West Church News. West Congregational Church Scholarships

Transcription

1 West Congregational Church 499 North State Street, Concord, NH facebook.com/westchurchucc West Church News April 6, 2018 Volume 3, Issue 3 West Congregational Church Scholarships West Congregational Church scholarships are limited to students of the West Congregational Church affiliation that have been accepted by a two or four year college majoring in a field of their choice. Applications will be reviewed by the West Congregational Church Scholarship Committee and will be chosen by his or her academic standing. Applications are due back May 30. Recipients will be notified by letter and by a notice in West Church section of the Concord Monitor. Completed applications (see page 7)should be returned to: West Congregational Church Scholarship Committee 499 North State Street Inside this issue Pastor s Page...2 Letters...3 Editorial...3 Our History.4 Boards...4 Calendar...5 Mission Report...6 Mystery Dinner.6 Scholarship Application.7 About West Church We meet every Sunday at 10 Open and Affirming Church Food Pantry hours: Friday: All are welcome. Our Mission: To increase love and hope for all through growing faith in Christ Edited and Published by: Phil Lawrence Send letters to: philipelawrence@comcast.net

2 Pastor s Page Happy Easter Fools Day! That is how I greeted the brave folks gathered at Eagle Square for the Easter Sunrise Service this year. This is the first year since 1956 that Easter and April Fools Day have coincided. It was rather appropriate, though, that Easter fell on April Fools Day, since Jesus pulled pretty much the greatest prank of all time. He took the absolute worst thing that the powers of evil and darkness could throw at him, beat it, and turned this world upside down in the process. The cross could not hold him. The grave could not hold him. Even death itself could not hold him. On that very first Easter Fools Day, Jesus walked out of the tomb and declared that the light would always win. That death did not have the final say. That this life for the most part is pretty awesome, but something even better awaits us. I play Pokemon Go. Now if you don t know, Pokemon Go is a game that nerds play on their smart phones. It requires us to leave our houses, go out and meet other nerds, and work together going around town catching little animals called pokemon with our phones. It s kind of like a year-round Easter egg hunt, except that what we re hunting is invisible. I tell you this because in playing Pokemon Go over the past year, I ve found myself in various parks, squares, and other public spaces including cemeteries at odd hours of the day and night. And in all of that time that I ve spent walking around the tomb stones, the last thing I ve ever expected to see was someone who had risen from the dead. So I get Mary s confusion when she goes to the cemetery and sees this guy she thinks is the gardener. Who else would be out there at that time? It definitely wouldn t be someone playing Pokemon Go, that s for sure. You see, she went to the garden expecting to find a dead Jesus, and instead she found a Jesus who was very much alive. Jesus had defeated death and blazed the path to eternal life for everyone. That s truly the best joke there is. That by dying and rising again, Jesus gave us the gift of life everlasting. Mary went to the tomb expecting one thing, and she got something else entirely. Mary went to the tomb looking for Jesus, the light of the world. But what she found was even better: the eternal light that will never be overcome by the darkness. I can t think of a better thing to celebrate no matter what day Easter falls on. 2 Jim Martel becomes our newest member Easter Morning.

3 Editorial One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, Let the children come to me. Don t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it. Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them Mark 10: These four verses are repeated virtually verbatim within Matthew (19:13-15) and Luke (18:15-17). To me, this passage emphasizes the importance of Sunday School within our church. Our model differs from the traditional. We use animated videos (4-5 minutes) to introduce the lesson of the day. Engage in a brief discussion and then proceed to a project to create something tangible that reinforces the lesson. If time allows coloring, a game, or in good weather, outdoor chalk talk follows. For me at least, this avoids the glazed look that would be evident with bible reading and/or my story telling, especially with an age range of 2 9. We prepare the audio visual material and the craft and coloring material for our teachers to make the teaching experience smooth and consistent. We ask our teachers to understand why the bible passage is important to themselves. Ask yourself How will it help our children develop a better understanding of the Spirit which guides their and our journey? As the above passage illustrates, we all are children in our relationship with God. Our task as teachers is to shake off the shackles of daily living and approach teaching with the same awe and wonder we would like to communicate to the class. I challenge you to be part of our curriculum by volunteering a week or two to help teach our children. They will learn more from the diversity we each represent on the journey to Christ. -Phil

4 Easter Season Boards 2018 VISITATION SUNDAY RETURNS The Diaconate is pleased to announce we will be having another Visitation Day on Sunday April 22 nd. Our congregation and our seniors had a wonderful time of fellowship last time around. It was decided to have these organized visits twice a year. We will begin with an abbreviated service at church, then we will head out in groups to visit some of our home bound folk. Each group will be lead by one of our Deacons who will also offer Communion. Missions Mikala Coronis made 80 school bags to help with Easter Service with the West Church Ringers Trustees The Council approved the nomination of Jim Martel to the Board of Trustees at the March meeting. The Day Care is writing an Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan to comply with new requirements. The plan will call for removal of the children and teachers to the church building in the event of a natural or man made disaster. The Church is also discussing a Response Plan to an intrusion. The Council discussed having someone attend one of the workshops being held in the local area.

5 SUNDAY Gr/Past.Rel. 1 Easter Sunrise Service Eagle Sq 6:30 New Members 8 Diaconate AA *q 7 pm T/R Hall Laurie Clark APRIL 2018 MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY 2 Pastor Amanda off Monday/ Saturday 3 Bible Study 7-8:15 pm 9 10 Game Night 6-8:30 pm 4 Girl Scouts 5:45-7:15 pm JH Clara Cleveland room B Witham (2,3,5 th Wed.) 11 Sq. Dancing q Wed. 6pm T/R Ron Turcotte COCM 6 pm 5 Carolyn Pastor Office Hours 1-6 pm q Thursday 12 Cues for me Rounds 7-8:30 & 8:30-10 q Thurs.Rachel/ Bob Boudrow Food Pantry q Friday 13 AA *q 7-9 CC Rm JH Dana Gourley Planning Mtg. Phil/Carolyn noon T/R Hall 14 Pizza Prudential Comm. 10 am 17 Bible Study 7-8:15 pm 18 Trustees 5-6 pm Choir Rehearsal q Wed. 6 pm 19 Kenny 20 Pastor away 20th- 22 nd Convocation Portland ME Community Visitation Day Earth Day 23 NL-PSNH T/R Hall 6-8 pm C. Stiles 24 Church Council 5-7 pm Bible Study 7-8:15 pm 25 IBEW 10 am Bob McNeff McKeage Rm rd Wed Merrimack Assoc. 2 pm Meredith 1 st Cong. church 5

6 Food Pantry Ongoing Mission Households Children January 14 5 February March YTD Snacks for Kids monthly Inventory brings a smile to their faces! 6 JOIN US FOR GAME NIGHT AND POT LUCK TUESDAY April 10, 2018 FROM 6:30 TO 8:00 pm Please use the Hutchins Street Entrance

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