17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.
2 Corinthians 5:17-20
Invite, Invite, Invite!
Are you looking for a way to invite your family and/or friends to Easter this year? It is no secret that Easter is a great time to extend an invitation to family members, friends, coworkers, or anyone else you meet to worship with you. Christmas, Easter, funerals, weddings, and baptisms are the top five occasions when people (who rarely or never go to church) are most receptive to an invitation. Signs on the front lawn of the church are good, but even better is the invitation that comes from your lips, “I would love to have you join with me in our Easter celebration this year!” And knowing that you will be there reduces some of the barriers of coming to an unfamiliar place. Faith will be a welcome place for those you invite when your friends see your smiling face in the parking lot or the narthex. So why not start thinking about it and praying to invite someone to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with us. Remember to invite them to meet you at church this Easter. If you are able, offer to sit with them (social distancing) and meet them at a specific time. This always increases the likelihood of their accepting your invitation. Let me suggest two actions to invite someone to Easter this year.
1) E- invitations – Send an E-invitation. We will send them out via email. You can attach them to an email or text to invite someone.
2) Prayer - Start thinking about and beginning to pray for those you will be inviting. Do not be surprised if the Lord of the harvest answers your prayers and they acceptyour invitation! Do not be disappointed if they do not. Remember: results are not your responsibility. Asking is! Here is a simple prayer I learned from a pastor many years ago. "Lord, lay this soul upon my heart and love that soul through me and may I gladly do my part to bring that soul to thee!"
Remember inviting people to Easter worship in celebration of Christ’s resurrection is one of those times when people are most receptive. Remember what Jesus told his disciples in Luke 14:23?
Luke 14:23 (NIV) "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.'"
Let us have a full house this year for Christ’s sake. Amen.
Note: Beginning July 29, all adults entering the school buildings will be required to wear a face mask and have a temperature check.
Social Ministry
Mission of the Month
The Mission of the Month for March, April, and May is the Red Feather Development Group, who partners with American Indian nations to develop sustainable solutions to the housing needs within their communities.
They partner with homeowners, community members and tribal partners to:
Repair and weatherize homes
Demonstrate how housing conditions impact health
Conduct home assessments
Assemble professionals, volunteers and material within the community and outside to address the most urgently needed housing needs
Today there are over 1 million tribal members residing on American Indian reservations, 40% of whom live in homes that do not meet federal standards for “adequate housing.” This compares to just 6% of the rest of the US population living in substandard housing. These conditions can exacerbate and even cause chronic health conditions, making it difficult to be productive at work or school. Not having a healthy home is a root cause of numerous problems that put a strain on community resources.
The Red Feather Weatherization program provides free, energy saving services to low-moderate income families living on the Hopi and Navajo Reservations who are Arizona Public Service customers in order to reduce their utility bills and improve the comfort and health of their homes.
Services provided under this program include:
Insulation of attic, walls, and/or floor
Repair broken windows and doors
Repair damaged drywall
Air sealing, including weather stripping and caulking
Installation of water-saving devices
LED lighting upgrades
Minor roof repair
HVAC repair or replacement
Energy-efficient appliance swap outs
JUST ONE THING
Thank you so much for the outpouring of food donations! We were able to take 75 bags of groceries to the food pantry this last week. Our JUST ONE THING for the month of March is one thing needed for a meal ... pasta, sauce, hamburger helper, taco kits, or soups. Just pick your favorite and you can't go wrong! I am truly amazed with our congregation. God's blessings to all of you!
PUBLIX
Krusteaz Pancake Mix - Buy One Get One Free (BOGO)
Mueller's Pasta - BOGO
Kellogg's and General Mills Cereal - Check signage for which size - BOGO
Jiffy Cornbread - not listed in add but has been running .50 cents a box
Idahoan Potatoes 1.5 to 4.1 oz package - BOGO
KROGER - Must have Kroger Card - specials vary using digital coupons which you add to your card, etc. Please see flyer at store
Campbells's Cream of Chicken Soup - $.75 a can if you buy 10 or combination of 10 of their items in this sale week
Ragu Pasta Sauce - 1.29 cents if you buy 10 or combination of 10 of their items in this sale week
Heinz Gravy - 2 for $3.00
WALMART
White rice - 1 lb bag - .72 cents
Small 4 roll pack of Toilet Paper - .60 cents a pack
Hunts Pasta Sauce - under a dollar a can
Jelly is always appreciated to go with the peanut butter.
Habitat for Humanity
It’s that time of the year again! With social distancing there will be fewer volunteer slots but we still need you!!! Here is a list of dates available for you to sign up. Everyone needs to bring a sack lunch as no food is provided due to COVID policy. If you have any questions, please call or email me! umphrey.colleen@gmail.com.
Sent notes of caring and prayer to comfort those in need.
Caring in the Community via Julie Buchtrup, one of my Handlers:
On 3/5/2021, our Comfort Dog Ministry made a gift card donation of $100.00 to Julie’s neighbor, whose home, autos and pets were destroyed by fire in late February
Update on planned activities:
Good News...I will be back at church “in person” at the 8:00AM and 11:00AM services.
As we have been asked back by Manor Lakes and The Oaks nursing homes to visit their residents, I will be going with Peter and one of my dedicated Ministry Partners to both facilities on the 4th Thursday of the month (3/25).
Continue to reach out to people with notes of Caring and Prayer with my Team.
Continue to go for walks with my Handlers and Team; have to get my exercise in when I can and to keep my skills in tip top shape!
Please continue to submit your requests for a Zoom visit via the following methods:
Complete the ‘Hope Comfort Dog Request’ form via this link:https://forms.gle/8oknB7haY7VLGgtE9 When a request is submitted, the information is sent directly to my organizer’s phone.
Call the church office at (770) 973-8877 to set up a visit. Janice Schaag and Susie Glass are excellent sources for getting this information to my group.
We hope to reach out to the public by sharing the "Jelly Bean Prayer", a way to witness and share the love of Christ during the Easter season.
Woof...Hope
Mar 26 - Bethany Ditzler (ECE2)
Mar 27 - Jackie Thompson
Mar 27 - Miss Chloe Lovello (KC)
Mar 28 - Louise Cox
Mar 28 - Nick Herring
Mar 30 - Lori Lambert
Mar 31 - Owen Johnson
Apr 1 - Herman Dean
Apr 1 - Jeremiah Shea
Apr 2 - Logan Brooks
Apr 4 - Norma Wilder
Apr 4 - April LaRue
Apr 4 - Emily Sinatra