Happy Thanksgiving!

Servant the November 2007 In 1620 courageous men and women traveled clear across the ocean to another continent in order to live in a place where they could freely worship God. Happy Thanksgiving! Check out our Christmas Specials! See page 6 Pilgram aith by Pa stor Joe “A wanderer; a traveler; particularly, one that travels to a distance from his own country to visit a holy place.” That’s how Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines the word pilgrim. Of course, when we read this, we can see why the people who settled in the New World in 1620 were called the Pilgrims. These courageous men and women traveled clear across the ocean to another continent in order to live in a place where they could freely worship God. They desired to establish a colony where they could live according to their convictions, and where they could preach the good news of the Gospel. So, during this time of the year, I am not only reminded of all that we have to be thankful for because of their sacrifice, but I also marvel at how the Pilgrims left all that was familiar to them—family, friends, homes, security. They endured three months of tremendous hardship on tumultuous seas. Then finally arriving at their destination, they continued to persevere when 50 percent of the community died that first winter. And, after all that, these Pilgrims boldly faced the second winter with tremendous spirit and thanksgiving! Being guided and guarded By the holy Spirit How? How did they do it? In a farewell letter written by Pastor John Robinson and read onboard the Mayflower prior to departure from England, we’re given a little insight into how the Pilgrims would be able to successfully make the journey, settle this New World and maintain a spirit of gratitude. Being unable to make the voyage himself, this pastor addressed his “Loving and Christian Friends,” and said: “…I do earnestly commend unto your care and conscience, joining therewith my daily incessant prayers unto the Lord, that He who hath made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all rivers of water, and whose providence is over all His works, especially over all His dear children for good, would so guide and guard you in your ways, as inwardly by His Spirit, so outwardly by the hand of His power, as that both you and we also, for and with you, may have after matter of praising His name all the days of your and our lives. Fare you well in Him in whom you trust, and in If You do not know Jesus as Your savIor and Lord we InvIte You to... whom I rest. An unfeigned wellwiller of your happy success in this hopeful voyage, John Robinson”. The Pilgrims were able to sail across the ocean into the unknown, make sacrifices, endure hardship and have an attitude of thanksgiving because they trusted God—they had a spirit of faith; they prayed without ceasing; and they were guided and guarded by the Holy Spirit. all thingS are poSSiBle This kind of overcoming faith is a result of understanding God’s will. They knew God’s Word said to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” The Pilgrims fully trusted Him and believed they would possess the land of promise because they lived and breathed the Scripture. I reckon these people must have spent considerable time studying Hebrews 11 and pouring over these verses about the great men and women of faith who are referred to as “pilgrims” in this world. This passage talks about how “by faith” Able, Enoch, Noah, Jacob, Isaac, Moses, Israel, the Israelites, Rahab, Abraham, and Sarah, accomplished tremendous things for God. The writer of Hebrews goes on to state there are many more great people of faith naming also, “Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets....” Then the writer gives us a glimpse of the kinds of things they did: Through acts of faith, they toppled kingdoms, made justice work, took the promises for themselves. They were protected from lions, fires, and sword thrusts, turned disadvantage to advantage, won battles, routed alien armies. Women received their loved ones back from the dead. (verses 32-33) Wow! That’s shoutin’ ground! When you read those words, don’t you know it wouldn’t matter if you’re like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs! God would get you out safely. He can do anything you need Him to do. Surrender today! God loves you and wants only the best for you. So why not receive Him today? Simply pray the following prayer in faith and make Jesus your Lord. Heavenly Father, I come to you in the name of your Son, Jesus. You said in your Word “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved,” (Acts 2:21), and “if thou shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shall be saved,” (Romans 10:9-10). You said as a result of my salvation Your Holy Spirit would come to live in me giving me new life (John 3:56, 15:16; Romans 8:9-11). Right now, I call on Your name and I confess with my mouth that JESuS IS LORd of my life. I believe in my heart that you raised Him from the dead, and I receive my salvation. Thank you for coming into my heart and for forgiving me of all my sin. Thank You for filling me with your Holy Spirit. Amen. Making every day thankSgiving day Not only do these verses tell us what these people accomplished, they also tell us how we too can be extraordinary. Among other things, it says: “Abraham did it by keeping his eye on an unseen city with real, eternal foundations—the City designed and built by God. … Barren Sarah was able to become pregnant, old woman as she was at the time, because she believed the One who made a promise would do what he said. …[Moses] had his eye on the One no eye can see, and kept right on going” (Heb.11:10-11; 27). These pilgrims of old as well as the Pilgrims of 1620—as well as you and I—can topple kingdoms, make justice work, take the promises, be protected, receive our loved ones back, refuse to give up or give in if we will saturate ourselves with God’s Word and His promises, and stay focused on Him in spite of circumstances. We too can have the kind of faith that would leave the familiar and light out for a new world. Being guided and guarded by God, we can have pilgrim faith. So let’s get this truth firmly entrenched in our minds and realize: “…trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living” (Heb. 11:1-2). When we know what makes life worth living, no matter what kind of contrary stuff we’re going through … every day can be day of Thanksgiving! All Scripture quoted is from the Message Translation of the Bible. If you’ve just prayed this prayer, congratulations! You are beginning an exciting new life! You can keep this prayer as a reminder you, _____________________________________ (name) became part of the family of God, on _______________________________. (date) If you’ve just prayed this prayer, congratulations! You are beginning an exciting new life! We’d love to hear from you and invite you to write to us at Angel Food Prayers, P.O. Box 128, Good Hope, GA 30641 for a FREE booklet to learn more about your new life in Christ Jesus! An Unwavering Mission d ear Friend, Have you ever waded out into the middle of a rushing river and was 53.6 cents higher than last year.1 When fueling up semi-trucks to transport food that adds up fast! If you watch the news, read the paper, or walk down the grocery aisles, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already realize. bottom line: in order to keep giving you the service and quality of food we’ve provided in the past, an increase in price is a necessity. believe me sweetheart, if there was a way around this, I would take it. Keep in mind, the present retail cost for a unit of Angel Food is approximately $60 - $75, depending on your location. It will only cost our consumers the low price of $30. Any way you slice it that is a substantial savings. We will still be providing top quality fresh groceries (no seconds or out-of-date items) at a stellar price. our mission and motive here at Angel Food ministries hasn’t budged one tiny bit! We’re doing everything within our power to give you as much of a break as we possibly can on grocery relief. We know how important that savings is for many of you who receive Angel Food. our continued desire is to bless you as much as possible. Please know, as always, Linda and I, Wes, Andy and the staff here are AFm love you and we are committed to serving you with excellence. tried to resist the pressure of a strong current of water? If so, you know that for awhile you can grit your teeth, stand your ground and not be moved. but, as the muddy river bottom shifts under your feet and your legs begin to ache with the strain, you must reposition your footing to continue standing. by simply taking a step or two and planting your feet firm, you’re able to stand again. When in a strong current, that small adjustment is a necessity. Well, in a sense, that is a picture of where we are here at Angel Food ministries. We have been standing strong against the current tide of inflation. For more than five years, we have not budged on the cost of a box of food to you—even though our costs have steadily increased. Up to this point, we have tried to absorb the affects of that current. Now, however, we must take a step to continue standing strong. What that means to you is that as of January, 2008 the price for a box of Angel Food will increase slightly to $30. As you know, the cost of utilities has risen, the price of food has gone up, and transportation costs have soared through the roof! In fact, according to the energy Information Administration, which provides the official energy statistics for the United States, the average retail price per gallon for regular gasoline as of october 15, 2007, Our mission and motive here at Angel Food Ministries hasn’t budged one tiny bit! Pastor Joe October 2007, the Energy Information Administration reported the average retail price for a gallon of regular gasoline was 53.6 cents higher than last year. 90 dollars per Barrel NEMEX Crude Oil Near-Month Futures Contract Prices Hit Record $87.61 Reached on 10/16/07 80 70 60 50 40 $50.48 Reached on 01/18/07 Jan-07 Mar-07 May-07 Jul-07 Sep-07 Source: New York Mercantile Exchange Futures Contract Price, closing quote, as reported by Routers News Service Sources: 1. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/twip/twip.asp “There is a real blessing that comes from serving people,” says Joe Howell, the AFM Host Site Director over South Plains Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. M any of us understand that giving is a blessing (Acts 20:35). Through our giving, we hope to share God’s love with a hurting world and change lives for the better. Yet, as one Angel Food Ministries’ host site has learned, giving not only changes those receiving the gift, it also changes us, the givers. “There is a real blessing that comes from serving people,” says Joe Howell, AFM Host Site Director over South Plains Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. In the time that South Plains has been a part of AFM, it has noticed a definite spiritual growth in its members. Those coming to pick up boxes observe the difference too. “They see a church that is not only talking the talk, but they’re walking the walk,” the director explains. “They’re [volunteering] their Saturdays, but they really are enjoying what they’re doing. That shows the spirit of real Christianity.” For a short time, South Plains worked with another food outreach, one based locally, but the church soon returned to AFM. Angel Food’s direct distribution, generous benevolence funding, large menu selection, added incentives for large orders and quality food confirmed that it was the ministry to help fulfill South Plains’ desire to reach others. “The quality of food at Angel Food is a good deal superior to what we had seen at the other ministry,” Joe shares. “We’re just tickled to participate!” This dedicated church is an inspiration. It has discovered a vital way to fulfill its members’ needs to be involved and connected. Moreover, it has built upon AFM’s ministry opportunity, finding additional means to provide answers to their community’s needs. Servant Hood A ll in A Greatness Begins with by Gena Maselli allowing the whole congregation to participate in the outreach. Then South Plains expanded its AFM ministry opportunity even further by providing free blood sugar and blood pressure screenings to those who desired them. It was a “God idea” they received after attending a local Salvation Army’s Group Encampment, a program that connected needy citizens with local relief organizations. “Several people have physical problems other than just the physical need for food,” Joe says, noting that the group has identified potentially serious health issues. “Maybe we’ve helped head off some real physical problems.” When asked how other AFM partners can reach out in their areas, Joe’s answer was simple. “There are needs in everybody’s community, all you have to do is look, and you’ll find them.” A s t e p F u rt h e r D Ay ’ s Work “We see families in distress—some financial, some emotional, some spiritual,” Joe shares. It was the desire to help others that drove South Plains to do even more. First, they started by giving away paperback Bibles. “We’ve probably given away a couple thousand,” Joe says. “You would be amazed at the number of folks who say, ‘This is the first Bible I’ve ever had.’” In addition to giving away God’s Word, prayer requests are collected. These requests are then returned to the church where members pray over them during their Sunday morning Bible classes, South Plains Church of Christ has definitely discovered the joy of giving, and as its members have given to others, they have received blessings in return. “I get more hugs on that Saturday morning than I get all month long,” the AFM director says with a smile. “Sure, it’s a day’s work, but with all the good you get from it, you can skip all the way home.” If you would like to reach out to your community and provide much needed answers to those who are hurting, call 1-800-FOOD MINISTRY or visit www.AngelFoodMinistries.com. Like South Plains Church of Christ, God can use you to bring real answers to those in need. In the K i t c h e n Holiday Assorted Fruit Box 6 4 1 8 only gobbler in a pot Makes: 7 servings. Prep: 20 minutes. Crock Pot: 5 - 6 hours. Over the past few years you’ve enjoyed the goodness of fresh Golden delicious apples, sweet Florida oranges and juicy Ruby Red grapefruit. This year you’ll also receive luscious Blush pears, Tangelos, Tangerines and Red delicious apples in the assorted fruit box! only $24.00** Holiday Gift Meat & Cheese Box The meat and cheese Smoky Cheddar 7oz. Cheddar 7oz. Pepper Jack 7oz. only $16.00** box includes; Beef Sausage 9oz. Summer Sausage 9oz. Beef Salami log 9oz. $24.00** 4 1 1 1 3 4 2 3 chicken breast halves* or 1 small turkey breast cups water + 1 Tbsp. salt (9x9 inch) pan cornbread, cooled and crumbled slices day-old bread, torn into small pieces eggs, beaten onion*, chopped fine teaspoon salt teaspoon ground black pepper teaspoons poultry seasoning cups broth or 2 cans chicken broth (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup Holiday Gourmet Coffee Gift Special Features (3) 12 oz. Premium Gourmet Coffees: 1) Guatemala Antiquate - low acidity with a smooth, buoyantly rich flavor and great after taste. 12oz. 2) Hazelnut Cream - a blend of premium Central and South American Arabic coffee beans flavored with the sweet, slightly nutty flavor of hazelnut. 12oz. 3) House Blend - A French roast, slightly stronger brew, with rich flavor. 12oz. only $14.00** only $16.00** tablespoons butter only $14.00** ** Additional $2 per special in Ar, TN, mS, and KS to cover applicable sales tax and administrative costs. 1. Place chicken in crock pot with 4 cups water plus salt. Cook on high 2 hours, or until cooked through. Cool, and cut into pieces. Save broth for mix. 2. Stir together in same crock pot, chicken, cornbread, bread, eggs, onion, salt, pepper, sage, chicken broth, and chicken soup. Stir until well blended. dot with margarine. 3. Cook on Low for 3 to 4 hours in covered crock pot. Remove lid, and fluff with fork. Let rest 15 minutes before serving. * Ingredient found in November menu Memphis Tiger’s Lay One Up for Angel Food As many of you realize, Angel Food Ministries provides more than physical food for the body. In conjunction with several branches of relief, it also makes available the opportunity for people to join together as a team in order to improve their local communities. University of Memphis Tigers’ basketball team certainly recognizes this fact. Recently the players jumped into action making a slam dunk when helping with a local Angel Food Ministry distribution at the Colonial Park United Methodist Church in Memphis, TN. From start to finish this team showed an eager spirit to lend a helping hand. Showing up early they began by unloading large boxes of food from the AFM transportation truck. The non-stop work continued as they transitioned into breaking down the 20 separate food items, depositing them into stations and following through by placing one of each item into bags to be distributed to the food recipients. Going for an extra 3 points, these all-star players went the distance by staying late in order to clean up the area afterwards. “What I’m hoping is, by these players being here, it brings light to a great program,” Coach John Calipari said. “For our guys individually, I hope they get the idea. It’s hard for a 19, or 20 year old to think about giving and others because he’s still trying to figure out who he is. It’s hard for them. I just hope it touches them a little bit and our program can bring light to great things like this.” Ruth Crawford, the churches’ host site director for AFM is appreciative of the team and affirms that these players deserve a pat on the back for their involvement in the program. Above: Ranked No. 1 in the Nation by ESPN, uM Tiger’s take time out to assist at Colonial Park united Methodist Church in Memphis, TN during AFM’s food distribution. Left: Tiger’s #2, Robert dozier, scores two points for his team. Comfort in Time of God Provides Trouble Back L. to R.: Youth Pastor Steve Evans, Joel Briggs, Sam Ringelberg. Front L. to R.: Josiah Ringelberg, Peggy Ellis, and Micah Ringelberg. “A ngel Food”, the raised voice repeated once more. Living on a fixed income, the ministry name of Angel Food had always brought comfort, but this time sixty-seven year old Peggy Ellis was never so glad to hear Steve Evans, youth pastor for Brown’s Corner Church in Clare, MI, make known his arrival. Steve and four dedicated young and emergency services. men from his youth group Sam, Recognizing that Peggy was For some, Angel Food simply means being able Josiah, and Micah Ringelberg, and suffering in extreme pain, the four to stretch the budget. And yet for many othJoel Briggs believed this to be an AF young men immediately searched ers, the box of food they receive from Angel delivery as usual. In no way did they for pillows to serve as props under Food is the only food they will eat that month. suspect what they her head and legs, You help make that possible by giving of your The Lord would find on that and covered her time and energy during each distribution. You hear thee in the Saturday morning. with blankets. also help many single parents handle monthly day of trouble; the expenses, the distressed to receive electricity, Typically Peggy The maturity name of the God of and homeless men and women to be sheltered would meet Steve and responsibility Jacob defend thee; through your local host site’s AFM benevolence at the door, eager to these young men program. Together we’re making a difference Send thee help from receive the box of displayed, enabled in the lives of millions of people. the sanctuary, and groceries that would Steve to locate strengthen thee help her and her husemergency help. We praise God for the opportunity to actively out of Zion. band make it through He immediately live out the Word of God with you in feeding Psalm 20:1-2 until the next month. pursued tracking the hungry, helping the hurting, and reaching But this time something was different through the heavily wooded and the lost. and it made Steve a little uneasy. gated subdivision in order to guide “Come on in”, moaned Peggy, the ambulance to the right house. May God Bless you this Holiday Season, “I’m lying on the floor of the living In the meantime, the boys put all of room and I can’t get up”. Nervous Mrs. Peggy’s Angel Food groceries as to what they might discover, the away; making sure the frozen items group proceeded with care. Entering would not thaw out. through the front door of the house After three hours in surgery, Together... feeding the hungry, helping the they rounded the corner into the living two steel plates and weeks of rehurting and reaching the lost, (Matthew 25:40). room. There lay Peggy, unable to help covery, Peggy understands this herself and in a desperate situation. was no small accident. Now, AFM The group listened intently as means so much more to Peggy than ngel ooD inistries Peggy gave details that just mosimply being able to eat better evments before their arrival she slipped ery month. She’s If you’re not currently involved with AFM, we invite you to connect with on the porch steps and broke her an- thankful that God has us. By joining with our team you’ll bring hope, relief and a hand up to kle. She explained that she couldn’t used this ministry as your community. To find out what you can do to help call: walk, and had crawled back into the a tool to help in her 1-877-FOOD-MINISTRY or visit www.AngelFoodMinistries.com. house in order to call her husband times of trouble. to thank God and give Him Glory for all He has done. We especially want to thank Him for using the AFM team to minister to people across this great nation of ours. It’s because of your generosity, love and compassion that millions of children, senior citizens, and families of all financial backgrounds are enjoying a better meal. This Holiday Season, we want A F M We want to hear from you. Please send us your testimonies and tell us how God has blessed you through AFM. Send to: Stories@AngelFoodMinistries.com. We Accept Food Stamps! d eceMBer S pecialS one or more specials available only with the purchase of a regular unit. SPECIAL #1 7 lb. Giant Meat Combo Box - $18.00** 2 lb. Thick Cut Pork Chops (6 ct.) 2 lb. beef ribs 1 lb. rib eye Steaks (2 x 8 oz.) 1 lb. Lean beef Patties (4 x 4 oz.) 1 lb. Italian Sausage SPECIAL #2 4 lb. Choice Sirloin Box - $18.00** (8) 8-oz. Choice Sirloin Strips SPECIAL #3 10 lb. Chicken Tenders Box - $16.00** deceMBer Menu (4) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) (1) 5 oz. rib-eye Steaks (1) (1) 2 lb. Family Lasagna Dinner 2 lb. Split Chicken breast (2 Pieces) (1) 1 lb. Honey roasted Pork Sausage (1) 1 lb. Fully Cooked Chicken breast Fajitas (1) 1 lb. Fully Cooked meatballs (1) 1 lb. All meat Jumbo Hot Dogs (1) 3 lb. Fresh Apples (1) (1) Dessert Item 8 oz. biscuit mix 1 lb. 3-Way veggie mix 1 lb. Cut Corn 1 lb. Sliced Carrots 14 oz. Chicken broth 24 oz. Home-style Hash brown 6.5 oz. Cheeseburger Dinner 10 ct. Home-style Waffles 10 lb. breaded Chicken Tenders holiday S pecialS SPECIAL #4 (5) ruby red Grapefruit (4) Golden Delicious Apples (4) red Delicious Apples (6) Florida oranges (6) Tangelos Holiday Assorted Fruit Box - $24.00** each Assorted box Contains: (6) Tangerines (4) blush Pears (4) rome Apples (4) Navel oranges SPECIAL #5 All weights are approximate. Holiday Gift (Meat & Cheese Box) - 16.00** each Gift box Contains: (1) 9 oz. beef Sausage (1) 9 oz. beef Salami (1) 9 oz. beef Summer Sausage (3) 7 oz. Cheese (Cheddar, Smokey Cheddar, Pepper Jack) ALL THIS For THe LoW CoST oF JUST - $25.00* *$28.00 in Ar, KS, mS, and TN, to cover sales tax and applicable administrative costs. *$30.00 in CA, Co, Nm, due to higher transportation costs. one or more specials available only with the purchase of a regular unit. SPECIAL #6 New Pick Up Dates! WeeKS “A” and “b” Pick Up Your order on Saturday, December 15, 2007 Holiday Gourmet Coffee Gift Special - $14.00** each box Contains: (1) 12 oz. House blend (1) 12 oz. Hazelnut Cream (1) 12 oz. Guatemala Antiquate ** Additional $2 per special in Ar, TN, mS, and KS to cover applicable sales tax and administrative costs. Angel Food ministries® reserves the right to substitute any stated menu item due to lack of availability, cost or substandard quality. All weights are approximate. Please know it is always our desire to provide the best quality and value possible. on occasion, situations occur that are beyond our control and we are forced to substitute an item or two in the box. A substitution is made when: 1. 2. 2. 3. Upon inspection, the product did not meet our standard of quality. The item initially ordered was not available at the time of purchasing. The item ordered did not arrive in time for distribution. The supplier could not provide enough product to meet order demands. Changes to the Menu Contact Your Local Host Site for Ordering Deadlines! www.AngelFoodMinistries.com or call our 24 hour toll-free hot-line 24 hour toll-free hot-line 1-877-FOOD-MINISTRY (1-877-366-3646) 1-877-FOOD-MINISTRY (1-877-366-3646) Please understand that any last minute changes are made with your best interest in mind. It is AFm’s aim to provide you with the very best service, food and value. Please know we are always striving to do so with excellence. menu updates are posted at www.AngelFoodministries.com Angel Food ministries® is a team effort! The success of this program is due to the generous service of volunteers. So, think about joining the Angel Food team nearest you. For more information, contact your host site or visit www.AngelFoodministries.com. The Servant magazine welcomes your questions and comments! Contact us at: P.o. box 128, Good Hope, GA 30641 Phone: 770-267-7015 toll free: 888-819-3745 Fax: 770-267-8031 e-mail:TheServant@ AngelFoodministries.com. The Servant publishes more than 265,000 copies monthly and is distributed throughout the U.S. by Angel Food ministries®, a non-profit, non-denominational organization. The Servant has no subscription or newsstand price. All donations to this ministry are tax deductible. Angel Food ministries® is an equal opportunity provider and employer. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Washington, DC 20250-9410