Pastor Patti s Ponderings Why Did Jesus Come?

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1 Who are We at St. John s UCC? St John s United Church of Christ 801 South Mechanic Street Jackson, MI RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED At St. John's United Church of Christ, we are seeking to be people of extravagant welcome. We are a diverse community. We come together to worship, serve, and share God's love with our community and world. We are an open and affirming church: Open to all people wherever you are on life s journey and we affirm that we are all God s children. We believe worship is the work of the whole people of God. People are invited to read Scripture, sing, pray, share personal stories of faith, and help shape our service through various music and art forms. We are seeking to be open to new ways God may choose to meet us as we follow in the way of Christ. Pastor Patti Kenney Pastor Patti s Ponderings Why Did Jesus Come? Happy Easter! On April 16, we celebrate a great mystery of the Christian faith, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a landmark of our faith, and understanding and living into it has been a challenging task for people of faith through the ages. Why did Jesus come? In the gospel of John, the religious leader Nicodemus comes to Jesus by cover of night to question him. Jesus responds by telling him he must be born again, of both water and spirit. John 3:16 (quoted above) may be one of the most widely known verses of the Bible. It is interesting to note that Jesus did not come because God loved the church, the Jews, or God s faithful followers, but for the world. For everyone. Not to condemn, or cause death, but to bring eternal life. If Jesus indeed came for the whole world, that includes you and me, and all of creation. We are included in this supreme act of love, no matter who we are or where we are on life s journey. There are no restrictions or preconditions. God sent Jesus, for me. For you. Just as we are. To offer us love, acceptance, and life eternal. Non-Profit Org. US Postage Paid JACKSON, MI PERMIT NO 439 Come join us. Be at home with us. April 2017 For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life. John 3:16 Our faith calls us to listen for God's call in our lives as individuals and community. We believe God is still speaking, and there is yet more light and truth to break forth from God's Holy Word. We are students of Scripture, and of culture. We wrestle with difficult questions of life and faith, and seek to create a safe space where we can grow and be challenged. Our faith calls us find that place where our deep joy meets the world's deep need. We partner with our community in service. We reach out to help meet basic human needs. We support the growth and development of our babies, children, youth, and families. We advocate for those whose voice is not being heard. We are a gathering place for community groups and programs. Website: Church office (517) Pastor: Rev. Dr. Patricia Kenney President: Richard Poor Office Administrator: Nikki Joly This is the good news of the resurrection. Happy Easter! Pastor Patti Kenney

2 Counters needed for Sundays The church is in need of 8 Sunday Counters. We have four volunteers now. We need 4 more. We will be training volunteers during the month of April. The Counters generally will be teams of 2 fulfilling a requirement for good accounting controls. In using 8 people then, we will have 4 teams. Four teams will spread the responsibility and equate to 1 Sunday per month mostly. The Finance Secretary will schedule the trained Counters. Please call Dorothy Woodruff at or Vickie Steck at to volunteer. Confirmation Class Update The confirmation class is busy with their learning, faith exploration, and leadership development. Each confirmand has a mentor to discuss their lessons with, and participate together in various activities. The confirmation class attended the movie Hidden Figures in January and was hosted by Harry and Michele Wilson at their home for chili dogs before the movie. In February, they had a group field trip to St. Mary s and a discussion the next morning after church in coffee hour. Upcoming events: Visit to the Islamic Prayer Center, coordinated by Ian Wilson (t.b.a) Confirmands help lead Palm Sunday service April 9, 10:30 am. Meet in fellowship room at 9:45 for practice. April 9, 12-1:45 pm, Confirmation Checkpoint 3 (goal have all lessons completed in workbook and have begun UCC lesson) Preparation for Easter brunch, Saturday April 15 at noon in the social hall Easter brunch 9-10 am, social hall (meet at 8am for preparation; proceeds, breakfast offerings received will be used for confirmation expenses (robes, flowers, etc) Checkpoint Three Visits with Pastor Patti to discuss statements of faith (t.b.a) April 28-29, Confirmation class help lead All Church Retreat Under God s Big Umbrella 5pm Friday to 2pm Saturday at DeSales Retreat Center in Brooklyn Sunday June 4, Confirmation Sunday 9am photos, 10:30am service. Pray for our confirmands: Ben, Diamond, Jalen, Kanayah, Madelyn, Rashiem, Tenisha, Tony.

3 Please visit our website for the routinely updated calendar!!!

4 Please visit our website for the routinely updated calendar!!!

5 Peace Circle Training Peace Circle Training with a nationally known instructor Fred Van Liew will be held Monday, April 3 from 5:30 to 9:00pm and Tuesday, April 4 from 9:00 am to 4pm at Baker College. The training is sponsored by Jackson Civil Rights Awareness Association. Peace circles can provide support by those harmed by crime, create a positive climate, address conflict and develop support systems for those struggling to get their lives together. Persons attending the training will be prepared to facilitate peace circles and train others to use this technology. If you have interest, see Delia Johnson (phone ). SUPPORT THE JACKSON PERSONAL CARE MINISTRY! Here s an easy way to support the Jackson Personal Care Ministry! Have dinner at Finley s Grill & Smokehouse, 1602 W. Michigan Ave. on Tuesday April 25, between 5 pm and 10 pm, and Finley s will donate 10% of all sales that evening to JPCM. You may use a hard copy coupon, or show your server the electronic version available on the Westminster Facebook page. One coupon will cover an entire table, and every person at the table will count toward Finley s minimum, i.e. they need to know 30 diners have turned out to support JPCM. After we hit the minimum, JPCM will receive 10 percent of every sale. The Jackson Personal Care Ministry handled more than 6,000 client visits from needy residents of Jackson County in With your support we look forward to celebrating the JPCM s 5th anniversary in June! Thank you! Storm Damage The windstorm of Wednesday March 8, 2017 did significant damage to the old building. It removed shingles from a 10 X 10 area near the peak. Over the old main entrance the wind ripped off a large piece of flashing, along with the flashing it pulled down bricks. We have an estimate for $ and a second estimate for $ I called four roofers they were all very busy due to the storm. The quickest they could come was Wednesday 3/15/2017, a week after the storm. We were concerned with the possibility of rain or snow and the damage it would cause to the sanctuary. A friend of mine who used to work for a roofer gave me his number, he and his helper came Sunday afternoon and replaced the shingles. He charged the church $500.00, this was a reasonable price. A large tree also fell. Richard Poor and Carl cut it and removed it. Pictures of the roof are attached. Building and grounds

6 April Maundy Thursday Easter 7:30 Easter 1030 Driver D Leece D. Poor S. Smith C. Robinson D. Leece Worship Miriam Brown Dorsey Sherm Smith Jan Janke J. Benedict G. Johnson B. Shelton Michael Young Greeter J ALLEN J ALLEN N HACKWORTH L CANTER Greeter M DUBOIS C. WELKER M DUBOIS A BONNER J JANKE Greeter L CUBILE N HACKWORTH L CUBILE B PARKS J & R NELSON Greeter A BONNER C. WELKER M DUBOIS Greeter M ORT B PARKS M ORT D CHESNEY Usher E HANDLOSER G REASONER D BENEDICT N HACK- WORTH B BYRUM A SCHROEDER Usher J BENEDICT M DUBOIS J BENEDICT B PARKS S SMITH M DUBOIS Usher B HARKNESS J ROGGENBUK D LEECE D WOOD- RUFF C. Welker B PARKS Usher D BENEDICT T SCHROEDER A SCHROEDER L CHASE J & R NELSON D LEECE Usher W BEAVERS MB DORSEY A BONNER D CHESNEY A BONNER Usher Commun S. Smith M. Ort Dorothy Woodruff D. Woodruff Commun N. Hackworth D. Woodruff Sherm Smith D. Poor

7 St. John s food Pantry Served about 125 people in March with the help of our volunteers! The need is still great. Volunteer to help with the food pantry, 3rd Friday of every month! Confirmation Class

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