Blessings to you all,

The service for this Sunday will focus on Genesis 9:8-17 and Matthew 4:1-11 with a message entitled:  “Signs.”  We will celebrate our life together through Communion and Fellowship.

Following Coffee Hour we will offer the first of a series entitled:  “Living the Questions.”  This is a DVD based program.  I will have hard copies available on Sunday morning.  We will plan to meet from 11:30-12:30

We will offer this session again on Monday  7 – 8 in the evening for those who may not be able to attend the Sunday Session.

I will also have information concerning the Couples Retreat in May — May 1,2 and 3 which will be held at Bishop Booth Conference Center in Burlington.  We have reserved enough rooms for 15 couples.  Info sheets are in your mailboxes.

God’s Blessings To You All,

Gary

Blessings to you all as we look forward to LENT,

Traditionally churches offer Lenten programs which provide new opportunities to reflect upon our faith and our lives.  This year we are offering a program entitled “Living the Question.”  The program invites us to do a bit (maybe 5 pages) of prereading before watching a 20 minute DVD followed by some time for discussion.  It is USER FRIENDLY.

At the core of this program is the underlying belief that “Faith is not a destination but a journey.”  The program is rooted in Progressive Christianity” therefore if your faith understandings are working well for you, if you tend toward certainties and wish not to have your theological assumptions and positions questioned or challenged, then my strong recommendation is that you not participate in this program.   But — if you “long for a safe environment where you have permission to ask questions you have always wanted to ask but have been afraid to voice for fear of being thought a heretic, this might be a wonderful opportunity to share in the journey.

There are total of 21 sessions and we will include 6 of them during this Lenten study:  The titles of the sessions are:  “An Invitation to Journey”  “Taking the Bible Seriously” “Thinking Theologically” “Stories of Creation” “Lives of Jesus” and “A Passion for Christ: Paul.”

For more information you can check out the web site — GOOGLE  “Living the Questions 2.”

Here is the deal —
I would like to meet for an hour with some flexibility if discussions seem to extend beyond that.

There are three options for time and depending upon your response we can decide which one or ones work best.

Sunday right after coffee hour — let’s say 11:30 – 12:30 — we can sip on coffee and have a late lunch at home

Monday evenings — 7 – 8 (unless 6:30 – 7:30 works better)
Wednesday evenings — 7 – 8 (unless 6:30 – 7:30 works better)

The plan will be to meet weekly in the Fellowship Hall through Lent and then determine what happens next.

Each session can be viewed independently so one need not commit to all sessions.

If you can respond by Thursday of this week, we can decide the best alternative(s) for the program.

Faithfully,

Gary

Blessings to you all,

It came as quite a shock to learn of Hank Ransford’s sudden death this week.  Please hold Betty in prayer.  They were in Alabama for the winter.  Not sure of any plans at this time to celebrate his life.

Our worship service on Sunday morning will use the scriptures for the Transfiguration – Mark 9:2-9 and 2 Kings 2:1-12.  The sermon time will be a visual presentation of our recent trip to Guatemala as well as some reflections by members of the team.  Great service for the whole family.

Peace in Christ

Gary

Blessings All,

We are back from Guatemala — a bit tired and some of us a bit sick but getting better.  Great experience.  The high school students who were on the trip will be presenting some of their remembrances to the SEASONED ONES this Friday from 11:00 – 1:00.  If you would like to join in on the time — please come to the Fellowship Hall.  Should be fun.

This Sunday’s service will be a bit different.  There will be no Sunday School this week while we share with the congregation stories from Guatemala.  Karl Krahn will be putting together a video presentation which will be in place of a sermon.  Great opportunity for the young and more experienced alike to here the stories and sense the extended ministry of this wonderful church.  A few people from the team will share some things during the service and we will all have time to catch up at coffee hour.

It is good to be back and great that things were so well cared for.  John was and is a blessing — with crises in the church and covering for me with a couple of hospice situations.  Thank you John and Mike and everyone who plugged in.

Peace and Joy to all,

Gary