MIDWEEK MESSAGE #102
Hello and welcome to Midweek Message #102! Thanks for letting me “invade” your world in this way. As I write this, it sounds like we might be able to say “Spring has sprung.” I sure am hoping so. J In any case, I hope your week has been going well for you.
My first order of business is to refer you to last week’s MM. I know you print all of them out and save them for historical significance (Ahem!), but JUST. IN. CASE. YOU. DON’T, I’d like to go over the Resurrection Sunday items and also make an important clarification. In last week’s MM here is what I said:
“For the past couple of weeks we have been announcing our Resurrection Sunday service will be at Abram Farm. For those “veterans” you already know a lot of work is needed to help get things ready. For you “newbies” here is a list of what we need to do. All of this has to be done on Sunday morning since we cannot get into Abram Farm until 7:00 due to a wedding on Saturday night.
- Thanks to Zach Hogan providing the sound for us (as he did at our celebration outside this past Fall), we are spared having to cart all our sound equipment over. But there is still a need to take equipment from here to there. We also need help unloading the equipment from his trailer and bringing it into the building.
- The biggest need will be setting up chairs and some tables and we need all the help we can get in setting them up. In the past, due to the help we have had in that particular area it has taken us about 1-1½ hours or so to set up. That also allows for us to make adjustments if needed.
- Because of a different traffic pattern entering the building we need some greeters who will show people where to enter and once inside to hand out bulletins, song sheets, and communion elements (we will be using the pre-filled ones).
- There is minimum parking available so we will need help with making sure all parking spots are filled. You may ask, “How can I help?” The biggest way is to consider parking at the church parking lot and carpool with others. This has worked well for us in the past and we anticipate it will again. Thanks for your help. {See note below please}
- Perhaps the hardest part is the tear down. I know folks are eager to leave for family things, but if we have everyone’s cooperation immediately, that makes things go quickly and also stops us from having to come back later in the day. The chairs and tables need put away, communion tubs and clipboards collected, and help with the equipment being taken back out to the trailer and vehicles for transport. I’d like to ask you to maybe consider giving an extra 10-15 minutes if possible to help with the teardown. As it has been said, “Many hands make light work.”
There is also one more item you need to be aware of. Having our service there hinders us from having any children’s programs. We can offer a place for a nursery although, unless someone or some folks want to step up, the nursery will not be staffed.” (End of MM#101 thought)
CLARIFICATION: In the past, due to the lack of space at Abram Farm, we have not had a staffed nursery. In fact, we give all our teachers and helpers the week off and tell them to enjoy the worship with their families. This year is no exception despite what it sounds like by my words. There will be a space (south end of building) for you to take your child if you feel a need to allow them to move around, to rock them to sleep, or to play. There will be no one staffing the nursery so you will be responsible for staying with your child. That will be absolutely essential since we will have no way to sign in/out your child. I do apologize if I gave anyone the idea that we would have a staffed nursery. I completely and fully agree that we have the best teachers and helpers on the planet and they deserve a week off to worship with their family.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Jim Jones would like to meet with the SAFETY TEAM this Sunday at 10:15 in the library to discuss the whole parking situation so it will work smoothly. Please make plans to be there.
NOTE: As in years past, all our offering on Resurrection Sunday will be given to missions we support, unless designated.
I have been enjoying preaching this series on Truth Decay. It has challenged me in my study and also in my personal beliefs and faith. I am not looking for you to comment on the yay or nay of the series, but I do sincerely hope it has challenged and encouraged you as well. The rest of the series is as follows:
- April 2- Sin is Still Sin
- April 9- The Cross is Still the Cross
- April 16- Alive is Still Alive
- April 23- Eternity is Still Eternity
The series following will be entitled Snapshots. I plan to take a few of the shorter books in the NT (Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude) and do a short series on them. The one hitch will be on Mother’s Day when I will interrupt the series for a sermon fitting the day. J
Just a word which has been on my heart lately before I close. Over the past 2 weeks I chose to reread two fiction books I had at home. They were both books which deeply impacted me, first back in 1995 (Wisdom Hunter) and 1999 (Betrayal) by Randall Arthur. Randy became a friend through the books, correspondence and then personal visits. I read them every once in a while simply to remind me of who I need to be and what I need to be as a pastor. Randy wrote something in each book he signed for me: “Above all else, never lose your heart for God.” That has been burning in my heart the past two or three weeks. I think that is what led me to read them again. I would say the same to you: never lose your heart for God. If you feel it waning, run back to Him and ask Him to give you a fresh heart. I love you all.
Pastor Bill
