Friends-
I love spring!
I love the transition, as winter tries to hold on and cannot, and as spring, little by little moves on towards summer. I love the longer days, the flowers pushing out of the ground, the trees budding, the birds singing. I love that I don't have to bundle up so much, or on some days, not at all! What's not to love?
And yet, there is something I love more than spring, something that spring brings us every year. That something is the reminder and the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. All the glints of new life that spring brings cannot hold a candle to the new life that Jesus won for me, won for us, on that cross. And that new life can be ours every season of the year, every single day.
Jesus came to set us free from the power of death, the power of the devil, sin, death, and decay. I challenge us, as we eagerly embrace all of the newness of spring, to meditate on and embrace the new life that Jesus offers each one of us. Even spring pales compared to that. Spring is just a taste. Jesus is the full meal, the real deal.
Enjoy spring! And savor the new life Jesus offers us every single day.
I love you all!
Gary
Calendar
Sundays - Every Sunday - Worship Service - 10:30 am in person and via Zoom.
4/2 - Palm Sunday - Message based on John 12. No communion today.
- New Book Study at 9 am in the basement. See details below. Every Sunday but Easter.
4/9 - Easter Sunday
4/30 - Coin Collection Sunday
Wednesdays - Every Wednesday - Bible Study - 7 PM - via Zoom
Thursdays - 3/30 - Time of Worship, Praise, and Prayer at Bethesda Covenant Church in Rockford - 6 PM
4/13 - Church Board Meeting - 7 PM - via Zoom
4/6 - Maundy Thursday Soup Supper at 5:30 and Communion Service at 7 PM.
Saturdays - 4/22 - Spring Cleaning Day at the church. 9 am to noon.
Contact Gary at [email protected] for Zoom links
Other News -
Communion - In April communion will be celebrated only on Maundy Thursday. When we celebrate communion at the church, the elements are provided. If you are watching via Zoom, please have your own prepared if you want to participate.
New Book Study - A new book study will be starting on Sunday, April 2 at 9 am in the church basement. Everyone is welcome. We will be studying the book Six Hours One Friday by Max Ludaco. Talk to Nikki Maurice if you have questions. Books are available in the fellowship room. If we run out, we will get more. If you have the book, read the first chapter before April 2 and answer the questions for that chapter at the back of the book. We will not meet on Easter morning, but every Sunday after that.
Maundy Thursday Soup Supper and Communion Service - We will gather for a soup supper on Maundy Thursday, April 6 at 5:30 PM and head upstairs for a Communion service at 7 PM. If you would like to bring something for the meal, there is a sign-up sheet in the fellowship room. You don't have to bring something to attend the meal. This is always a beautiful time of fellowship and food and meaningful service upstairs.
Spring Cleaning Day - Celebrate Earth Day by doing some spring cleaning at our church. The board has set Saturday, April 22 for our annual cleaning day from 9 am to noon. Come even if you can't stay the whole time. Usually, there is outdoor and indoor work to be done.
Directory Updates - It is time to make an updated church directory. If your information has not changed and you want to be included, you don't need to do anything. But if your information has changed or you are new and want to be included, please write down your information in the notebook in the fellowship room. If by chance you don't want to be included let us know that as well.
Thank You to Luke Walker who played our keyboard during January and February. We so appreciated him playing while Evelyn Brefeld was out of town. Luke will continue to fill in when Evelyn is gone. We are blessed to have them both available. By the way, if you don't know either of them, be sure to make a point of going up to the keyboard and introducing yourself.
Fellowship - Whether you are visiting in the sanctuary or our in the fellowship room, it is a great way to get to know one another. There is always coffee in the fellowship room. We are happy to have a freezer full of cookies right now to pull out for Sunday mornings. If you want something other than cookies, we would love to have other foods as well. As always, just bring it on any given Sunday! Whether in the sanctuary or the fellowship room or both, just be sure to stay a few minutes and enjoy time with each other!
I love spring!
I love the transition, as winter tries to hold on and cannot, and as spring, little by little moves on towards summer. I love the longer days, the flowers pushing out of the ground, the trees budding, the birds singing. I love that I don't have to bundle up so much, or on some days, not at all! What's not to love?
And yet, there is something I love more than spring, something that spring brings us every year. That something is the reminder and the celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus. All the glints of new life that spring brings cannot hold a candle to the new life that Jesus won for me, won for us, on that cross. And that new life can be ours every season of the year, every single day.
Jesus came to set us free from the power of death, the power of the devil, sin, death, and decay. I challenge us, as we eagerly embrace all of the newness of spring, to meditate on and embrace the new life that Jesus offers each one of us. Even spring pales compared to that. Spring is just a taste. Jesus is the full meal, the real deal.
Enjoy spring! And savor the new life Jesus offers us every single day.
I love you all!
Gary
Calendar
Sundays - Every Sunday - Worship Service - 10:30 am in person and via Zoom.
4/2 - Palm Sunday - Message based on John 12. No communion today.
- New Book Study at 9 am in the basement. See details below. Every Sunday but Easter.
4/9 - Easter Sunday
4/30 - Coin Collection Sunday
Wednesdays - Every Wednesday - Bible Study - 7 PM - via Zoom
Thursdays - 3/30 - Time of Worship, Praise, and Prayer at Bethesda Covenant Church in Rockford - 6 PM
4/13 - Church Board Meeting - 7 PM - via Zoom
4/6 - Maundy Thursday Soup Supper at 5:30 and Communion Service at 7 PM.
Saturdays - 4/22 - Spring Cleaning Day at the church. 9 am to noon.
Contact Gary at [email protected] for Zoom links
Other News -
Communion - In April communion will be celebrated only on Maundy Thursday. When we celebrate communion at the church, the elements are provided. If you are watching via Zoom, please have your own prepared if you want to participate.
New Book Study - A new book study will be starting on Sunday, April 2 at 9 am in the church basement. Everyone is welcome. We will be studying the book Six Hours One Friday by Max Ludaco. Talk to Nikki Maurice if you have questions. Books are available in the fellowship room. If we run out, we will get more. If you have the book, read the first chapter before April 2 and answer the questions for that chapter at the back of the book. We will not meet on Easter morning, but every Sunday after that.
Maundy Thursday Soup Supper and Communion Service - We will gather for a soup supper on Maundy Thursday, April 6 at 5:30 PM and head upstairs for a Communion service at 7 PM. If you would like to bring something for the meal, there is a sign-up sheet in the fellowship room. You don't have to bring something to attend the meal. This is always a beautiful time of fellowship and food and meaningful service upstairs.
Spring Cleaning Day - Celebrate Earth Day by doing some spring cleaning at our church. The board has set Saturday, April 22 for our annual cleaning day from 9 am to noon. Come even if you can't stay the whole time. Usually, there is outdoor and indoor work to be done.
Directory Updates - It is time to make an updated church directory. If your information has not changed and you want to be included, you don't need to do anything. But if your information has changed or you are new and want to be included, please write down your information in the notebook in the fellowship room. If by chance you don't want to be included let us know that as well.
Thank You to Luke Walker who played our keyboard during January and February. We so appreciated him playing while Evelyn Brefeld was out of town. Luke will continue to fill in when Evelyn is gone. We are blessed to have them both available. By the way, if you don't know either of them, be sure to make a point of going up to the keyboard and introducing yourself.
Fellowship - Whether you are visiting in the sanctuary or our in the fellowship room, it is a great way to get to know one another. There is always coffee in the fellowship room. We are happy to have a freezer full of cookies right now to pull out for Sunday mornings. If you want something other than cookies, we would love to have other foods as well. As always, just bring it on any given Sunday! Whether in the sanctuary or the fellowship room or both, just be sure to stay a few minutes and enjoy time with each other!
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