April 17, 2019

Here to Zehr

Be Courageous, Pastor Jerry

We were blessed to have Linda Miller, Nicole & Adam Aasen, Marcie Downing & Lisa Hanson, and Tiffany In-gles joining our church Sunday.

I look forward to sharing Jesus and the Last Supper with

you on Thursday evening at 7:30 pm. Our favorite Celloist

Liz Efroymson will bring special music that evening.

Easter is this coming Sunday. We will have five young people getting baptized in worship, come and cele-brate their new life as Christians.

Starting the Sunday after Easter, April 28th, I will be teaching our Adult class, at 9:15 am, exploring the theme “Whatever Happened to the 12 Disciples of Jesus.” I hope you can join us.

I want to share this poem by Ann Weems as we prepare for Easter.

COME TO THE EASTER PARTY

I think on Easter morning we should throw confetti in church!

No?

What about a little fanfare?

A deafening drum roll?

A three-minute standing ovation?

What? Have we had the drums beaten out of us

That we in the celebrative community can’t really

Get excited

About God’s aliveness?

About God’s love given to us unconditionally?

Adam, Nicole, and Madeline Aasen

Linda Miller

Lisa Hanson & Marcie Downing Tiffany Ingles

Have we given Easter to the lily bearers, the bunny rabbits, the patent leather shoes?

Let’s face it:

We live as though we don’t believe in Easter.

We’re the crowd—

Easily swayed,

Easily scared,

Easily calling for blood.

We’re the good church people

Who can’t believe Jesus meant love one another—

Not all the one anothers,

Not drug addicts and criminals.

We have injustice when it’s injustice toward us;

We love mercy when it’s mercy for us;

We walk humbly with our God when its convenient.

We’re Babe Believers who resist the resurrection;

We’re Christmas Christians who are very good at

Celebrating Christ’s birth.

We can cling to the Babe.

We’re even Crucifixion Christians,

Agonizing, sympathizing,

Relating to the Hero of the Cross.

We can rock a Baby;

We can weep for a Dead Man;

But what can we do with a 33-year old who won’t let the story end?

Easter scares us

Because we’re the good people who can’t believe

That God gives us abundant Life;

We think we have to earn it.

In our pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps society

It’s hard to remember that God doesn’t buy the self-made man.

So we in the church spend our lives showing God

What good people we are,

What achievers we are,

How much we deserve God’s love.

We want to pay our own way,

But Easter says it’s already been paid!

Easter says, no matter how prodigal,

We can go home again!

So come to the Easter party!

Let’s celebrate that amazing grace

That in Christ’s resurrection

We are still loved even at our most outrageous.

The Lord has given us the music;

All we need do is dance it!

Come to the Easter party!

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17 - 4 p.m. - IHC

THURSDAY, APRIL 18

MAUNDY THURSDAY

10 a.m. - Bible Study

4 p.m. - IHC

7:30 p.m. - Maundy Thursday Service

SATURDAY, APRIL 20

9 a.m. - Elders brunch with youth

SUNDAY, APRIL 21

EASTER SUNDAY

8:30 a.m. - Meditative Chapel Service

9:15 a.m. - Sunday School

10:30 a.m. - Blended Worship Service

Following Service: Fellowship Time

2 p.m.- St. Thomas Mar Thoma Service

MONDAY, APRIL 22

6:30 p.m. - PAL

7 p.m. - Girl Scouts 906

TUESDAY, APRIL 23

11:30 a.m. - The Lunch Bunch

6 p.m. - IHC

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24

9:30 a.m. - Home Touch Ministry

1 p.m. - Crafter’s Group

4 p.m. - IHC

7:30 p.m. - Choir

The Lunch Bunch - Tuesday, April 23rd

On Tuesday, April 23rd at 11:30 a.m. bring a dish to share and join us to enjoy great food, fun and fellowship at The Lunch Bunch.

Elders: Myrna Dowden, Mark Carfagna

Deacons: Sheryl Phillips, Holly Coleman, Amanda Wray, Jeremy Wray

Scripture Reader: Kristin Miller

Greeter: Lois Dyball

Nursery: Maleesa Williams/Amanda Wray

Worship & Wonder, Sunday School:

Blanche Wright & Nancy Crume

Serving this Sunday

April 21, 2019

Upcoming Outreach Event - April 28th

Kristin Miller will hit the road (or skies) in June to participate in our re-gion’s program People to People! They will be traveling to southern Mexico. The Outreach Team will help financially, and you can help by joining us for a meatball sandwich lunch hosted by Monica and the rest of the Outreach team on April 28th!

HELP NEEDED . . . April 22, 23, 25, 26

It's almost time for the Trash2Treasure sale and expectation for anoth-er successful sale is high. We need to get a list of people who are willing

to help put everything together. Work will be done on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (morning or afternoon) before the sale on Saturday. Monday will be putting tables out and getting them arranged as well as begin-ning the sorting process. Sorting will continue the other days.

It isn't hard work, but with many hands we can accomplish great things. Joan Bubna (317.428.7385) will gladly take your name and availability. If you can help with the sorting process or can work on SATURDAY dur-ing the sale (two shifts between 8:45 am and 1:30 pm), please give Joan a call.

Trash2Treasure Sale

Come join the fun at Paint n' Preview on Friday, April 26, the night be-fore our Trash2Treasure sale. There are a few spots left and

will be a fun time. You don't have to be proficient at

painting, just wanting to have a good time. We'll be

painting a picture of a cross and it's pretty easy.

Wine, soft drinks and snacks will be provided. It's only

$25 per person ($5 for expenses/$20 to the church).

And, you get to shop early. There is already a lot

to choose from, with lots more to come before that night. Sign-up forms will be available on Sunday.

A Few Spots Left - Friday April 26th

Thank you to everyone for the phone calls, cards and prayers. Thank you to Pastor Jerry for the visit. I am living by his words when he said, “This too shall pass.”

- Chris Burchfield

Note of Gratitude

Special offering

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.” —John 15:5 NRSV

As Disciples, we all benefit from the fruit, the gifts, of our general ministries. These fruits are made possible only through the connections and support that grow in collaboration with our regions and congregations. This Easter, let us reflect on the transformative ways that we have been impacted by those ministries, and by the fruits of our shared work.

Disciples Women provides fruits like Bible studies, international journeys, and educational materials, to support and empower Disciples women everywhere, who, because of those gifts, can grow and spread the Gospel message.

So too can the Disciples who thrive in partnership with the National Benevolent Association, like young adult XPLOR Residents and health and social service leaders launching and sustaining ministries in their own communities and contexts.

Disciples Home Missions’ fruitful branches include Disciples chaplains offering the touch of Christ beyond the Church walls, Refugee and Immigration Ministries offering refugee resettlement and advocacy for im-migrants, and Disciples Volunteering connecting with local mission destinations.

Our general ministries abide in each other and in our shared call, by working closely with partners across the United States and Canada, and beyond. Global Ministries collaborates with community organizations around the world, and the Council on Christian Unity cooperates with ecumenical bodies to further the message of Christ’s unending love. Our general ministries provide other critical resources to Disciples congregations, like stewardship campaign materials, loans and financial services, and space for community building around shared values and traditions. Our ministries can bear these fruits because of our shared root system. We are rooted in Christ. As one branch of our vine grows, we can share more fruit with more people, from our door-steps to the ends of the earth. This Holy Week let us give of our own fruits to tend to the whole. Our minis-tries grow through your tending, nurturing, and caring. Your gifts to the Easter offering can transform our shared work.

Special offering envelopes will be available this Sunday.

Quarterly Giving Statements

Your giving statements for July 1, 2018—March 31, 2019 are being emailed today. If you do not have an email address on file with the church your statement will be mailed.

This statement covers three quarters of the fiscal year. If there is an error on your statement or you have a question please contact Lois Dyball, our financial secretary, at 317-600-7106 or the church office at 317-846-5033.

Please remember these folks and their families in your prayers.

Prayer Concerns

Judy Gest, as she undergoes surgery

Chris Burchfield, as she recovers from surgery

Martha Ellis and Family, on the passing of Fred Ellis

The family and friends of Wally Mendel

Larry Jackson, Myrna Dowden’s brother

Khloe Hilton

George Beck

Cindy Wondra

Diane Neely, as she continues her chemo treatment

Message from Pastor Blanche

When I was a kid the song, “Here comes Peter Cottontail!” got me completely excited about the Easter sea-son. The animated lyrics always put me in a happy and joyful mood:

Here comes Peter Cottontail!” Hoppin' down the bunny trail Hippity hoppin', Easter's on its way!

Bringin' every girl and boy Baskets full of Easter joy Things to make your Easter bright and gay

Try to do the things you should Maybe if you're extra good He'll roll lots of Easter eggs your way’s

Some of us know that whether you are naughty, or nice, you can receive Jesus who is the Rock of our Salva-tion! Jesus will be there for you, if you call on Him and ask for His forgiveness, so you can have your Easter eggs. Easter is also called the Resurrection Sunday. Jesus was raised from the dead. If you feel dead you must call on the name of Jesus! He is only one who can help you get out of that dead bed to receive your Easter eggs of joy. The Easter eggs represent all the blessings God has for you. Let us not forget the real meaning of Easter. If Jesus can get up, so can we! Love lifted Him and His love for you will lift you too! Remember the song “Love lifted me” Now that is the song that truly gets me excited about Jesus!

The Love for Kids,

Pastor Blanche