22 February 2019 – Advent Announcements

Church Potluck: Plan to brighten a cold February day by attending the Fellowship Potluck Lunch after the church service this Sunday, February 24. See you there! Questions? Contact Lois Durr or Maryanne Warne.

Preparing for Worship, by Max Lucado: Do you prepare for church worship? We’re sadly casual when it comes to meeting God. Suppose you were invited to a Sunday morning breakfast at the White House? How would you spend Saturday night? Would you think about your questions and requests? Should we prepare any less for an encounter with the Holy God? Come to worship prepared to worship. Pray and read the Word before you come, and come expecting God to speak. Then you’ll discover the purpose of worship—to change the face of the worshiper. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18 “Our faces, then are not covered. We all show the Lord’s glory, and we are being changed to be like him.” God wipes away our tears, softens our furrowed brows and touches our cheeks. He changes our faces as we worship.

Thank you to our card makers: Thank you to the children who shared cards they made on February 10! Most of the cards have been mailed to members with “thinking of you” or “get well” messages. Each card included a note that it had been made by a child at Advent and listed the maker’s name. You have brightened someone’s day!

Sunday Adult Bible Study: We are studying “The Unexplained Miracles, Mysteries and More.” This week we will be addressing near-death experiences. Please join us for this Bible series and get understanding of some mysteries of life from God’s perspective. Leaders: Feb. 24 – Bob Serpas, Mar. 3 – Pastor Scott, Mar. 10 – Joe Schradie, Mar. 17 – Pastor Scott, Mar. 24 – Dave Neely, Mar. 31 – Pastor Scott.

Lenten and Easter Services: “Behold the man!” was Pontius Pilate’s short, yet most profound, sermon. Our endeavor this Lententide and Easter Sunday is to behold the man, God in human flesh, Jesus. He knew all that real bodies experience; He suffered, wept, bled, ate, and hoped. He lived this physical life in order to be nailed to a cross. So we are truly preparing for the celebration of His real, bodily, flesh-and-blood resurrection. Without that, our faith and our preaching are all in vain. Behold the man, who has led the way for us through death to our own physical resurrection! Please join us this Lenten and Easter season as we “Behold the Man.”

Ash Wednesday: March 6, 7:00 p.m. – A God Who Hungers

Lent Wednesdays: Light Supper at 6:15 p.m., Worship Service at 7:00 p.m.

March 13 – A God Who Prays
March 20– A God Beaten
March 27 – A God Exposed
April 3– A God with a Mother
April 10– A God Who Thirsts

Holy Week

Maundy Thursday, April 18, 7:00 p.m. – A God Who Loves
Good Friday, April 19, 7:00 p.m. – A God Who Bleeds, a God Who Dies
Easter Sunday, April 21, 10:30 a.m. – A God Who Rises

Readings for Sunday, February 24, The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany: For those who wish to prepare for Sunday’s lessons, please read Gen. 45:3–15, Psalm 103:1–13, 1 Cor. 15:21–26, 30-42, Luke 6:27–38