The Family Times. March On my mind...

Transcription

1 The Family Times A monthly newsletter for family and friends of First English Baptist Church March 2018 On my mind... I like alphabetical acrostics, where each line begins with each successive letter of the alphabet. There are several psalms written this way (though hard to tell in English translation because they follow the Hebrew alphabet of course!). In this spirit and pondering how to communicate to others who we are as a church family, I created the following alphabetical acrostic. This is how I see our church. (I deliberately avoided church-y language for clarity for those not familiar with church.) The ABCs of FEBC We the members and friends of FEBC, an American Baptist Church in Bloomsburg, PA, do strive and aspire to... Advance conversation and understanding Bear burdens together Create connections in all directions Discover unexpressed abilities and talents among us Embrace differences Focus faith forward Give good generously Humble our heads and our hearts Include and inspire Judge no one Kindle kindness and compassion Look first within Make amends quickly Nurture youth and maturity Open ourselves honestly to the Holy Spirit Pray on purpose Quest and question for quality Respect what we do not understand Surrender ourselves to Jesus Teach tenacity and tenderness Undertake challenges with optimism Verbalize gratitude and hope Worship God only examine our motivations honestly Yearn to learn more Zealously pursue only what is good. I am thinking of using this acrostic on Communion Sundays for a while in place of our Mission Statement. See you on Sunday! Pastor Lee

2 The Outreach Team mailed 17 care packages for our college& military loved ones, and shared one with your grateful church secretary. (Yum!) Thank you volunteers and cookie bakers! LINUS PROJECT DEDICATION Grateful thanks go to the many volunteers for the labor and love you put into our Linus Blanket Project. March 18 will be our completion date. Our blankets will be on the church pews and you may add more on that Sunday if you wish. Thanks be to God for making this mission possible. We will ask Him for special blessings on each precious child who receives one. May they and their families feel God s love, comfort and healing with the warmth of each blanket. Sally, Thelma and Emily Dear Friends, I love my blanket! Ever since I started using it, I ve felt surrounded with love and peace. THANK YOU for your prayers. - Karen Heaps Dear FEBC, THANK YOU very much for your gifts, including an impressive twenty-five years of service in Your continued generosity means we can provide nutritious food for many families in the Bloomsburg community. We appreciate your constancy in this ministry we all do together. In addition to our twice weekly grocery distribution, we send weekend food home to 200 children in the Bloomsburg School District elementary schools. We also buy fresh produce for the summer lunch program at Bloomsburg Memorial Elementary. The cooks there are very creative in adding these fresh fruits and vegetables to the children's lunches. - Sincerely, Martha Plass Sheehe, Coordinator

3 March 10, 8:30 a.m. Our guest speaker will be Mrs. Luanne Bittenbender, who is the Bank Security Officer at First Columbia Bank. Luanne will be speaking about fraud, scams, and theft. She also will be touching on some banking questions. Jean Clever was in charge of a great February prayer breakfast. Guest speaker, Todd Shultz talked about his exciting 30 year career as a Navy submarine mechanic. It was fascinating to learn what it was like to live on a submarine( for sometimes up to 6 months at a time). We learned that living on a submarine you are all part of the team and everyone on the submarine was dependent on each other. Much like our church, we are all dependent on each other to grow spiritually. The FEBC STAMPERS will meet SATURDAY, MARCH 10, at 9:30 a.m. (following Prayer Breakfast) to make Prayer Breakfast cards. We are trying a new date and time to see if we can get more church family involved. Please join us for breakfast and card making. We hand make around 100 cards each month and can always use help coloring, folding, cutting, stamping, pasting, etc. For more information or to be on the or text list contact Kara Shultz or kshultz@bloomu.edu. Holy Week Schedule Sunday, March 25 - Palm Sunday Worship, 9:25 a.m. Thursday, March 29 - Maundy Thursday Evening Worship with Communion (7-8 p.m.) Friday, March 30 - Good Friday Worship (6-7 p.m.) Sunday, April 1 - Easter Events 6:30 a.m. - Easter Sunrise Worship Service 7:00 a.m. - Easter Breakfast 9:25 a.m. - Easter Worship 10:45 a.m. Children s Easter Egg Hunt

4 The next BCE meeting is Sunday, March noon. Volunteers For March: Sunday School Ages 3-Kindergarten: Linda Eifert Grades 1-6: Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Grades 7-12: Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Easter is early this year! It s on Sunday April 1st! And... it s not an April Fool s Joke - BCE needs your help to get ready for our annual Easter Egg Hunt!! You can help by: Children s Church: March 4: Children stay in church March 11: Jen Powers March 18: Brooke Lylo March 25: Megan Birdsall 1. Taking plastic eggs home and filling them with candy or small prizes OR 2. Donating candy or small prizes that BCE can use to fill eggs OR 3. Donating money that can be used to buy candy or small prizes Plastic eggs will be available for pick up in the narthex starting on Sunday March 4th. There will also be a bin in the same location where filled eggs and candy donations can be dropped off. If you wish to donate money, please give it to Jen Powers or leave it on Carey s desk (in an envelope, clearly labeled). Thank you in advance for making this year s egg hunt a success! FEBC Children s Church Schedule 2018 January 7 Kristina Culver January 14 X January 21 Michele Kashner January 28 Linda Eifert February 4 X February 11 Pam Hardie February 18 Hannah Gray February 25 Jen Powers March 4 X March 11 Jen Powers March 18 Brooke Lylo March 25 Megan Birdsall April 1 BCE EASTER SUNDAY April 8 Carolyn Sweeney April 15 Karen Yerges April 22 Thelma Lowthert April 29 Jean Cleaver May 6 X May 13 BCE MOTHER S DAY May 20 Emily Ruckle May 27 Sue Clark June 3 X June 10 Becky Tappe June 17 BCE FATHER S DAY June 24 Kristina Culver July 1 X July 8 Michele Kashner July 15 Linda Eifert July 22 Pam Hardie July 29 Hannah Gray August 5 X August 12 Jen Powers August 19 Jen Powers August 26 Megan Birdsall September 2 X September 9 Brooke Lylo September 16 Carolyn Sweeney September 23 Karen Yerges September 30 Thelma Lowthert October 7 X October 14 Jean Cleaver October 21 Emily Ruckle October 28 Sue Clark November 4 X November 11 Becky Tappe November 18 Kristina Culver November 25 Michele Kashner December 2 Pam Hardie December 9 Hannah Gray December 16 BCE CHRISTMAS PROGRAM December 23 BCE CHRISTMAS MOVIE/ ACTIVITY December 30 BCE HAPPY NEW YEAR

5 Dear Children s Church & Sunday School Volunteers, Thank you so much for participating in our church s ministry to the children for another year! The 2018 Children s Church and Sunday School schedules are finally completed and they are included in this newsletter. If you are unable to teach Children s Church or Sunday School, please review the schedule and contact another volunteer to see if they can switch dates with you. If you are unable to find someone to switch with, please contact me at Please contact me when you do switch dates on the schedule (just so I can make sure that all Sundays are covered throughout the year). Also, I bought a Children s Church curriculum to aid with ideas. I will include the list of lessons in next month s newsletter. If you would like to use one of these lesson ideas, please contact me and I will make sure you get the lesson. The selling points for this Children s Church curriculum include minimal preparation beforehand, no last minute trips to the store for supplies and each lesson includes a game. So if you need a lesson idea just contact me! Thanks again for volunteering to work with our church s children this year!! Sincerely, Jen Powers & the Board of Christian Education Sunday School Schedule 2018 Ages 3-Kindergarten Grades 1-6 Grades 7-12 January Brooke Lylo Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: Jesus is Baptized February Michele Kashner Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: Jesus and His Disciples March Linda Eifert Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: The Miracles of Jesus April Megan Birdsall Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: The Last Supper The Easter Story May Travis Culver Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: Moses June/July/August -SUMMER BREAK FIRST SUNDAY OF FALL SESSION = 9/9/2018 September Carolyn Sweeney Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: David and Goliath October Pam Hardie Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: Daniel and the Lions November Jen Powers Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: December Brooke Lylo Kristina Culver/Annie Barnhart Bob Hardie/Jan Davis Topic: Christmas

6 We will be dipping Chocolate Covered Pretzels on Saturday, March 17 beginning at 8:00 a.m. We will need lots of orders and workers to make this fundraiser for our church's general fund a success. To order, see order form above. To volunteer, see the sign-up sheet is in the narthex. To quote an old saying, "Many hands make light work!" Plan to be part of the great fellowship that day as we make our 2018 batch of chocolate covered pretzels!!! The Altar Flower Chart for 2018 is located on the church office bulletin board, for anyone who wishes to purchase altar flowers in honor or in loving memory of someone. There are many dates left to choose from just write your name and your phone number by a date, and Carey will contact you for the details. Or, you can leave the details on Carey s desk or call (570) The deadline for submission for the April issue of The Family Times will be Tuesday, March 20. Please submit articles to Carey at febc700@gmail.com. If you need assistance, please contact me. Thank you. GIFT CARD FUNDRAISER Help your church earn money just by shopping for groceries or gas at WEIS and GIANT!!! FEBC receives 5% from the sale of each gift card. Gift Cards are available during office hours, and before or after worship. WEIS GIFT CARDS are available in $25, $50 and $100 denominations. GIANT GIFT CARDS are available in $10, $25, $50 and $100 denominations. Pictures published in this issue are courtesy of Pastor Lee, Emily Ruckle & Jen Powers. Thank you. Our February youth event was a fun outing at P-Nut Bowl in Bloomsburg.

7 It s Chocolate Covered Pretzel Time!!! First English Baptist Church is selling Chocolate Covered Pretzels! Fill in the order blank below and give to Michelle Kashner by Sunday, March 11. The pretzels will be dipped on Saturday, March 17, and will be ready for pick-up on Sunday, March 18. Name Phone 1 lb. $9.00 each = ½ lb. $5.00 each = Total amount of order: Easter Flower Order Sheet Name: Phone #: Pot Size Flower Description Price Quantity Total 4 Mini Daffodils $4.25 $ 6 Tulips (Assorted Colors) $8.75 $ 6 Mums (Assorted Colors) $8.75 $ Make checks payable to: FEBC Total due $ If possible, please include payment with your order. Thank you. *Please note that due to allergies, lilies will not longer be available. In Honor of (#) (Flower) From In Honor of (#) (Flower) From In Memory of (#) (Flower) From Please Give Orders to: Ella Jones, or the church office by SUNDAY, MARCH 4. paid cash paid check In Memory of (#) (Flower) From

8 Chocolate Covered Pretzels - Order Form on reverse. Easter Flower Order Sheet on reverse

9 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Finance Comm. 6 p.m. Diaconate Bd. 7:00 p.m. Pastor s Bible Study - 9:30 a.m. Choir 7 p.m Men s Breakfast Pastor s Bible 8 am. Study - 9:30 a.m. BCE Meeting noon Trustees 7:00 p.m. Newsletter Deadline Pastor s Bible Study - 9:30 a.m. Choir 7 p.m. Choir 7 p.m Pastor s Bible Study - 9:30 a.m. Choir 7 p.m. TURN CLOCKS 1 HOUR AHEAD BEFORE BED Prayer Breakfast 8:30 a.m. FEBC Stampers 9:30 a.m. Chocolate Covered Pretzel Dipping Day 8:00 a.m. 1 Cooper Kinney 2 Steve Ruckle Chris McCaffrey 5 Elizabeth Stewart 10 Brianna Riley Richard Schaeffer 11 Stephanie Crawford 12 Grace Wallace 13 Sarah Wildt 14 Stewart Kashner 15 Ruth Bair Dawn Michael 17 Jeff Lylo 18 Dolores Bennett 20 Cynthia (Bair) Lieberman Rob Kramer Joanne Pileski Dick Pileski Peggy Shrawder 21 Alyssa Lown 22 Raven Diltz 24 Brock Belles 25 Heather Kaminski 26 Harold Kashner, Sr. 30 Steve Wallace 31 Chase Stewart 10 Amy and Nick Karnes Pam and Doug Lynn 13 Helen and Gary Hilderbrandt 29 Kara and Ron Shultz If you are celebrating a birthday or an anniversary and do not see your name, please contact the church office (570) to provide your information, so we are sure to include you on all future lists. Doorkeepers Ella & Joe Jones Greeter Ginnie Kocher & Terry Lehman Ushers Beth Fenstermacher, Susan Clark, Esther Franklin & t.b.a Communion Outreach Grace Wallace & Karen Yerges

10 Holy Week Schedule Sunday, March 25 - Palm Sunday Worship, 9:25 a.m. Thursday, March 29 - Maundy Thursday Evening Worship with Communion (7-8 p.m.) Friday, March 30 - Good Friday Worship (6-7 p.m.) Sunday, April 1 - Easter Events 6:30 a.m. - Easter Sunrise Worship Service 7:00 a.m. - Easter Breakfast 9:25 a.m. - Easter Worship 10:45 a.m. Children s Easter Egg Hunt First English Baptist Church Rev. Dr. Lee Barnhardt 700 Millville Road Bloomsburg, PA Phone: febc700@gmail.com OR CURRENT RESIDENT