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Friends-
Some say April 1 is National Atheists Day because Psalm 14 says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1). Maybe I used to say that, too. But now it seems unkind and, ironically, unwise. After all, Jesus himself said, “… whoever says ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Mathew 5:22). Maybe it would be better to simply focus on what is wise. The Bible makes a great deal of the value of wisdom. We could all use more. I believe God is the source of all true wisdom, so it would only be wise to spend as much time as possible learning from him. We do that by reading his word, by spending time alone with him, by asking him questions and listening for the answers, by following the example of those who have followed him in the past, and by gathering together to worship and learn from him. There are lots of ways to grow in wisdom. Let’s make April a month to grow in wisdom. Here are some verses to get you started: Proverbs 8, James 1:5, Ephesians 5:15-17, Colossians 3:16; Proverbs 9:10-12. Have a great month! Gary Calendar Sundays - Every Sunday Worship Service - 10:30 am in person and via Zoom. 4/6 - Communion Sunday 4/13 - Palm Sunday 4/20 - Easter Egg Hunt - 9:45 am - Easter Sunday Worship Mondays - 4/7 - Ordinary Night Bible Study - 5:30 PM - topic prayer - location TBA 4/14 - Ordinary Night Potluck - 5:30 PM - Tim and Judy Murphy's home Wednesdays - Every Wednesday - Bible Study via Zoom - 7 PM Thursdays - 4/3 - Church Board Meeting via Zoom - 7 PM Saturdays - 4/26 - Spring Cleaning Day - 9 am Other News - Zoom - Contact Gary at [email protected] for the Zoom link. Ordinary Time Bible Study - This Monday night study is about finished for this year. It has been a study between Christmas and Easter on the teachings of Jesus. The last study will be on prayer on Monday, 4/7, at 5:30, location TBA. On Monday, 4/11, we will meet for fellowship and a potluck at Tim and Judy Murphy's at 5:30 PM. Maundy Thursday Soup Supper and Communion Service - 4/17 - We will gather for a soup supper and communion service on Maundy Thursday, April 17. The supper is at 5:30 and the service begins at 7 PM. If you would like to bring something for the dinner, there is a sign-up sheet in the fellowship room. Please sign up initially for one item, this allows more people to sign up. Everyone is invited, regardless if you bring something for the meal or not. We always have plenty of food. Don't miss this beautiful time of fellowship over supper and then a meaningful service with communion in the sanctuary. Easter Sunday Worship and Easter Egg Hunt - 4/20 - Join us for Easter Sunday Worship as we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. This is a great day to invite someone to church. Before the service, we have an Easter egg hunt for kids starting at 9:45. Spring Cleaning Day - 4/26 - Please plan on coming to the church on Saturday, 4/26, for the annual cleaning day. We will start at 9 am and be done around noon. There is usually work to be done inside and outside. If you can't stay the whole time, come for part of the time. Moving On - Gary and Sara Alfson have moved to St. Paul. We wish them the best as they settle into their new home. Looking Ahead - Last May, we had a South of the Border potluck. Perhaps this May we will do that again or go with a different theme! Friends-
The number 40 has significance in the Bible in a lot of ways: the Israelites walking in the wilderness for 40 years; Moses in an unintended exile for 40 years; Jesus taking 40 days in the wilderness fasting to prepare himself for his ministry. Forty days is roughly 10 percent of the year. So, if you like, you might consider 40 days as a tithe of time. And while all of our time and all of our goods are God's, he gives us stewardship over them. To offer him a tithe of our income is to say to God: "I know this is yours anyway, but I give it back to you to remind myself of that." To give God a tithe of your time is similar. In Lent, we carve off an approximate tithe of our time(40 days) to remind ourselves that all of our days are gifts to us, and we will do well to remember that. It also reminds us of Jesus taking his 40 days to prepare himself for ministry. Lent begins this year on March 5, Ash Wednesday. How or if you celebrate it is up to you. But I would encourage you to consider those days between March 5 and April 20 (Easter) as a tithe of our time that you offer up to God, asking him to use it to prepare you for whatever ministry he calls you to. If we do it together, if we pray for one another through this time, who knows what grace might be ours, or what honor might come to Jesus. Welcome to a season of growth! Gary Calendar Sundays - Every Sunday Worship Service - 10:30 am in person and via Zoom 3/2 - Communion Sunday 3/16 - St. Patrick's Day Potluck following worship. 3/23 - New Prayer time - following worship - around noon in the sanctuary. Mondays - Every Monday Ordinary Time Bible Study - 5:30 PM. - Various locations. 3/3 - Tim and Judy Murphy's home Wednesdays - Every Wednesday - Bible Study via Zoom - 7 PM. Thursdays - 3/6 - Church Board Meeting via Zoom - 7 PM. - Sign up for the men's breakfast by this date. RSVP to Gary. Saturdays - 3/8 - Men's Breakfast in Church Basement - 8 am - Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour tonight. Daylight Savings Time begins. Other News - Zoom - To attend online services or sessions listed above, please contact Gary at [email protected] for the Zoom link. Upper Room Devotionals - The March/April Upper Rooms are now available at the church Chili Cook-Off and Dessert Bake-Off - Thank you to everyone who helped make this day such a success. A special thanks to Kyle Zick, Karen Bieschke, Angela Green, Mike McGinnis, and Karl Steiskal for making chili. All of the chilis were great, but ultimately Kyle Zick took home the top prize for his chili. Thanks to Jill Gray and Hannah Foley for supplying us with delicious homemade desserts. Jill was declared the winner this year. Thanks to everyone who supplied other foods. ( some of you at the last minute!) We had great food and great fellowship. Ordinary Time Bible Study/Fellowship - The time between Christmas and Easter can be long. So why not come and talk about the Bible in a casual setting? Each week there is a new topic to discuss. We meet on Monday nights at 5:30 in various locations. Talk to Gary or Britni Zick if you are interested. The March topics are: the beatitudes, faith, seeking God's kingdom first, humble yourself, and temptation. Lent - Wednesday, March 5 is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Men's Breakfast - 3/8 - The men of the church are invited to come for breakfast on Saturday, March 8 at 8 am. We will gather in the church basement. Mark Gray is making Swedish pancakes. There will be other foods that need prep as well. Please let Gary know if you are coming by Thursday, March 6. Please mention if you would like to help in the kitchen. St. Patrick's Day Potluck - 3/16 - Come for our first-ever St. Patrick's Day Potluck after worship on Sunday, March 16. We will be celebrating with an Irish-themed potluck. Bring your favorite Irish food. We do have one person bringing Corned Beef, but there are so many other wonderful options! If you are looking for ideas, just google Irish food. Delish.com listed 60 ideas and PioneerWoman.com had 20 recipes. Or feel free to bring any kind of food you want. Just be sure to come. Another great chance for great food and fellowship. Prayer - 3/23 - The monthly Wednesday prayer time is being moved to Sunday, March 23, following worship. Anyone who wants to pray or be prayed for should make their way into the sanctuary around noonish after fellowship time. This new time will replace the Wednesday prayer time. Sympathies - Dave Walker's mom, Pat Walker, recently passed away. Please keep Dave, Terry, Luke, and the rest of their family in your thoughts and prayers. A service will be held for Pat on Saturday, March 15 at the Spring Creek UCC Church in Rockford at 1 PM. We also want to express our condolences to Florence Fritsch on the loss of her niece. Healing Prayers - Please keep Diane Upton in your prayers as she recovers from knee replacement surgery. Continue ongoing prayers for Kiki Marske as well. Looking Ahead - Church Cleaning Day - Most years we clean the church in April. Look for details in the April newsletter. Maundy Thursday Soup Supper and Communion Service - Thursday, April 17 is Maundy Thursday. We will plan on a communion worship service preceded by our soup supper. Watch for details in the April newsletter. Easter Sunday - Sunday, April 20 is Easter. This is a glorious day of worship. Think about who you might invite that day! |
AuthorGary Schwerin, pastor Archives
April 2025
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