Somerset Church of the Brethren. Crossroads. Inside This Issue. 10K/5K Walk/Run. April Outreach. Calendar. Easter Offering.

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1 Crossroads PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IN WORD AND DEED Somerset Church of the Brethren FROM THE PASTORS PEN Matthew 26:36-46 IN THE GARDEN For me the passage of scripture from story of Easter that speaks most directly to my heart are the words spoken by Jesus in the garden. In my opinion, this is Jesus at his most human moment, asking that if there is any way possible, he would quite like the cup to pass from him. Jesus was fully divine so he knew what was about to come. Jesus was fully human so he knew it would hurt. Through the words of Jesus in the garden we have a striking moment of humanity and divinity co-existing in a vulnerable moment that, for me at least, defines Jesus final moments before his glorification grieved, as scripture says, to the point of death. The truly remarkable moment comes when he accepts that he must drink from this cup because it is the will of God the father. When we face our hardest moments, when we come face to face with our mortality, when we hit up against something so difficult we cannot comprehend how to continue. Just remember God is with us in exactly the same way he was with Jesus. God is just as present for us as he was for Jesus his Spirit can be alive in us just as it was for Jesus. The pain may still come, the torment may not pass, the difficulty may not cease but we are never alone and we are deeply loved. Pastor Paul Inside This Issue 10K/5K Walk/Run Calendar Kids Page April Outreach Easter Offering New Births Som R Angels meeting

2 SOMERSET CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN PAGE 2 APRIL APRIL FOOL S DAY Deacons prep for Communion, 5:30pm Fellowship & Service meeting, 6pm Ministry & Evangelism meeting, 6:15pm Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7pm Bell Choir rehearsal, 8pm 2 MAUNDY THURSDAY Love Feast with Communion, 7pm 3 GOOD FRIDAY Good Friday Service at 1st UMC, 12:05pm Egg Hunt prep, Time TBA 4 PASSOVER BEGINS Easter Egg Hunt, 10am 5 EASTER SUNDAY Parish Nursing, 11:30am-1pm Social Hall rental, 1-5pm 6 Praise Team practice, 6:30pm Laurel Highland Chorale practice, 7pm 6-10 Social Hall/Library rental, 8am-4pm 6-13 Pastors on vacation 7 Quilters & Knotters, 9am 8 Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7pm Bell Choir rehearsal, 8pm Spring Crop Scrapbook Retreat at Camp 11 PASSOVER ENDS 12 Praise & Worship Service, 10am Social Hall rental, 1-6pm 13 Praise Team practice, 6:30pm Laurel Highland Chorale practice, 7pm 14 Quilters & Knotters, 9am Library rental, 12-1pm Social Hall/Kitchen rental, 6-9pm 15 Social Hall rental, afternoon? Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7pm Bell Choir rehearsal, 8pm Newsletter articles due to church office 16 Wedding rehearsal, Time TBA Som R Angels to Dist. Ladies Brunch, 9:30am Stewardship & Finance meeting, 7pm 17 Wedding(Sanc/SocialHall/Kitchen), 7:30am-5pm 18 Social Hall rental, 7am-6pm Volunteer Breakfast at Camp Harmony 19 Board items due to boardchair 20 Praise Team practice, 6:30pm Administrative Board meeting, 7pm Laurel Highland Chorale practice, 7pm 21 Quilters & Knotters, 9am 22 EARTH DAY Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7pm Bell Choir rehearsal, 8pm Craft & Flea Market Bazaar at Camp 24 ARBOR DAY 26 Men s Fellowship meeting, 7:30am Kids CONNECT meeting after worship 27 Praise Team practice, 6:30pm Laurel Highland Chorale practice, 7pm 28 Quilters & Knotters, 9am 29 Chancel Choir rehearsal, 7pm Bell Choir rehearsal, 8pm STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION: Kimmy Hixson (office), kimmyscob@hotmail.com Pastor Brandy (office), (cell), (home), pastorbrandyscob@hotmail.com Pastor Paul (office), (cell), (home), pastorpaulscob@hotmail.com

3 SOMERSET CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN PAGE 3 10K/5K WALK/RUN The Daily American 10K/5K walk/run will be on Saturday, June 13th. The cost is $18 (includes t-shirt). The deadline to sign up for the race is Sunday, May 10th. This year's race will be supporting the Sipesville Volunteer Fire Department, Special Olympics, and the Weekend Backpack Program. If you are interested in joining the Somerset Church of the Brethren team or have questions, please see or call Dave or Julie Stanton, Please join our team and have lots of fun! OFFICE HOURS: Regular church office hours are: 8:30am-12:30pm Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Fridays and 8:30am-3pm on Mondays & Thursdays. The Pastors are available in the office 9am-1pm Mon-Thurs. and by appointment. If you have an emergency the Pastors may be contacted by cell phone or at home. Also the church secretary, Kimmy Hixson is always happy to take a message or to contact them immediately if necessary. DEADLINE REMINDERS: Just a reminder of the current deadlines in effect: Daily American newspaper article - Wednesdays by 9am Bulletin announcements - Thursdays by 9am Powerpoint notices - Fridays by 9am Board Meeting items - by the Sunday before the meeting "Crossroads" Newsletter articles - by the 15th of each month GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE The Good Friday Service will be hosted at the 1st United Methodist Church, 149 W. Patriot Street, on April 3rd at 12:05pm with a light lunch served. It will be preceded by special music by Rev. Jay Christner beginning at 11:30am. The SAM Clergy will give the message. APRIL OUTREACH: Emma Berkey BBS Project SOM 'R ANGELS MEETING The Som 'R Angels Red Hat group will be meeting on Thursday, April 16th for the District Women s Brunch at 9:30am at the Maple Spring COB. Contact Faye Grew at for any questions.

4 SOMERSET CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN PAGE 4 CONGRATULATIONS GOES TO: Sean & Nora Yoder on the birth of their baby boy, Toby. Proud Grandparents are Earl & Debbie Yoder. Nathan & Tara Peters on the birth of their baby girl, Presley. SERMON TITLES & SCRIPTURES April 5th EASTER SUNDAY "The Gardener" John 20:1-18 April 12th Pastors on vacation John 20:27-29 April 19th Gideon Presentation "Purified by Hope" 1st John 3:1-7 April 26th "Our Hearts" 1st John 3:16-24 EGG-STRA FACTS Although Easter eggs were once part of pagan spring festivals, they ve become Christian symbols of new life. A cracked-open shell also represents Jesus empty tomb on Easter morning. The early Christians of Mesopotamia began staining eggs red in honor of Jesus blood shed on the cross. Red eggs remain part of Greek Orthodox celebrations today. For Lent, some families used to give up eggs and dairy, so they prepared a pancake feast on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. They solved the egg surplus by hard-boiling them in various broths, which led to colored eggs. In medieval times, churches held egg-throwing festivals. The priest threw a hard-boiled egg toward the choir boys, who tossed it back and forth. When the clock struck 12, whoever was holding the egg got to keep it. In some European countries, children go from house to house to collect Easter eggs. Each year, PAAS Dye Co., sells more than 10 million egg-coloring kits, which consumers use to decorate 180 million eggs. The tallest chocolate Easter egg ever produced weighed 16,000 pounds more than an elephant!

5 SOMERSET CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN PAGE 5 GIDEONS PRESENTATION Join us on Sunday, April 19th for a presentation by Bill Ohler, a Gideon representative. SHOES NEEDED Once again, the Ladies Auxiliary to the Church Home is collecting shoes for third world countries. Please put rubber band around them and place in box in gathering area. Thank you. FOUR LESSONS OF GOOD FRIDAY CAMP HARMONY SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Upcoming Events: April 4: Geocache Egg Hunt April 10-11: Spring Crop Scrapbooker s Retreat April 18: Volunteer Breakfast April 23-25: Craft & Flea Market Bazaar April 30-May2: Quilt Camp Looking Ahead: May 16: Wellness Fair & Run The Plank May 30: LIT & Volunteer Orientation The Rev. James Martin, J.J., author of Jesus: A Pilgrimage (HarperOne), writes that Jesus suffering and death almost 2,000 years ago are very relevant to our 21st-century lives. He says Good Friday teaches us that: 1. physical and emotional suffering are part of life; 2. Suffering isn t always the result of sin; 3. Jesus was fully human and thus understands our humanity; and 4. Suffering isn t the last word. The message of Good Friday is incomplete without Easter, Martin writes. The story of the Passion is not simply of a man being brutally tortured, nailed to a cross and executed by the Romans. It s the story of a man who turns himself fully over to the Father s will, trusts that something new will come our of this offering and receives the astonishing gift of new life.

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9 SOMERSET CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN PAGE 9 HAPPY BIRTHDAY! 1 Esme Rivkin 4 Conner Johnston, Lane Sechler, Drew Deffenbaugh 5 James T. Yoder 6 Jessica Schomer 7 Michael Saylor 8 Esther Liepelt 10 Lori Hall 11 Pat Haer 12 Barbara Black, John Shadle, Jr. 14 Kacey Berkey 16 Ellis Nair 18 Brandy Liepelt 21 Verna Forrest 22 Linda Darr, Jarod Schrock 24 Virginia Nair, Abigail Stanton, Lillian Goforth 25 Virginia McClintock 27 Paul Kelly 29 Mary Anne Heinemeyer 30 Malinda Forry APRIL SCHEDULES: EARLY GREETERS: Elective Class HOSPITALITY: 5 Fellowship & Service FBI Class 26 WORSHIP HOSTS: 5 VOLUNTEER NEEDED 12 Michael & Trudy Saylor 19 Ira & Melissa Smith 26 Fred & Kim Huet USHERS: Fred & Kim Huet (Lead Usher) David Cupp, David Stanton, Jason Custer, Carolyn Willoughby (Deffenbaugh), Alice Gary and Charlie Rhodamer NURSERY ATTENDANTS: 5 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 12 Kathie & Terry Shafer, Sue Gibbs 19 Ginger & Haylee Rohrer, Diane Barron 26 Kate & Adam Shaffer, Amy Miller ACOLYTE: Katie Muro 3 rd Larry & Joyce Williams 6th Allen & Lori Hall 13 th James & Barbara Yost 14 th Ira & Melissa Smith 15 th Ken & Debbie Baker 17th Dan & Jessica Schomer DEACONS OF THE MONTH: Jeff & Sherry Berkey, Jeff & Amy Pyle, Eric & Kelly Hoffman, James T. & Ann Yoder

10 JOIN US FOR THE EASTER EGG HUNT AT SCOB! The Easter Egg Hunt featuring a magic show by Jeff Allan will be held on Saturday, April 4th, at 10 a.m. The egg hunt will be for ages 12 months to 6th grade.