February 2020

March 2020

Monument Family,

Greetings! The month of March “comes in a like a lion and goes out like a lamb,” is filled with “madness” (think basketball), and it contains a holiday that is celebrated by wearing “green.”

St. Patrick’s Day is more than a celebration of shamrocks, green rivers and green beer, and the “luck of the Irish,” it’s an opportunity to get a “glimpse of God” at work in and through a saint named Patrick. Patrick’s life and ministry are recorded in the pages of church history. Patrick (389-461 AD) was taken to Ireland by pirates when he was sixteen years old where he was purchased by a farmer who put him to work tending sheep. At the age of twenty-two he returned to his homeland, only to go back to land of his captivity to proclaim the gospel as a slave of Christ. Patrick ministered among the Celts of Ireland for twenty-nine years, despite great opposition from druid priests, and during his ministry he organized several monasteries. Patrick’s life of ministry is best commemorated by a prayer of protection that tradition says was written on his breastplate. Here’s a portion of that prayer…

"Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.”

God did a good work in and through Patrick and he’s doing a good work in and through us. May we share Patrick’s resolve to have Jesus manifested in and through every aspect of our lives. May we remain steadfast in our commitment to Jesus and our proclamation of Him in our lives. I’m excited about another month of ministry as a church family. Please take a few minutes to read this month’s newsletter which highlights how God is at work in and through us as a church family. I love you…serve Him well!

In Christ,
Pastor Jeff

Ladies Night Out (LNO)
Monday, March 9th, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
Ladies, mark your calendars! You won’t want to miss out on this night of fellowship and fun with other women! Plus, enjoy listening to our very own Erin Mazza as she shares with us about ‘Life Down On The Farm." We hope to see you there!

LADIES, travel with us to Fort Collins on June 27, 2020, to attend "Going Beyond Live" with Priscilla Shirer! Hear practical, biblical teaching and receive spiritual refreshment. We will leave from the church on Saturday morning and return home that night.

The cost for the group rate is $65/person. Please pay Deanna Funk or the church office by April 1st in order to get this rate. After April 1st, tickets are $75. Please let Deanna know if you are interested in attending. You may call or text her at 308.672.1724 or email to dfunk63@hotmail.com.

Do you desire to be baptized this Easter?

Join us as we celebrate Jesus’ victory over death and the hope of life we have in Him on Easter Sunday, April 12th. We would like to include baptisms as a part of our celebration! Baptism is a public declaration of one’s faith in Jesus and new life in Him. Are you a believer in Jesus who desires to be baptized this Easter? Baptism packets are available in the church office and must be returned by Sunday, April 5th. If you have any questions, please visit with Pastor Jeff (641-745-0712).

STARTING POINT
Visitors and Newcomers are invited to our next STARTING POINT gathering where you will learn more about Monument Bible Church and connect with Pastor Jeff and a few others in our church family. Our time together will be casual and relaxed, so please join us for some sweet treats & the opportunity to discover more about our church!

WHERE: The Banks Home,
1900 Davis, Gering
WHEN: Wednesday, April 1st
TIME: 6:30—7:30ish p.m.
BRING: Yourself! Kids are welcome, or you may choose to have them try out our AWANA program (Sept—April) at the church during this time.
PLEASE RSVP:
Church Office (308-632-4099)
OR Jeff & Dana Banks (641-745-0711)

Children's Church Ministry
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

Children's church ministers to kids ages 2-5 during our Sunday morning worship service. The children are divided into two groups, 2-3's and 4-5's. Our greatest need is volunteers for the younger age group. By serving in this ministry, you have the opportunity to be used by God in a special way, as you impart His truth and love into the lives of these little ones!
As a volunteer, you will be put on a rotating schedule with a group of other adults who love kids, too! Simple, easy to use lessons are provided. Would you be willing to commit to helping 4-8 Sundays each year? For questions and information, please visit with Children's team leader, Desarae Hascall (308-279-0011).

Men's Pick-up
Basketball

Thursday Nights
7:00-8:30 p.m.
Men, join us for some hoops! We're having men’s (16 yrs and up) pick-up basketball games in the Monument gym on Thursday nights this month from 7-8:30 pm. We’ll divide up teams each week based on the number of guys who show up. Contact Matt Hausman if you have any questions at 308-672-9485.

IGNITE Youth
7th-12th Grade

Sunday, March 15th
3:00-5:30 p.m.

Students entering grades 7th-12th are invited to attend IGNITE Youth that meets the 3rd Sunday of every month from 3:00-5:30 p.m.! Not only will you be challenged to grow in your faith and connect with one another, you will have a blast doing it! At IGNITE, you can enjoy FUN games, make NEW friends, and meet leaders who CARE about you!

A note from Pastor Jeff and Dana

Hello church family! We need your help! As you can see in the announcements above, we are inviting visitors and newcomers to our house for an evening, so that we can get to know them and they can learn more about the church. We are calling it "Starting Point" and these gatherings will be on the first Wednesdays of each month at our home. We had our first one last night, and it went great! We had 4 newcomers attend. Moving forward, as you greet people on Sunday mornings and discover they are visiting or new, will you help us spread the word by mentioning "Starting Point" to them? If they seem interested, there are invitations on the welcome center you can give them that provide more information. Another way to help us connect with visitors is mentioning the the connect card that is in the bulletin. We try to send a welcome letter to each visitor, but are only able to do this if we have their address. Thanks for helping us in this process. We hear over and over again, that one of the reasons people are attracted to our church is because of the warm and welcoming atmosphere. Thank you so much for showing the love of Jesus to the people that walk through our doors!

Ladies, join us as we celebrate the bride-to-be, Kaila Buller, this Saturday from 1:00-3:00 p.m. at Monument. Kaila is marrying Chad Stauffer, both whom attend Monument! Help us stock their pantry, by bringing your favorite recipe and the ingredients. Or, Kaila is registered at Target, if you would like to bring a gift. Baked potato bar and light refreshments will be served! Please RSVP to Sarah Reagan 231-942-1587, so she can be ready for everyone!

Sunday Meals for College/Career Age

We are needing just 4 more Sundays filled in March and April! Would you be interested in serving our college/career age students by providing a meal for them after church, once or twice this semester? Typically, there will be 4-5 students. You can prepare and serve it at the church, take them out, or have them in your home. If you are led to serve and support our young adults in this way, please sign up online at bit.ly/2slQoEe or there will be a sign up posted by the church kitchen door.