEacons

The Messenger is published monthly byWest Seventh Street Church of Christ405 West Seventh StreetColumbia, TN 38401Return Service Requested

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PAIDColumbia, TN

Permit No. 710

assEmbliEs:Sunday Morning Worship 8:00 Fellowship 9:10 Bible Classes 9:30 Morning Worship 10:30 Sunday Evening Worship 6:00Wednesday Eve. Bible Classes 7:00

Hispanic assEmbliEs:Sunday Morning Bible Classes 9:30 Morning Worship 10:30Wednesday Eve. Bible Classes: 7:00

Sunday Broadcasts: 9:30 a.m. & 8:00 p.m.

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6:00 p.m. WKRM 1340 AM

Striving to be completely committed followers of Jesus.

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Barry England Marriage/Family

DonnA EStEP

tell us about your family.Spouse: Steve Estep – Married for 46 years. We married at the end of Steve’s junior year at Vanderbilt.Children: Chad, Richie and SethGrandchildren: Palmer, Bailey, Carter, Bella, Cooper, Emmy, Gavin & Knox

Do you have any other family members at West Seventh? If so, whom?Richie and Collette Estep plus Bella and Cooper

Where did you go to school?I graduated from Medical Technical School in Nashville.

Where do you work and what do you do? Retired

What are some of your hobbies/interests? I love spending time with my grandchildren and children; shopping.

When did you become a Christian?12 years old at Madison Church of Christ

Before coming to West Seventh, in what ways did you serve at your congregation? Involved in children’s ministry, women’s class and small group at several congregations

StEvE EStEP

Hometown: Columbia

tell us about your family.See Donna’s answers.

Where did you go to school?Vanderbilt University – BE in Engineering. Played four years on baseball scholarship from 1969-1972

Where do you work and what do you do? Retired

Where all have you lived and what prompted your moves? Madison, Hendersonville, Centerville, Columbia and Houston – work related

What are some of your hobbies/interests?Golf, Love going to athletic events and being around my grandchildren

When did you become a Christian?20 years old and baptized at Madison Church of Christ

How would you describe your spiritual journey?I taught Sunday School with the 7th-9th grade for over 30 years at multiple congregations including Graymere Church of Christ in Columbia when we lived here before. Been active member of FCA board of directors along with supporter since I was in high school.

Before coming to West Seventh, in what ways did you serve at your congregation?Served as deacon at Centerville Church over the youth

What’s one of your favorite scriptures?Romans 8:28 is my favorite verse

What’s one of your favorite books?Books on leadership. I managed manufacturing plants in Tennessee and Texas for over 40 years.

What’s one of your favorite movies?Rocky

What’s one of your favorite songs?I’ll Fly Away

What’s one of your favorite childhood memories?Playing all sports throughout my childhood and through college

What is your favorite vacation spot? Destin, Florida

What’s been one of the scariest/challenging moments of your life? Living in Houston the last few years and Donna living in Tennessee to be with grandchildren

Who has influenced you significantly?David Craig and John Vaughan were very influential with my spiritual growth along with Bill McDonald in Centerville

name something you’ve done that is unique.Love to manage and coach people at all ages and influence what I can to others on their walk in life.

G E t t o K n o W t H E E s t E p s

By Marynelle Criswell

In Jerusalem, we walked the 14 traditional stations of the cross on the Via Delarosa (Way of Suffering) in the old city. The present route includes a remnant of an ancient road built by Roman Emperor Hadrian after 117 A.D. The foot-worn, polished cobblestones are not original to Jesus’ time, and today’s path is one of several which tradition has verified. However, “if not here, it was near!”

Isaiah 52:14 described Jesus as being beaten and disfigured beyond recognition. For me, knowing how severely Jesus had been beat-en, how dehydrated He was, and how He had been marched from one place to another dur-ing the fake trials, it was as though time stood still. The hustle and bustle of the marketplace intruded upon my reflection, yet it seemed the stones cried out for me to remember. “Forgive me, forgive me. Lord have mercy on me!” was all I could utter.

Helena (mother of Constantine) built the Church of the Holy Sepulchre over the final four sites, where one sees the supposed exact place of Gol-gotha, including a hole for the cross and a large rock that split during the earthquake when Jesus died. Stooping into a covered niche four at a time, we viewed a stone panel be-hind glass that supposedly was where Jesus’ broken body was taken and prepared for burial.

This church was erected in the fifth century over a former temple to Venus. Helena is said to have discovered that the site was based upon local legends. The overly ornate decor and the robed priests meandering through the church created in me a feeling of oppression. This traditional site is not universally accepted.

The site was either underneath the Church of the Holy Sep-ulchre or farther to the northwest. Both sites would have been outside the city walls, fulfilling prophecy in Deuter-onomy 16:5-6. Hebrews 13:12 also alludes to this.

Another day we visited the other Golgotha, first proposed in 1842, located north of the Damascus gate. In 1883 British officer Charles George Gordon endorsed this site when he saw a rock formation resembling a skull atop an abandoned rock quarry there. This seemed to him to fit the “place of the skull” mentioned in each of the gospels. Sometime in the recent past, the so-called nose has fallen off, so the forma-

tion no longer resembles a skull.

Nearby is a garden tomb which has been man-aged by a British non-denominational chari-table trust since 1894. They make no claim to the authenticity of the site, but at present it as a visual reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice. (How-ever, some Christians believe this to be the au-thentic site.) The site is adjacent to the old road leading to Damascus, and would have served the Romans’ purpose of invoking fear into the Jewish populace as crucifixions took place on a main road.

The tomb is carved out of limestone set into bedrock. One archaeologist dates this tomb

to the seventh century, although he surmised that the site may have been used prior to the first century, then aban-doned until the 1600s. John 19:41 states that Nicodemus’ new tomb was in a garden. The Biblical concept of “garden” most likely means an orchard, olive grove or a vineyard. An ancient wine press was discovered near this tomb, leading to the conclusion that a vineyard had been there.

We entered the tomb. To the left was a small space where a body would have been washed, and wrapped in linen cloths infused with myrrh and aloes (John 19:39). To the right were two small niches carved into the rock. The niche in back would fit the description in Luke 24 and John 20, because 1) Peter stooped inside and 2) could see without going all the way inside that the linens were there, but the body was not.

Due to the natural setting of this tomb, it was easier to imag-ine that Jesus could have been there. Although there was no

p r a Y i n G f o r J E r U s a l E m - p a r t 3

West 7th Area WideDecember 3

5:00 - 6:00 pmSpeaker:

Andy Frizzell Worship: Taylor Bell

stone beside the door, there was a deep trough cut into the rock beneath the door that would have held the giant stone.

I learned that Jewish tombs were used temporarily for a body for only one year and one day after death. After that, the bones were retrieved and placed into an ossuary, a stone box or container.

I do not know if this was the real tomb. I do know that it was much more emotional to be able to actually walk in-side this tomb than to view a slab of stone through a tiny window in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Our group of eight was served the Lord’s Supper there in the garden, and we truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in those solemn

moments. All four gospel writers mention the Last Supper, and 1 Corinthians 11:24-25 admonishes that whenever we eat and drink this supper, we remember Jesus.

Remember Jesus! I remember His horrible death, but more than that, I remember His victory over death for all of us. I remember that He said He would never forsake us and that we will see Him alive. There is a moment of solemnity, then it is all joy as we think on these things. Jesus is real, He is alive, and we will see Him!

Prayer on the Square! Saturday, December 9, 2017, 9:00 on the Courthouse steps. What is keeping you from joining us?

p r a Y i n G f o r J E r U s a l E m - p a r t 3

By Alex Quintero

On Sunday, November 12, groups from West 7th, Church Street (Lewis-burg), and Berry’s Chapel (Franklin) met at our building for a morning of fellowship and worship. Sharing a spiritual and physical feast with 108 people uplifted us as we lifted praises to our Lord. Included in that number were visitors from the Columbia community, elders and dea-cons who work with the Spanish ministries in their respec-tive congregations, and FriendSpeak workers and readers. Frank Meza, minister at Berry’s Chapel, gave a lesson en-titled, “The Profile of a Christian” regarding social media usage. 2 Corinthians 3:2-3, “You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our hearts, to be known and read by all. And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

We served a delicious lunch of tamales and pozole (a pork and hominy soup). One sister, Nereida Hernández, was de-lighted to be reunited with a friend from her hometown and an elementary classmate and amazed to discover that they had all been converted to Christianity.Thank you to each congregation and their leadership for the collaboration and support of these events that strengthen our faith and our bond as a family united in Christ!

Adoración Unida en EspañolEl domingo, 12 de noviembre, gru-pos de West 7th, Church Street (Lew-isburg), y Berry’s Chapel (Franklin) se reunieron en nuestro edificio para una mañana de confraternización y adoración. Compartiendo una fiesta es-piritual y física con 108 personas nos edificó mientras elevamos alabanzas a

nuestro Señor. Incluido en este número habían visitantes de la comunidad de Columbia, ancianos y diáconos que traba-jan con los ministerios en español en sus respectivas con-gregaciones, y obreros y lectores de FriendSpeak.Frank Meza, ministro en Berry’s Chapel nos dio una lección titulada, “El Perfil del Cristiano” sobre el uso de las redes sociales. 2 Corintios 3:2-3, “Vosotros sois nuestra carta, escrita en nuestros corazones, conocida y leída por todos los hombres, siendo manifiesto que sois carta de Cristo re-dactada por nosotros, no escrita con tinta, sino con el Es-píritu del Dios vivo; no en tablas de piedra, sino en tablas de corazones humanos.”

Servimos un almuerzo delicioso de tamales y pozole. Una hermana, Nereida Hernádez, estaba contenta de reencon-trarse con una amistad de su pueblo y un compañero de la primaria y maravillada descubrir que todos ellos se han con-vertidos al cristianismo.¡Gracias a cada congregación y su liderazgo por la colabo-ración y el apoyo de estos eventos que fortalecen nuestra fe y nuestros lazos como una familia unida en Cristo!

U n i t E d W o r s H i p

by tucker vincent

On November 10-12, the Student Ministry took a trip to Whispering Pines for their Fall Retreat. The theme was Up-side Down and it was a great weekend! We focused on how we are to live counter-culturally as Christians and how we are called to be separate from the world and culture in which we live. We had a great turnout and everyone walked away feeling uplifted, edified, and unified. Thank you for your prayers, support, and encouragement of our Student Minis-try—it means more than you know!

Y o U t H r E t r E a t

In memory of Ben Hancock Anne Swann John & Wanda Smith Lyndell & Sue Fox Lottie Umstead

In memory of Faye Ward Mike Kesler Sunday School Class Jane Wells Lyndell & Sue Fox Lottie Umstead

In memory of tommy Hemphill John & Wanda Smith

In memory of Bill thrasher John & Wanda Smith Lyndell & Sue Fox

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SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAYDECEMBER 2017

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Jackson DeJarnetteFaye JacksonDavid C. Mann

Ivan JonesJuanita Westmoreland

Mr/Mrs David Stoltz

Beckett AndersonJohn LawAl Smith

Stephanie Cofer

Mr/Mrs Henry Dugger

Kylie KodattMickey McKeel

Clara Whitworth Kenneth EubankKatrina McMurtryJerry OakleyEsmeralda Valverde

Joel Murphy

Bradley AndersonCrismon CoferHeather DilesLora TaylorCarolyn TurnmyreMr/Mrs Darrel Marlin

Jace Haines

Mr/Mrs Jerry CookMr/Mrs Michael Marlin

Monica Lamm

Mr/Mrs Bob Jones

Kerbe Lee

Mr/Mrs Bob CoferMr/Mrs Bert Glover

Mr/Mrs Bill RobinsonMr/Mrs Phillip Young, Sr.

Dylan BennettCharles SimpsonShannon Smith

Mr/Mrs Eric Bryant

Abner HernandezBill Stevens

Stacey EnglishJennifer ThomasOrlando Valverde

Mr/Mrs Wade Denney

Elizabeth EnglishNicholas McMurtryAlex Quintero

Jacob Eastep

Mr/Mrs Mike Greene

McKenna Shrader

Mr/Mrs David Ervin

Mark MatzkiwTerry Northcutt

Faye Kinzer Mr/Mrs Joel Oswalt Vanessa HardinRush Holladay

Ramona CherryNathaniel KarkauJane Wells

Michael Trulove

Parents’ Night Out

Mother/DaughterNight Out

PrimeTimers’Christmas Party

Area Wide atWest 7th

9:00 a.m. Worship 10:30 Class Lunch 12:15 Singing

Winter Harvest Collection

SpecialContribution

Christmas Day / Office Closed

9:00 a.m. Worship No classes or

evening service

New Year’s Eve Service 6:00 p.m.

WEST SEVENTH MINISTRIESTo learn more about: Contact:Announcements Porter KingAttendance Jacob LoveAudio System Eric BryantBaby Showers Helen JonesBaptism Preparation Jim CriswellBenevolence Tom Anderson Members Joe Westmoreland Hispanic Alex Quintero Non-members Tom AndersonBridal Showers Wanda SmithCollege Ministry Phillip & Brandy Young Joel & Paula OswaltCommunion Preparation John KodattCounseling Barry EnglandEducation Children’s Education Haley Schmidt, James Thomas, Zach Whitworth Lads to Leaders Jacob & Jennifer Eastep John & Beverly Simmons Vacation Bible School Lisa CouchFacility David Ward, David KirkFamily Ministry Barry EnglandFellowship Meals Jerry & Shirley OakleyFinance/Contribution Count Duane Leach, Zach WhitworthFood Pantry Darrell Trimble, Bob & Sandra JohnsonGreeters Darrel MarlinHispanic Ministry Alex QuinteroHome Bible Studies Jim RobinsonMen’s Ministry David EsslingerMissions Josh HardinNursing Home Communion John SimmonsNursing Home/Assisted Living John SimmonsOpen/Close Bldg HVAC Billy Brooks, Steve McEwenPowerPoint Brad BeasleyPrimeTimers (Senior Adults) Barry England Service George & Shirley Freeland Fellowship Bob & Judy Cofer, Faye KinzerService Station Mike ForsthoffTV/Radio Calvin Jackson, Paul Gibson, Chuck SimpsonTraffic/Parking Billy BrooksVehicle Maintenance Billy BrooksVan Drivers/Scheduling Steve CoferVisitation Mike Greene, John LawWomen’s Ministry Jeanine Denney, Sharon Greene, Beverly SimmonsWorship Assignments Sunday Phillip Young, Sr., Pat Coleman Wednesday Tommy McEwen Nursery Brenda ColemanTween Ministry Grades 5-6 Ryan & Haley SchmidtUshers Zach KittrellYouth Ministry Grades 7-12 Tucker Vincent, Marty DeJarnette, Jon Bennett, Ivan Jones, Greg Yokley

BIBLE CLASSESSunday 9:30 a.m.

Children’s Classes - See the Information Center for a complete list of children’s classes, teachers, topics and a map of our facilities.

Adult ClassesCollege Age & Ecclesiastes Room 212Young Professionals Joel OswaltPhillip Young

Young Marrieds Psalms Fireside RoomJim Robinson James ThomasJonathan Davis Homebuilders Galatians ChapelWade Denney Barry England

Adult Class Acts Family CenterRandy Owens

Adult Class Bible Studies AuditoriumPorter King

Adult Class Titus & Philemon TV Studio Mike Kesler

Hispanic Class Room 307Alex Quintero Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

See bulletin for class options.