How to Make Christmas Praise Banners

How to Make Christmas Praise Banners

1. Decide on Size and Fabric.

We selected a 54" upholstery weight fabric with a diagonal design.

We purchased 2 yards (6 feet).

2. Decide on the words and lettering.

We selected a lightweight silk in a solid gold color. The fabric needs to be heavy enough that the background fabric will not show through. We also decided to make our own template for lettering. PEACE, LOVE, and JOY were the praise words we selected. We purchased 1 5/8 yards of fabric and double sided bonding.

3. Cut and hem the banner.

We chose to make the banner in 3 pieces. I simply divided the fabric into 3 equal pieces and cut - remember to keep the grain of the fabric so that the selvedge edge is on the sides. This will keep it from stretching while hanging. Next turn under the two side edges 1" twice, pin, and press. Then stitch evenly down both sides. Tape an index card to your sewing machine to help keep your seam even. You will have six of those same seams so it helps to make the job quicker as well as the seams uniform.

Hem the top and bottom next by turning under those edges 1 " pin, and press. You may stitch the first banner casing but wait before stitching the remaining two casings until you have hung the hanging and checked to see if the diagonal pattern matches closely. You may need to make additional adjustments to make sure that the length needs adjustments also. We made our banners all about the same length but you make want your banners to be of different lengths.

Turn under the top edge an additional 2 inches and stitch. This forms the casing for the top of the wall hanging.

The hem of the bottom will be a point by bringing the two corner pieces together in the center back. Pin, press, but do not stitch until the project adjustments are acceptable. Then stitch using the same seam allowance for the sides and hand hem the center.

We added a tassel to the bottom of each point. Simply tack at the point and into the center back seam.

4. The Lettering.

First, press the fabric. Then follow the instruction on the bonding. The instructions had us to press the bonding fabric to the lettering fabric on the wrong side. Next we drew the letters on the paper (remember you are working in reverse when drawing the letters. Next, cut out the letters and space them onto your banners. Remove the paper backing and press onto the banner using directions from the bonding. The use of a pressing cloth helps to protect your iron. Sew around each letter using a machine satin stitch to give a finished appearance and extend the life of the project.

5. Hanging.

We chose a 48 " adjustable curtain rod with finials. (Walmart on clearance for $16.00). We chose to use T pins to hand the wall hanging so that it will hang closer to the wall.  Hanging the project closer to the wall will reduce movement due to air-conditioning and increase the life of the project. We did not line our banners. However, banners may be lined and draped for a different effect.

6.  Consider the Cost

This project is not cheap. The upholstery fabric is $29.99 per yard. The lettering fabric is $19.99 per yard. The bonding varies depending on the brand but figure about $6 to $10. The tassels we selected ran $1.99 each but there are several different sizes and styles to choose from and the price is just as diverse. It took 3 large spools of thread at $1.99 each.  (Watch for sales and coupons - we were fortunate and got our upholstery fabric at 40% off - watch for remnants too if you are not in a hurry for your project.)

7.  Let Us Praise Him!

Praise Banners are becoming more and more popular. They are not just for Christmas and holidays any longer. Praise is always becoming to a child of God.

Christmas Baskets 2009

Sister Cindi Dixon has launched a Christmas Basket Project that could be adapted to accommodate any size of project from 1 to 1000. Simply gather a basket and items to be given away. Several different types of baskets could be included: Fruit, canned goods, candles and picture frames, teacups and tea towels, colors and color books, the possibilities are unlimited. Sister Cindi any boosted gathering items for a men's basket. The idea is to remember someone this Christmas. There are no special requirements to receiving a basket except that you must accept it when it is offered. A card, tract and revival fliers are also items that may be included in the Christmas Baskets. Each family will take one and disburse it to the person of their choosing. What a nice way to say so many things: "Hello", "Welcome", "Hope you are feeling better", "May you have a good day", "Merry Christmas", "Thinking about you", "We prayed for you", etc. So many things can be said better without words!

Watch Nite Service and New Year Revival

WATCH NITE SERVICES

DECEMBER 31

BEGINNING AT 7 PM
REVIVAL TYPE SERVICE,

FOOD, FELLOWSHIP, ADDITIONAL WORSHIP AND PRAYER
UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT

REVIVAL - REVIVAL - REVIVAL

DECEMBER 31 - JANUARY 3

EVANGELIST

BISHOP D. SMITH

SERVICES BEGIN AT 7 PM

EXCEPT SUNDAY EVENING BEGINNING AT 5 PM

A Watch Nite Service will be held at The Church of God in Bald Knob, AR on December 31, 2009 begining with a revival type service at 7:00 PM. Bishop Dewayne Smith, Regional Overseer of AR/MO/OK will serve as the evangelist. A fellowship and additional activities will be conducted on the evening of the Watch Nite when at midnight everyone will pray the old year out and the new year in. Refreshments will be served between the two services on December 31. Bring your favorite snack and a friend. There will be preaching, praying, much singing, good food and good fellowship. Services January 1 and 2 will begin at 7 PM and Services on January 3 will begin at 5 PM. Everyone is welcome. Come and set the stage for a spiritually fruitful new year.

God's Way to Fill the Basic Need of Being Special to Others

Scripture text: John 15:1-17

Everyone likes to feel special to someone. Sad, but during the holiday season many will contemplate suicide just because they have been hurt, rejected or were unable to fill this basic need. The world gives counsel and instructions on how to fill this need and people continue to end in failure because they will not put into practice some basic principles from the Word of God. The world says that one simply needs friends. The church teaches that we should rightly divide the word but most jump to the conclusion found in Proverbs 18:24. If one had been careful, he would have also read Proverbs 16:20, "...a whisperer seperateth chief friends." They would have also considered the dilemma of David's experience (painful it was) Ps 41:9, "Mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."

The conclusion one usually draws then is to eliminate the number of friends and have only a few close friends. We need only look at a group of teenage girls to know how this will end. It is not long and attitudes of possessiveness develop. According to I Corinthians 13:5, genuine love is not possessive.

Marriage is the answer. It is the adding of the ultimate friend. How many young men and women have drawn this conclusion only to find heartache years later? If they had only looked into the divorce statistics and received the instruction of those over them in the Lord. Surely, they would have waited to find God's plan for their life rather than jumping into marriage with the wrong expectations.

Insecurity is the only monster being fed if we are looking to others to fulfill our basic need to feel special.

So, what is God's plan? He knows we have this basic need. How will we feed this hunger? What purpose do we have in this life? Did God send us to go and make friends? NO, God has called us to make disciples!

Disciples sometimes leave. They even left Christ. He asked Peter, "Will you go also?" in John 6:67. Peter answered, "thou hast the words of eternal life". What we share with a disciple is the truth of God's word. We do not make disciples of ourselves but of Christ. If a disciple leaves, it is sad but have not rejected us as an individual. They have rejected Christ. Demus left to follow the pleasures of this world in II Tim. 4:10. It is a sad thing for a disciple to decide to follow the world but it is their choice to make. We experience personal pain and rejection when we lose a friend. It hurts, whereas, a disciple that leaves must answer to God alone. We are not to take up an offence on behalf of Christ. He teaches us that his yoke is easy and his burden is light. He will not put more on us than we can bear.

Discipleship is based on love and giving. It is not easy to make a disciple of a friend because they often become offended at instruction. However, it is easy to make a friend of a true disciple.

If our focus is on making friends, we will probably not make any disciples or have any lasting friendships. I know this to be true due to personal experience. The prodigal son was a slow learner but he finally figured it out also. The world loves you and is your best friend as long as there is something they want from you that you have or they think you have. Once they use you up or figure out that you do not possess what they thought you had in the first place (whether it is influence, position, your support or vote, approval, physical things, money, or a need to use you for appearances sake) then they are gone and you are axed.

If we focus on God's plan of making disciples then we will be blessed with lasting friendships. I also know this to be true. God has blessed our ministry with individuals that we have helped lead to Christ and to His Church. We have been blessed to have the opportunity to minister to their needs during their spiritual growing years and have in turn found lasting friendships that are not based on how often we have the opportunity to be in each other's presence or any other desire to obtain from one another. We have an appreciation of one another and glad when opportunity allows us to be together. A true friend is not one that you whisper secrets to about neighbors, but is one with whom you may share the truth of God's Word. If you read John 15, you already saw that, in this our joy is able to be FULL.

The disciples that stayed with Jesus filled Jerusalem with God's teachings. The disciples that stayed with Paul are known as a little group that "turned the world upside down" (Acts 5:28; 17:6).

In the Book of II Samuel chapter 18 there is a story of a runner who wanted to run. A different runner was sent with the true message. The runner with much excitement to run wanted to run so much that he was finally told to go. He was so excited that he passed the runner with the message and made it to King David first. Read the account and notice what affect he had. Kind David's response included, stand over there. The runner with the true message came along and how was King David affected? The scripture says he was "moved". If we want to see others "moved", maybe we should see if we ran with zeal alone or if we ran with the truth of the message. (A partial truth can be dangerous and can be considered a lie).

Zeal was not the problem. We need more of it in the Body of Christ. The word of God declares in Isaiah chapter 9, "the zeal of the Lord of Host will perform it". Once again, if we rightly divide we will discover that we are admonished to learn that we need knowledge of the Word of God coupled with zeal (Romans 10). Several places in scripture encourage us to be zealous. We need a "GO YE" spirit and motivation but we also need the knowledge of the Word of God if we are going to expect a response that brings a "MOVING" experience. There is a song that goes like this: You gotta move, you gotta move, you gotta move, you gotta move. When the Lord gets ready, you gotta move.

If we are going to find fulfillment of the basic need to feel special to someone (God's way) then we must combine the two elements of the "Go ye" and "Teach" together. Be prepared for the long haul because making disciples is much like raising children. It takes time and effort. You cannot drop them like hot potatoes. The result is worth all the effort. You not only make a disciple for Christ but a true friend to make the journey more pleasant and rewarding.

John 15:11 "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."

John 15:15 "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you."

WMB Announcements and Service

WMB Service occurs on the Wednesday evening before 2nd Sunday each month at the local church in Bald Knob, Arkansas. We began with a Newsroom setting and skit.

Sports Reporter, Oletta Noble

Foreign Correspondent, Angela Pierce

Weather Lady, Luella Meredith

Anchor, Debbie Wantulok

Field Correspondent, Cheryl Andras

Camera crew for KWMB was Jessica Heitman and the gleaner girls

Sister Betty Bell played piano for the service and Sister Angela Pierce led singing (Sister Jessica Heitman will serve as our WMB Song Leader but she had been to the dentist that day). Sister Oletta Noble served as our Lady Usher for the evening.

Our Foreign Correspondent brought us news from The Church of God website concerning events from the Mission Fields and boosted prayer for the feature Countries this month. Sports reported that Christians are tired of playing games and Weather reported that although skies are currently clear, storm clouds are gathering like the Bible said. Brother and Sister Meredith then sang, It Wasn't Raining When Noah Built the Ark. Our Field Reporter brought us the following breaking news:

Terrorist Groups Operating in Churches

Latest news reports are that five terrorist cell groups have been operating in many of our churches. They have been identified as: Bin Sleepin, Bin Arguin, Bin Fightin, Bin Complainin, and Bin Missin. Their leader, Osama Bin Lucifer, trained these groups to destroy the Body of Christ. The plan is to come into the church disguised as Christians and to work within the church to discourage, disrupt, and destroy.

However, there have been reports of a sixth group. A tiny cell known by the name Bin Prayin is actually the only effective counter terrorism force in the church. Unlike other terrorist cells, the Bin Prayin team does not blend in with whoever and whatever comes along.

Bin Prayin does whatever is needed to uplift and encourage the Body of Christ. We have noticed that the Bin Prayin cell group has different Characteristics than the others. They have Bin Watchin, Bin Waitin, Bin Fastin, and Bin Longin for their Master, Jesus Christ to return.

Which cell group do you belong to?

And guess what, no church is exempt. However, you can spot them if you "bin lookin." Bin Prayin?

Now, then you better get busy, cuz our country needs all the prayers you can pack in a day, not just when you are in church.

I "bin lookin"

You "bin prayin"?

Anchor news reports included the development of a WMB Prayer Chain. What a wonderful blessing this will be to the local church. A streamline group of ladies will begin a chain reaction of special effective prayer on behalf of a need within moments of activation. If you have a special need and would like to activate the local prayer chain simple call 501-279-3797 and make your request known. This prayer cell is on 24 active duty. Bin Prayin is active at Bald Knob, AR.

We were also encouraged to save and/or collect Quarters for Missions each month in an effort to boost our regular WMB offerings. Brother Pastor found 2 quarters in a parking lot before he made it home from church that very evening. God hears and provides. If you have Quarters that you would like to donate or if a friend of yours doesn't like to keep change in his pockets ask if they would donate their Quarters to the WMB Mission offering. If you have quarters you have to spend remember to pray fro missions every time you see a Quarter this year.

Sister Cindi Dixon is going to be at church in the near future to boost a Christmas Dorcas Project. We are currently awaiting further instructions. However, she has requested that we all bring baskets (about the size of an Easter Basket) and items to fill baskets to give to others this Christmas. Suggestions of items to fill baskets are: Fruit, Candles, Tracts, Hand Towels, Potholders, Figurines, Lotions, gloves, etc. What is in your basket? We will hear more about the Christmas Baskets and have pictures of this project soon.

The next post will include the basic lesson from the December 09 WMB Service.