April 1, 2018 Sunday Worship & Teaching 10:00 a.m.

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1 April 1, 2018 Sunday Worship & Teaching 10:00 a.m. We are updating the Church Directory so we are asking you to please contact Candy ASAP to confirm that the contact information the church Office has on file for your household is correct

2 10% OFF EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT FOR REGISTRATIONS BEFORE APRIL 3 RD!! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!! Church Security & Active Shooter Training is coming to Middlebury Chapel, 82 S. Arlington St. Akron, OH 44306!! Learn practical principles to protect your congregation without compromising your mission Our churches should be a place of safety and comfort, but not everyone respects the sanctuary. There have been more than 1,000 assault-related injuries and deaths at churches since 1999 and the number of violent events at churches has increased by more than 600% in the last decade. Our course covers: How to create a security plan. Choosing and training a security team. Safe check-in/check-out for children. Secure transportation of offerings. Becoming aware of your surroundings. Training for ushers, greeters, parking teams, deacons and staff. Identifying suspicious behavior. How and when to lockdown your church. "A prudent person sees danger and takes precautions." Proverbs 28:13 For more information or to register offline, please see or contact Candy P. via at middlebury6413@sbcglobal.net CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW!!

3 Compassion Sunday 2018 is coming April 29th!!!! Gary Olson will be speaking to us about Compassion International during the Sunday service. Please come and learn more about this wonderful ministry that helps so many impoverished children and also please come prepared to financially bless our sponsored child, Olivia.

4 Did You Know??? Did you know that Middlebury Chapel sponsors a child with Compassion International?? Her name is Olivia Kaboré and she is 8 years old. Olivia lives in Burkina Faso, a country in Western Africa. Her birthday is January 10 th and she attends Sunday School and church in her village. She loves her Bible class!! Her home duties include caring for the family s animals, carrying water, cleaning, running errands and washing clothes. She loves learning about God, listening to Bible stories, and singing. During her free time, she enjoys games, playing with dolls, playing house, and having fun running and playing outside with her friends. Unfortunately, Olivia lives in a country where she is at high risk for child rights violations and traffickers, so please remember to pray for her salvation and for her safety. Like any 8 year old, Olivia loves to receive letters and pictures and, via the Compassion website, you can write letters to her online!! If you would like to write to Olivia, please contact Candy P.

5 The Power of Communication Middlebury has a new group texting program that will be used to alert the Fellowship to church closings, emergencies, urgent prayer requests, etc. This program will differ from our previous attempt at a group texting program in that it will be an individual text program, not a group text, i.e., you won t be receiving 50 million pings every time someone responds to a text. This new program will send one and only one text to everyone included in the text directory. If a recipient wishes to respond to the text, only the original sender of the text will receive the response, not everyone in the text directory. Everyone currently listed in the regular Middlebury Chapel directory with a cell phone number will be included in this text directory unless you request to be excluded. Candy will be contacting you within the next few days to ask if you wish to be included and your cell phone carrier. If you have any questions or wish to opt out, please let her know.

6 Please join us for our Sunday Morning Adult Bible Study!! We are studying The Book of John and it is presented by Tom Gordon We meet Sunday Mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the Youth Room and EVERYONE is welcome!! See you Sunday!!

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8 The Men s Ministry Bible Study will be meeting Thursday night at 6:00 p.m. We will meet here at Middlebury and then we will go over to the Second Chance Village for a brief Bible Study. Hope you can join us!!

9 Please help us in welcoming the newest member of the Middlebury Chapel Nursery Staff Middlebury Chapel is pleased to announce that we are now using dōterra s On Guard Essential Oil Blend products in our nursery for natural and non-toxic hand, toy, and surface cleaning and disinfecting, and odor control. dōterra s On Guard Essential Oil Blend products contain Wild Orange Peel, Clove Bud, Cinnamon Leaf, Cinnamon Bark, Eucalyptus Leaf, and Rosemary Leaf/Flower essential oils. It can be used as a gentle, healthy alternative to harsh soaps and can also be used as a non-toxic cleaner on surfaces throughout the home and nursery. Lastly, when diffused, doterra On Guard helps purify the air. For more information about On Guard or dōterra products, please click here.

10 The next Men s Prayer Breakfast will be held next Saturday, April 7 th beginning at 8:30 a.m.

11 And Ladies, since Dick and Larry want everyone to come and enjoy their great grub, you are personally invited to attend the Men s Prayer Breakfast and after breakfast break off into your own Women s Bible Study!! Think about it a great breakfast that you didn t need to cook and great fellowship with other awesome ladies? It doesn t get much better than that!! Please join us Saturday, April 7 th beginning at 8:30 a.m.

12 Ladies, please start preparing now to attend our being held Friday and Saturday, at the beautiful Carlisle Inn in Walnut Creek, OH, deep in the heart and green pastures of Amish Country Your room fee includes: 24 hour complimentary coffee/tea, the Saturday morning continental breakfast buffet, access to the fitness room, and free wireless internet access The room costs are: 4 to a room: $40/person 3 to a room: $55/person 2 to a room: $80/person We look forward to seeing you there!!

13 Hey Middlebury Men!! Start making plans to join us for the 2018 Middlebury Chapel Men's Retreat being held at Stony Glen Camp June 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd!! More details will be coming soon and there is a signup sheet on the Main Hallway bulletin board We hope you will join us!!

14 Spring is coming and the Open Hand Clothing Room is beginning to make its seasonal clothing transition As we all begin spring-cleaning our homes and closets, please remember that Pam is currently accepting spring and summer clothing of all kinds

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16 Church Security Planning and Intruder Response Training Middlebury Chapel, 82 S. Arlington St, Akron, OH May 18-19, 2018 Friday 8:00 am - 5:00 p.m. Saturday 8:00 am - 2:30 p.m. Many churches have taken comfort in the thought that church violence "could never happen here." However, headlines and a steadily-growing body of statistical evidence demonstrate that violence in faith-based organizations is increasing and the potential for violence against a church is very likely to not be an if, but in many cases, a when. In light of this, churches need to be prepared to address this very real potential threat. The Strategos Church Security Planning and Intruder Awareness training will equip your staff and key volunteers to be able to create a personalized security plan that protects your congregation while maintaining a welcoming environment. There is a choice of a 1- or 2-day option, but attendance both days is strongly recommended as the subjects presented over both days interrelate. Day 1 Overview: Church Security Planning At the end of the day, you'll be thoroughly equipped to begin (or re-launch or improve) your church security ministry. Each participant will leave with a comprehensive, practical 75-page workbook. Intruder response Medical response Armed vs. unarmed security The role of Ushers and Greeters Nursery security Volunteer selection Protecting the Pastor Offering collection, protection, and transport How to put together a written safety & security plan Increasing safety and security while maintaining atmosphere of COMFORT, REFUGE, WORSHIP and LEARNING Liability Consideration Insurance Consultation & Considerations Communication Considerations Day 2 Overview: Intruder Awareness/Response and Conflict Management Equip and empower your front-line team (Security Team Members, Ushers, Greeters, etc.) to spot and stop trouble before it starts. This training helps team members identify suspicious behavior and act peacefully and proactively with the goal of de-escalating potential conflicts. Creating a culture of awareness Recognizing & Responding to Suspicious Behavior Verbal conflict management & de-escalation "Lock-down & Lock-down Failure" protocols Approaching suspicious or armed individuals The roles of Ushers, Greeters, and other front line Team Members The "Art of The Handshake" and what can be learned about a person from a handshake Who should attend? Ushers, Greeters, Church Leaders, Security Team Members, Deacons, Administrators, and other staff and volunteers in frequent contact with your congregation and visitors. Recommended: Bring note-taking materials. Who should attend? Pastors, Church Staff, Administrators and Facility Managers, Children, Youth, and Student Ministry Directors, Security Team Members, and Deacons. Recommended: Bring note-taking materials. Location: Middlebury Chapel 82 S Arlington St, Akron, OH Local Contact: Candy Petticord middlebury6413@sbcglobal.net Phone: COST: $159 per person for BOTH days or $99 per person for either Friday or Saturday Register Online at or call S. 71 Hwy. Grandview, MO 64030

17 The Color Purple There are many signs that indicate that we as created beings are inclined to love colors. Our schools have their colors (all you need to do is watch an Ohio State football game to see a sea of scarlet and gray), the national flag of the United States of America bears the colors of red,, and blue, and each individual state has their own specific colors on their individual state flags. Our Wonderful Creator God is all about color. Just step outside and look at the earth, the sea, and the sky and all they contain to behold this wonderment (Genesis). In the book of Exodus, our God placed a high importance on color. Exodus 26 expounds on the many colors contained within His temple. For example, the "fine twisted linen of blue, purple, and crimson yarns" for the tabernacle curtain. In Exodus 28, the priestly vestments included a breastplate with

18 beautiful colore stones such as green emeralds, blue sapphires, and blue-green turquoise. It is no wonder then that our early Christian brothers and sisters incorporated colors into the only celebration of the year that testifies to our faith...passover, Resurrection Sunday, and Pentecost. It is very probable that when Christianity was legalized in the 300's AD by Emperor Constantine, outward celebrations of faith with symbols and colors grew. Beautiful colors abound during this Ho y Seas n. Christians are wonderfully inundated with the rich hues of purple, crimson,, black, blue, and gold. In the Hebrew language, the name for Adam can be translated as "man" or "red". Blue is thought to represent God and the heavenlies, thus the choice of blue and for Israel s national flag (Revelations 21: 18-21). Purple is produced by the combination of red and blue and this color is prophetic of the Coming Messiah Who would be both God and man and

19 Who would be the Mediator between man and God (1 Timothy 2:5-6a). Purple dyes in ancient times were very expensive and thus came to be associated with kings and royalty. The day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, the people hailed Him with Hosannas as if He were a King (Luke 19:34-38). Thus, the color purple is often used on Palm Sunday to commemorate that day. The Roman soldiers, after scourging our Jesus, gave Him a purple "royal" robe (Mark 15:16-20, Matthew 27:28). The term purple in the book of Mark is translated to mean shades of rose to purple, and in Matthew the word used is scarlet. The soldiers use of a robe made of "cheap" or "fake" purple dye (scarlet) added to the mockery of Jesus, implying that He was a fake king and thus, scarlet is often used during the Easter Season. Red also represents our sins that Jesus took on to His Sinless Self so that we would be made as snow (Isaiah 1:18, Revelation 19:13 & 16).

20 It is natural that the very first followers of Jesus would hold Resurrection Sunday, the Sunday after Passover (Mark 15:42), and Pentecost, 50 days later, as sacred days. It is the anniversary of that wonderful time when they had firsthand experience of our Risen Lord still among them for 40 days. Jesus Resurrection fulfilled all that the Passover had meant to them. It was an exodus or passage from the old times of the oppression of slavery into the new times of physical and spiritual freedom. Jesus was and still is the Paschal Lamb, slain for us to achieve this freedom. Continuing with the symbolisms of colors, the Christian Church also uses and gold. is used to symbolize the as well as and that comes from and. Gold symbolizes The Risen Christ as The Light of the World and the City of Gold where our Lord reigns as King and where we too will be (Revelation 19:13-16).

21 While the Church of Jesus the Christ, with Him as the Head and we as the members, bear witness to our faith everyday (Isaiah 43:10), Resurrection Sunday is the time when we wave our colors for the entire world to see as we exclaim, JESUS LIVES AND WE ARE SAVED, ALLELUIAH!! At this time of year, many churches will drape these defining colors on the outside of their buildings, on their doors, or on crosses. These acts testify our belief to the whole world that Jesus is the Messiah Who died for our sins, was resurrected by the Power of the Holy Spirit, and Who reigns as King as prophesied in Daniel 7: 9-14, Hebrews 7:25, and 1 John 5:1-15. HAPPY RE URRECTION S NDAY! Thank you, Diana Popovich, for this awesome and timeless submission!!

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