M A R C H Suburban Connection Bellamy Manor Drive, VA Beach, VA Phone:

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1 The M A R C H Suburban Connection 5132 Bellamy Manor Drive, VA Beach, VA Phone: info@sccvb.org Valentine s Banquet 2019 The annual Valentines Banquet was held on the 9th of February. Many of our folks turned out for a wonderful dinner prepared by Hollice Wiggins and decorations prepared by our men. The highlight of the evening was the crowning of this year's Sweetheart, Kathleen Staten, who is leading our Food Pantry and helps teach the kindergarten/first grade Sunday school class. Former sweethearts were also recognized. Larry Thomas and Mike Daniels sang a few songs to keep our toes tapping, and Pastor Todd kept us laughing with Suburban s very own Not So Newlywed Game. Don t forget daylight savings time begins on March 10 th at 2:00 am this year. If you want to make sure you aren t late for church, it s a good idea to turn the clocks ahead before you go to bed on the night of the 9 th! I always love when we go forward. I know we lose an hour of sleep, but it reminds me that spring is coming, and we have that extra hour of daylight in the evening which is something I appreciate in the summer months. Save the Date! Field Trip to Smithfield March 13 th 10:30 am Arts for Hearts March 23 rd 3:00 5:00 pm Flamingos March 31 st Secret Church April 26 th More information to come

2 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION From the Pastor s Desk: WE ARE IN CHRIST: CHRIST IS OUR REPRESENTATIVE MARCH 2019 I am currently reading a book entitled Union with Christ by Rankin Wilbourne. I would highly recommend it. It has been such a blessing in so many ways! It has helped me to better understand the reality that not only am I in Christ, but Christ is in me. Seeing this glorious truth more clearly has brought joy to my soul. His explanation of our being in Christ is so eye-opening. To be in Christ means that Christ represents His people. Rankin uses an example of team sports to explain how Christ represents us. He says, Think of a sports team. When the forward on a soccer team scores the winning goal, that goal and the victory are credited to the entire team, even to the players sitting on the bench, even to the fans sitting in the stands or sitting on their sofas at home even to those fans who didn t see the game ( You mean we won? ). They all participate in another s triumph. Christ represents us the way David represented the nation of Israel (all of God s people) when he fought against Goliath. Rankin says, David s victory was credited it was imputed to those he represented. All of Israel, we could say, was in David even though they themselves were not active participants in the battle. The whole nation of Israel fully experienced all the blessings of David s victory over Goliath. As those who are in Christ, we are united with Him in such a way that we fully participate in all of His victories. He represents all who look to Him in faith so completely that the Bible says that we are crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), buried with Him (Romans 6:4), raised with Christ (Colossians 3:1), and seated with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). In other words, every believer fully shares in His perfect life of obedience, His sin atoning death, His death defeating resurrection, and the glory of His ascension. Praise God! Jesus Is Our Representative! Pastor Todd 2

3 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION MARCH 2019 Sunday School High school is a time in life where it s easy to get pulled into the prevailing culture around us. God s people in the Old Testament had the same problem. The first commandment God gave them was: I am the LORD your God, you shall have no other gods before me. But they wanted an idol they could see, just like everyone around them. Each week in the high school Sunday school class, Jeff Moore and Sally Harden lead our teens in discussing how they can live a life where God is central; where what He says is the standard for relationships and choices. Please pray that our teens will continue to honor Him in the lives they live at home and in their schools. Jan Grills This month, we will meet at the church at 10:30 am on Wednesday, March 13 th, and travel to Smithfield. We ll visit the numerous quaint shops in the downtown area and have lunch there. Please sign up for this trip in the foyer. Our regular monthly meeting will be held March 21 st at 11:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. Watch the Sunday Bulletin and the seniors bulletin board for details. Please plan to attend, invite a friend to come with you and bring an Irish food or a green food (not from the back of your refrigerator, please!) to share for lunch. Seniors Ministry In February, we went to the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk to watch a very interesting glass blowing demonstration. Then we enjoyed lunch at the Wisteria Café at the museum before returning to the church. The following week we had our regular monthly meeting. Emily Collins, EA, a Master Tax Advisor with H&R Block, told us about the recent tax law changes and how they affect us. Emily provided us with a wealth of information, and graciously answered our many, many questions. These programs are planned and sponsored by the Seniors Ministry, but they are open to all ages. If you have suggestions for programs, please talk to one of the members of the Steering Committee. We are always looking for new ideas! Dana Mosteller 3

4 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION MARCH 2019 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. II Corinthians 8:9 SCC Church Staff Rev. C. Todd Haynes Senior Pastor Sally Harden Director of Youth Ministry Sarah Nelapaty Director of Children s Ministries MISSION: WHY DO WE EXIST? To glorify God, by making disciples of Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. VISION: WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE? A growing faith in God A growing love for God A growing love for others ACTION: HOW WILL THIS HAPPEN? Drawing near to God Pursuing community Reaching our world Visit us on Facebook! Search for Suburban Christian Church on We want to hear from you! Contact us at newsletter@sccvb.org

5 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION MARCH 2019 Parking Lot Lights & More Parking If you have driven by the church lately, there has been construction going on behind the church on Lobaugh Drive concerning the police precinct and you will also notice there has been a lot of work going on in our parking lots. Robert Ramirez replaced the older lights with LED lights to help illuminate our parking lot at night and our gravel parking lot has been leveled and resurfaced with a compacted gravel material to enhance our number of parking spaces on Sundays. Several men also spruced up the gravel parking lot by taking out several overgrown bushes and brush. We are praising God for His provision and for the men who graciously gave up their time to beautify our property and provide more parking. What s Happening In. AWANA It s MARCH MADNESS time with the basketball hype and of course let s not forget St. Patrick, the famous missionary to the Irish. Still not sure why we must wear green for this. AWANA will have a Madness of its own with a career night, missionary night, and a favorite Biblical character night. None of this will be out done by the third Store Night of the year where clubbers can spend their AWANA Bucks (they think it s real money) on lots of fun items for themselves or gifts for others. All are invited to stop by any Sunday Evening to see what we are all about. I m sure you ll enjoy it. As always, I would encourage all our SCC parents with kids ages 2 through 12 to please consider registering them into our AWANA program. Sports, music lessons, and so on are indeed very important in their lives, but nothing is as important as getting the Word of God into their hearts, which is something they will use the rest of their lives and even in eternity. Tim Jackson

6 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION Mother s Day Out MARCH 2019 AHHHH! FRESH AIR! Playing outside might be one of the fondest childhood memories for most adults, but researchers now say that they're not carrying on the tradition for their own kids. There are advantages to giving young children the same wonderful memories. There are many health benefits for children who spend time playing outdoors, including an increased intake of vitamin D. Children also tend to be more active outdoors which can reduce the risk of childhood obesity. It is recommended that children be active for an hour each day. Most of the 60 or more minutes a day should be either moderate- or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity. Getting outdoors on a regular basis can also improve your child's health and well-being as the fresh air cleans their lungs, ridding them of impurities such as car fumes and dust. Fresh air helps your immune system to fight off diseases more effectively due to healthier white blood cells. It also supplies your immune system with the oxygen it needs to kill and destroy bacteria, viruses and germs. Perhaps the most direct effect that sunlight has upon our bodies is mental health, via its stimulation of the brain to produce the mood enhancing chemical, serotonin. Serotonin aides our bodies management of appetite and sleep. Exposure to nature has been found to enhance children s concentration, self-discipline and behavior. Natural environments are uniquely engaging, stimulating and life enhancing. They allow children to gain an understanding about their physical abilities and their relationship with the world around them. Quality outside time can fit into even the busiest of schedules. It is well worth the effort; the benefits go beyond a little time spent in the fresh air. Go for a walk, play ball or tag and enjoy the great outdoors! Andrea Hoover

7 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION MARCH 2019 Children s Church Junior Children s Church has gotten off to an amazing start! The kids are really enjoying learning about God s amazing plan of Creation and His love for His people from before the beginning of time. It has been very rewarding to see how our 4-year olds through kindergarteners are able to grasp these powerful concepts and have blossomed in an environment where they are taught at their own level. Children s Church has also enjoyed the ability to engage at a more age appropriate level with their lessons on the Parables of Jesus. Over all we are so pleased with the new format and are looking forward to seeing how God continues to bless and grow these ministries! Sarah Nelapaty Worship & Music Ministry On April 14 th, the music ministry will present He Has Overcome. This new musical celebrates the Christ s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and His miraculous vistory over death. You ll hear a blend of familiar songs: Christ the Lord is Risen Today, Overcome and We Will Glorify. Mixed in are a few new poignent tunes, His Mercy is More, Glorious Cross, Wondrous Cross and Magnificent, Marvelous, Matchless Love. You will be singing along in no time as the new songs find their way into your worship repertoire! Join us for one service at 10:15 am, and don t forget to invite friends! Karen Meads

8 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION MARCH 2019 Attention Singers and Musicians! New choir members and musicians are always needed, but if you would like to sing just for Easter, we would love for you to join us. Easter cantata rehearsals will begin on Saturday March 9 th at 9:00 am. The remaining dates are: Sat Mar 23 rd Tue Mar 26 th Tue Apr 2 nd Sat Apr 6 th Tue Apr 9 th Sat Apr 13 th 9:00 am 7:00pm 7:00 pm 9:00 am 7:00 pm 9:00 am Bible Study and Teaching Methods: Equipping You to Study and Teach God s Word Starting Sunday, April 7 th at 9:00 am For the next 8 weeks persons wanted for hazardous journey of conveying God s Truth. WARNING!!! Long weeks of instruction, constant danger of spiritual growth. Safe return to previous complacency is doubtful. Honor, glory and praise to Jesus in cases of success. Sign up in the foyer or contact the church office to participate. Food Pantry A big THANK YOU and AMEN to all the hands and feet of Jesus that gave of their time, energy, food and monetary donations to help more than 20 families with Thanksgiving/Christmas dinners this past year! Some of our regular families and a few new ones appreciated the love and care they were shown with these meals. Some of our youth made handwritten cards to be included in the bags that brought some to tears. Homemade cookies, pies, bread and of course Mary s cookies were a huge hit! Please continue to shower the food pantry with your love, it s a priceless gift any time of the year! Please check the bulletin every week for needed items to fill our pantry so we can continue to bless others. Kathleen Staten

9 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION MARCH 2019 Ambassador Youth Ministry WHERE WE VE BEEN: FEBRUARY February has been a quiet month, but it has been a good month. In AYM, we have slowly but surely been making our way through Romans. We got the chance to talk about being forgiven by God and that only He can take care of our sins. We continued by learning that how we speak to others has a lot of impact and how we speak to ourselves is impactful to our spiritual health. Finishing out the month, we spoke about our faith, God s given righteousness, and being justified by faith. We also went to Winter Jam at the Scope. Ledger and Rend Collective and the rest of the bands were awesome, and it was so much fun jamming out with our students and it makes me excited for our student praise team! Sally Harden WHAT S TO COME: MARCH AYM Movie Night: Captain Marvel March 16 th Arts for Hearts March 23 rd Flamingos First Flight- March 31 st Operation Christmas Child Corner We are beginning to work on our contributions to OCC for this year. Please keep the shoebox ministry in mind when you shop, particularly for shoes. You can ask at any shoe store if they have empty boxes to give away. Stores like Target or K Mart may have empties on the shelves that they'll allow you to take. Also, Roses Store on Battlefield Blvd has children's and women's low-rise socks - 6 pairs for $1.00. We will be having a Worthwhile Wrapping Day during the summer and a Sew Simple Workday soon, too. We need flannel fabric to help us to make small quilts for the children who receive the shoe box gifts. We can use yardage or even gently used flannel sheets. You can bring them into the church office or call me and I'll pick them up. ( ) We are planning an enjoyable event soon to benefit OCC, also. The Young Musicians of Virginia's Jazz Band is arranging their schedule to include a concert at Suburban Christian Church. We'll get the opportunity to hear some great music and to bring in items for the shoe boxes as our admission fee. Watch for more information. Thanks for all you do. Lynn Cooke

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11 THE SUBURBAN CONNECTION MARCH 2019 Just for DID YOU KNOW the Bible describes God as a lion and a lamb? Look up the following verses and see. Revelation 5:5 Weep no more; behold the of the tribe of, the Root of David, has conquered. John 1:29 Behold, the of, who takes away the of the world. WHAT S THE ANSWER? Pastor Todd played a certain sport when he was growing up. You must be in good shape to play the game and work as a team. What do you think the sport was? Write your answer in the blank, then bring it to Pastor Todd to see if you have the correct answer. If you do, you get a prize! I think the sport was.