THE VINE CONNECTION NEWSLETTER

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1 THE VINE CONNECTION NEWSLETTER The Vine Connection is all about reaching out to each other and our community FEBRUARY 2014 VOL.2 # ISSUE #3 This Month s Ministry Focus: FILY & OUTREACH MINISTRY The Family & Outreach Ministry has been part of the Vine since the beginning. The focus has always been to embrace the family through events to reach our family, friends and neighbors. The events have always been well attended and our yearly events are always a fun way to connect with people you don t usually on a weekly basis. Sheri has been very involved with this ministry and has sought to involve others through collaboration and team work. It has been amazing to watch God work though those involved as we reach others and care for people in many ways. Last year the outreach ministry began to partner with the New Hope Shelter in Waynesboro to provide meals to the residents of the shelter. We try to involve our church family to prepare the food and to serve our fellow brothers and sisters. We also fellowship with them and eat the meal together. We also connect to the events in the town of Smithsburg to bring awareness to Jesus. We are currently involved with the Smithsburg Pride Days, Steam & Craft Show and Smithsburg Hometown Christmas. These events put our Vine Family in touch with our larger community, so that we can be the hands and feet of Jesus, reaching out and loving people. - Our Annual Church Picnic is always held in June. It has always attracted many to our yearly homemade French Fries by Harold and the Smithsburg Market s fried chicken. It is a wonderful time together with friends and family. - The annual Family/Outreach Pig Roast is held in August to maximize the warm weather, since we also have yearly Baptisms with our community. It is a joy to watch loved ones publicly profess their salvation and to dedicate themselves to the Lord. This past year the Women s Life Group held a Silent Auction fundraising event that benefited the Benevolence Fund. As always this Family Outreach Ministry is geared to involve many people including family, friends and neighbors. We are always looking for ways to unite our hearts in being a missional church with activities to honor God and our love for one another. - The annual Family Camping Weekend is held in October at Roxbury Camp near Chambersburg. The weekend is designed to have the entire Vine family together for a weekend of fellowship and worshipping GOD. The Women s Life Group also hosts the family meal on Saturday night. - The annual Family Christmas Party is always a well attended fun celebration. - We have had several activities over the years from Pizza & Movie Nights, Bowling events, Family Putt Putt outings and Progressive/Mystery Dinners. The Vine Church 1 S. Main Street Page 1.

2 The Vine Church Vision Statement is to connect people to Jesus Christ, who is The Vine, so that they may connect to each other and the community around them in order to have a growing relationship with The Vine. MINISTRY IN ACTION Progressive Dinner The Pastor s Ponderments Pastor Mark Easter is on April 20 this year. As an individual or a family, how do you prepare for this day of celebration? During the Christmas season we have many traditions and events. However, at Easter, other than getting dressed up for church for the first time of the year, having a nice ham dinner and maybe dying some eggs, most people do not prepare or even give it a second thought. We are different! As Jesus people, Easter is the most important celebration of the year, for it brings the entire redemptive message of the Bible to life. It brings the life of Jesus, His death and His resurrection to a new awareness. Our gathered community will be preparing for Easter by focusing each Sunday morning service on the importance of the Gospel and why it is relevant for your life! To help us gain a deeper appreciation for what the Gospel is all about we will explore a study by Matt Chandler, The Explicit Gospel. The study guide and companion book can be purchased from Amazon, Lifeway or Christian Book Distributors. Practical, life changing and relevant topics such as how the gospel saves you, matures you, pushes you outside of yourself and fully consumes you will be explored. As we consider this journey, we will keep our eyes on the cross with the urgency to tell people what is happening in our lives because of the gospel. If someone asked you what is the Gospel, what would you say? How would you explain it? Could you even explain it to your friends? Come join us for this time of anticipation and preparation for Easter and you will discover the answers to these questions and much more. Your life, your work, your family and your soul will be deeply impacted by the Word as we discover how to live out the gospel in a relational and missional way that impacts the community! Are you ready? Pastor Mark CHOSEN VALENTINES DINNER CHOSEN SNOWTUBING UNSTOPPABLE MOVIE Page 2

3 COME & GET IT C.H.O.S.E.N. Here we are! It seems at times that school seems to be taking forever, and then there are times it is like summer is just around the corner. It s March and we have some pretty cool things coming up. If you are keeping up, last month we went snow tubing and said something about a Valentine s Dinner Fundraiser. Well the votes are in, and out of all of us that labored for the fundraiser, most of us decided (Cam and Marcellus) that it was actually fun. We dressed up, of all the people, Skyler felt he looked GOOD! We all agree that the food was good, since we got to taste test it for ourselves. We even had a review from Jon s sister and her date. They said the everything was great, and we even seemed to be organized. Even though the clean-up was no fun it didn t take us long, and we were out of there by 8:30 p.m. Of course everyone is a jokester so when Dylan was asked how it went he replied, I don t know. Something we are looking forward to is the movie night. The leaders have not revealed the title of the film, but we do know it is going to be the best visual out there that shows exactly what Jesus has done for each one of us. We also heard it may be a little graphic, and that certainly gets me wondering what it could be. Join us, the date is March 13, 2014 beginning at 6 p.m. Peace Out! PRAYER FOCUS CORNER: This is the time for the church to lean on God s word, to never give up and lose hope. For the economy of our nation, the moral decline of the people around us, and the world s direction, let us join together in the Hope of God s word, that he is in control. Continue to lift our nation, our leaders and local leaders up in prayer. Let us join in prayer together for the world around us. God hears our prayers and knows our heart. So we can be on our knees for our country, for our families, for our communities and for our church families. If we can unite in prayer we have our HOPE upon God s word, that he is watching and carrying for his people and continuing to walk with his people in one accord. GOD SIGHTINGS The following are reflections from members of The Vine Church that describe a time in their lives when God was real, and beyond a doubt, the Author of their lives! It is awesome to think about God sightings, especially knowing that He is by our side every moment of every day. He knows our fears and our desires!! I find peace in knowing that there is a friend that knows me to my marrow and still graces me with His friendship!! Not too long ago I found myself in a predicament -where I could doubt that God was with me but was also ready to go through the situation in faith and prayer. Watching God showing up is a huge treat!! I know that sounds weird but that s just how it all went down!! My mornings usually all start out the same, showers and peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches!! Out the door to dirty drive-ways and parcels to deliver- always wondering what I may run into today. It isn't strange for me to come across prayer opportunities throughout my day- although I don't always listen (Jesus, please forgive me). So every year we have inspections and counts that determine our salary until another count comes around. Very stressful times -like nutty stressful- so I put it in God s hands!!! God showed up when the supervisor came with a paper to sign and we could opt out! Thank you Lord Jesus!! You have no idea how that was a God sighting! Then, a couple of weeks later when the Boss came to me and said "Baltimore called and said you have to count", my heart dropped to the floor and all the stress came down like a ton of bricks. Ok I had to talk to my best friend Jesus real quick!! What are you doing Man?? I thought you had this under control! Why am I the only one this is happening to?" Well I started implementing all the great gifts God has given us down here on earth- Prayer chains and friends that pray (I hope) and fasting -or at least trying to fast!! I'm either really good at fasting and praying or I totally mess it up beyond imagine!! I know that if I had to do a re-count it would mean another pay-cut. But God would see me through as He has on so many occasions. But something just kept me pushing for peace. It was the week before count and I started to prepare myself to see God work through it, knowing God would help me. I was in my prayer and the Word seeking His wisdom! Well, nothing was happening and the big day was the next day! The day before the count we prepared the route for inspection. I was literally standing there looking around at all the mail thinking Oh Lord this does not look good for a count. We didn't have much mail so I was hoping the parcels would start rolling in. I can remember thinking that many of the stories in the Bible didn t look good at the start either!! I can remember saying under my breath, Be it unto to me as your will". At that moment there was a call into the office and my boss was saying something like, "Oh really? You don't see Adamstown on the list? Ok I will call Baltimore." So he proceeded to tell me he needed to call down to see if I had to count because he heard that I was no longer on the list to be counted!! I was very excited but just started to thank God for just taking that cup from me!! Literally, I was speaking and talking to God as he answered. It seemed to be weeks that this was in the mix and it only took one moment to change it all!!! I am so thankful for God s timing. I have a better understanding of how God wants things done!! He is in charge and sometimes He can use situations to totally change our prayer life and how we see God. The Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit are at work in our daily lives! I know now that even though I'm not particularly good at fasting, the point was that I tried! All He wants is for us to want to see Him and to actively be involved in our daily lives!! Thank you, Pam Page 3

4 Who was the first shepherd? Last months answer: Satan (Luke 4:3) WORD OF THE MONTH THE APOCRYPHA [a POCK rih fuh] a group of books written during a time of turmoil in the history of the Jewish people, from about 200 B.C. to about A.D These books fall into two main divisions, Old Testament apocryphal books and New Testament apocryphal books. The Old Testament books, 15 in number, were written during the period from about 150 B.C. to about A.D. 70, when the Jewish people were in rebellion against the repression of foreign military rulers. These books were excluded from some early versions of the Old Testament but included in others. This explains why Bibles used by Roman Catholics contain the Old Testament Apocrypha, while they are not included in most Protestant editions of the Bible. The books known as the New Testament Apocrypha were written during the second and third centuries A.D., long after the death of the apostles and other eyewitnesses to the life and ministry of Jesus. None of these books were included in the New Testament because they were judged as unworthy and not authoritative by officials of the early church. (from Nelson's Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers) New Search Game: FIND THE FISH! Where s the fish? It is hidden somewhere in the newsletter. Enjoy the hunt. BIBLE WORD SEARCH (TITHES) AROUND THE BIC News and events happening with our larger Brethren In Christ Family! Pray for the STEP interns in Honduras as they report experiencing many new things, learning lessons and growing spiritually. Thank God and pray for their host families. Pray for Jim and Sonia Bridge as they plan ministry experiences for the four girls. They praise God for the many new relationships they are building. Ask for guidance in maintaining those that God directs. Ask for good health and protection for all and for solid language learning. Women s Life Group -BIBLE STUDY - meets first Monday of the month at church from 6:30-8:00 / contact Karen Shade facilitator (717) or Lori Sewell (717) for more information. Men s Life Group - meets every other Wednesday at the church from 7:00-8:30 / contact Pastor Mark (717) for more information. Prayer HOUR OF POWER - meets the other Wednesday at church 7:00-8:30 / contact Morris Fraley (301) for more information. Student Life Group CHOSEN - meets at the church every Thursday night from 6:30-8:00 / contact Esther Fairall (443) or Debbie Kelly (717) for more information. Couple s Life Group - meets every first Tuesday of the month at the leaders home from 6:30-8:00 / contact Morris & Sheri Fraley (301) for more information. MORE PLACES TO US CHECK OUT FOLLOW US: Check out the Website: 1 South Main St. Smithsburg, MD (301) Join us on Sundays at 10:00am Last months answers: 1. Jacob 2. Pharaoh 3. Nebuchadnezzar 4. Joseph Comments - Suggestions - Feedback thevineconnection_newsletter@yahoo.com 5. Abimelech Page 4

5 MARCH Cor 1:3-5 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. NIV Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 PRAYER 9: 00 The Fraley s Anniversary 3 4 COUPLES LIFE GROUP 6:30 5 HOUR OF POWER 6 The Kelly s Anniversay CHOSEN 6:30 PM 7 8 WOMEN S LIFE GROUP MOVIE NIGHT 5:00 P,M 9 PRAYER 9:00 10 Rick Kopka BD MEN S LIFE GROUP 13 CHOSEN MOVIE NIGHT 6:00 PM 14 CHILDREN S MINISTRY SLEEPOVER PRAYER 9:00 MA 17 St. Patrick's Day 18 Mark Sewell BD 19 HOUR OF POWER Taylor Eden BD 22 MarkAppenzellar BD NEW HOPE SHELTER DINNER 5:00-6:00 23 PRAYER 9: LEADERSHIP MTG 6:30 PM 26 MEN S LIFE GROUP CHOSEN ALL 4 HIM EVENT ANTRIM BIC 6:00 PM, 30 PRAYER 9:00 Mariah DeVore BD 31