KIDS Comer Coming Together

In the weeks leading up to Easter we asked you to help furnish our newly renovated KIDS Comer through donations and pledges. Our goal for these basic furnishings was $15,000. We received $1,583.24 in donations and had an additional $6,105 pledged to be given throughout the year. To help with our efforts we had a special pledge of matching funds to be given in memory of Charles Reeves. This brings our final total to $15,376.48. Thank you all so much for helping with this second phase of the renovations, and let us all give thanks to God for what he is doing in our church and through each and every one of us.

As the pledged monies come in, we will be equipping the KIDS Comer room-by-room with the nursery (KIDS 1) being the first priority. We already have some of the furniture in place, and hope to have our babies and toddlers in there on Mother's Day. The preschoolers' room (KIDS 2) should follow quickly behind. We hope to have enough of the furnishings in place by June or July to have a dedication service sometime this summer. Please keep

giving; we are depending on your pledges. If you haven't had a chance to give yet and would like to do so, please feel free. After the furnishings there are still numerous smaller education supplies which will be needed.

Again, thank you for your faithfulness and generosity as we seek to minister to the children of our church and community by leading them to Know Christ, Involving and equipping their parents, Discipling children, and Serving children:

From our Music Department

This information is found through a link on the RUF Hymnbook Online. Augustus M. Toplady, even when he wrote his magnificent masterpiece, the "Rock of Ages," could not resist the temptation to give a thrust at those who, he insisted, were believers in Perfectionism. So he entitled his hymn, when he printed it-"A living and dying prayer of the holiest believer in the world." This is as much as if he had said, "The most sanctified soul in the world must corne down on his knees and confess, 'Nothing in my hands I bring,' and 'Vile I to this fountain fly.'''

-Walter Baxendale This is a "follow-up" story:

One of the Jubilee Singers, a student of Fisk University, was on board a steamer that took fire. He had the presence of mind to fix life-preservers on himself and wife. But in the agony of despair, when all on board were trying to save themselves, someone took from his wife her life-preserver, so that she found herself helpless amid waters. But she clung to her husband, placing her hands firmly on his shoulders as he swam on. After a little while her strength was exhausted. "I can hold on no longer," was her cry. "Try a little longer," was her husband's agonized entreaty; and then he added, "Let us sing 'Rock of Ages.''' Immediately they both began faintly to sing; and their strains fell upon the ears of many around them, while they were thus seeking to comfort each other. One after another of the nearly-exhausted swimmers was noticed raising his head above the waves and joining in the prayer: 'Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in thee." Strength seemed to corne with the song; and they were able to hold out a little longer, still faintly singing. A boat was seen approaching, and they did get strength enough to keep themselves afloat 'til the crew lifted them on board. And thus Toplady's hymn helped to save more than one from death by the sea, as it has often helped to save souls ready to perish.

Becky