New Life, New Hope: Seeing the power of Christ in the beauty of spring
In this issue:
- Letter from the pastor.
- Holy Week Events
- Events and workshops in April.
- Meet our 2023 confirmands
- New worship styles for Early Traditional Service.
- News, updates, and more!
APRIL IS A MONTH OF NEW LIFE AND THE HOPE OF SPRING. In this season of new beginnings, we celebrate the growth and transformation within our church community. We have seen new faces in worship, new volunteers in service, and new ministries in formation to meet the needs of our congregation and community.
I want to express my gratitude to you for your continued support and dedication. Your prayers, generosity, and service are the fertilizer God uses to help our church grow and bear fruit for its community.
Spring is significant for us as Christians, as the time we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. The resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith, through which we receive new life and hope for new possibilities in our relationship with our Heavenly Father. As we celebrate Easter and Christ’s victory over the grave, we remember the gravity of the sacrifice His victory required.
As we move toward the cross and the empty tomb, let us remain steadfast in our faith and commitment to spreading the love and message of Christ to those around us. Let us be “Easter people,” who live every day as a new opportunity for hope and new life.
May the resurrection power of our Lord Jesus Christ fill you with joy, hope, and peace this Easter season.
Blessings,
David Averill
Holy Week Events
Created New: Preschooler & Family Fun Night
April 5, 7-8pm. Parents and their preschool children are invited to celebrate Easter with us. (Worship Arts will still take place as normal.)
Maundy Thursday: Remember the Last Supper|
April 6, 7pm. Drama and communion service.
Good Friday: The Shadow of the Cross
April 7, 7pm. A traditional Tenebrae service
Easter Sunday: Sunrise Service
April 9, 6:30am. Welcome the Risen Son with the rising sun out on the church lawn. Please bring your own chair.
On the Calendar
Creation Care Day
Saturday, April 15, 9:30-11am. Our church will host a morning of inspiration focused on God’s desire for us to steward creation wisely. You will learn the seven steps to starting a creation care ministry, as well as strategies to build a greener church. Sign up to attend in person or via Zoom »
Dress a Girl in the World Meeting & Sewing Session
Tuesday, April 11 & 25, 10am-12pm. Dress a Girl in the World makes dresses for girls in developing countries. They will be here for two weeks to make dresses and invite anyone who is interested in sewing to join them.
Free Fitness Workshop
Tuesday, April 18, 10am. Wallace Fitness will offer a free workshop in Sanctuary Hall, focusing on fitness after 60. All levels of fitness and ages are welcome to attend.
Lake Cares Food Distribution
Friday, April 21, 7:30-9am, Martin Luther King Center. Our mobile distribution site needs volunteers to bag groceries, stand at a table to distribute groceries, and pull a wagon to help clients to their vehicles.
VBS Lunch & Plan
Sunday, April 23, 12:15pm, Sanctuary Hall. If you are interested in helping plan the itinerary for our 2023 Vacation Bible School, “Hero Hotline,” sign up for this lunch and planning session. To RSVP, contact Janet Westlake.
United Women in Faith Meeting
Tuesday, April 25, 1pm, Friendship Hall. All women are welcome. Please bring personal care items for a donation campaign benefitting The Haven Women’s Shelter!
Widowed Support Group
Thursday, April 27, 9:30am, Chapel. Those who have lost a spouse come together to support one another on the journey of grief.
Prepare Wisely: Estate Strategy Essentials
Thursday, April 27, 11am-1pm. This free Estate Planning workshop will help you explore your assets, understand your beneficiaries, and gain tools to help put your plans into action. To reserve a space, please call 352-383-8001 or email tessa.treu-quirindongo@thrivent.com
Meet our 2023 confirmands!
From Left: Rev. David Averill, Evelyn Fiorentino, Chelsea Lawson, Blayre Harman, Channing Bland, Pierce Rhodes, Kennedy Harman, Hannah McMahan (youth director), McKenleigh Blakeley
Offering Boxes are Back!
By popular demand, offering boxes have returned to the sanctuary entrances, allowing our members and visitors to give joyfully at their discretion.
Our previous boxes, made by Art Duser, were beautiful, but we found they could not serve as a long-term solution. In their place are three new boxes built by Richard Thomas, a family friend of the Averills. Woodworking is a ministry for Richard, who donated his time, talents, and materials.
Thank you, Art and Richard, for sharing your gifts with the Lord!
A.C.T.S. of Worship coming to the Early Traditional Service
April 16-May 28. During the season of Eastertide (Easter through Pentecost), we will be incorporating a new worship experience called Adventure Contemporary Traditional Spirit-filled (ACTS) worship into the 8am service.
Each week, this service will observe Holy Communion. It will be served in a continuous flow by manner of intinction (receiving a piece of bread from a common loaf and dipping it into a common cup), with both grape juice and Biblical wine available in the cup. There will also be a weekly Rite of Anointing with oil during this time, to encourage prayer at the communion rail.
ACTS worship will challenge us to worship in new ways, allowing God to call us out from a place of mundane comfort to a place where we can encounter the Spirit of the Living God.
