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Friends-
God is present in every moment. It is up to us to learn how to engage with him. Of course, it is easier in silence and solitude, at least once we begin to seek him. There we hear his whispers. There we feel the tugs on our hearts. There we see, even if dimly, the wonders of who he is. But he is just as present in every other moment. If we learn to pay attention, he presents himself to us in many ways: the laughter of a child; the tears of a friend; an act of kindness; a deep longing. What a joy to find to find him in the middle of our mess! May we learn to keep our eyes, ears, heart, and mind fixed on him. He longs for- and offers- a deep, loving relationship with each of us. I know I want that. How about you? Have a great month! Gary Calendar Wednesdays - Every Wednesday Bible Study - 7 PM - via Zoom Thursdays - 5/4 - Church Board Meeting - 7 PM - via Zoom Sundays - Every Sunday - Worship Service - 10:30 am in person and via Zoom 5/7 - Communion Sunday Every Sunday - 9 am - Book Study - Church Basement - Studying Six Hours One Friday. Contact Gary at bridmin@aol.com for Zoom links Other News - Communion - We will be having communion on Sunday, May 7. If you are on Zoom, please have your own elements ready. Directory Updates - Last call for directory updates. Please let us know of any changes or if you want to be included. There is a notebook at the church to leave your information or email it to Gary. Upper Room Devotionals - The May/June Upper Room Devotionals are now out in the church. Be sure to pick one up. Holy Week - Thank you to Judy Murphy for providing the beautiful Easter lilies and Hydrangea plant for the sanctuary. Thank you to everyone who provided food for our Maunday Thursday dinner. It was delicious as usual. Church Clean up - A special thanks to all who came out and cleaned the church on April 22. There was a good size crew this year. So thank you! Looking Ahead - Bed Project - The Argyle church is once again asking if we want to participate in their bed-building project. We have helped several times in the past. We can participate by actually going and building twin beds on Saturday, June 10 at 9 am in the church parking lot. We can also participate by donating new twin bed sheets, twin pillowcases, twin-sized blankets, pillows, and/ or money. If you want to donate bedding but can't make it to the build, bring the bedding or money to our church and someone will get it over there. The rain site is the Paulson Agriculture Museum, south of the church. Baby Shower - We are looking forward to welcoming a new baby into the church. Ryland and Olivia Green are expecting this summer. Judy Murphy would like to invite all the women in the church to a baby shower on Saturday, June 24. More details will be in the June newsletter. Get it on your calendars now! 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 bridmin@aol.com 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! |
AuthorGary Schwerin, pastor Archives
May 2023
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