Worship Series: Brave Take a Bold Step.

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1 Issue 237 Church of the cross T HE C ROSSFIRE A p ri l Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World ON THE INSIDE 2 Pastor s page 3 8/8 Prayer 3 New Staff 3 Birthdays 4 Maundy Thursday 4 Creation Meeting 5 Children s Ministry 6 Praises 6 Lead Team Notes 7 Finances 7 Congregational Notes Mission News (Insert) Special Dates in April: Communion Sunday, April 2 Palm Sunday, April 9 Children s Musical, April 9 Maundy Thursday, April 13 Eggstravaganza, April 15 Easter Sunday, April & Over Luncheon, April 15 Ugly Quilts, April1,15 Easter Sunday, April 16 Worship Series: Brave Take a Bold Step. April 2; Brave: Identity Matthew 16:13-20 April 9: Palm Sunday Children s Musical Alive Forever! Brave: A Different Kind of King Mark 11:1-10 April 16: Easter Sunday Risen Indeed! - John 20:1-18 Palm Sunday - April 9 Children s Musical - Alive Forever! - 9:30 & 11:11 a.m. Maundy Thursday - April 13 Maundy Thursday Dinner & Program 6:30 p.m. Eggstravaganza! - Saturday, April 15-9:00-11:00 a.m. For children up to 5th grade Breakfast, Easter Egg Hunt Risen Indeed!

2 Page 2 Issue 237 AN EASTER MESSAGE FROM PASTOR KEITH Church Staff In Ministry with you Keith Luke Lead Pastor keith@cotcumc.com Lisa Gleason Administrative Assistant Chuck Albright Visitation Pastor chuckalbright@ymail.com Kristin Miklovic Director of Children s Discipleship kristinm@cotcumc.com Rich Dubler Traditional/Blended Worship Director Donna Myers Keyboard Musician Donna Myers Andrew Brammer Contemporary Worship Leader Aaron Keaster Bell Choir Director Joanne Born Tita Wood Custodians Do not be surprised. You are looking for Jesus, the Nazarene, who was crucified. He isn t here! He has been raised from the dead! Look where they laid his body. Mark 16:6 Imagine the confusion upon hearing these words of the angel spoken to Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary the mother of James as they entered the tomb where the body of Jesus had been placed three days prior. It made no sense to them, because the one whom they had loved had been killed just a few days earlier. It had been a very public death and there was no doubt as to its finality. However now he was gone from the tomb and an angel is there telling them that Jesus is raised from the dead. This was beyond comprehension and quite overwhelming. Verse 8 actually says that they fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, saying nothing to anyone because they were too frightened to talk. I would imagine they did leave there bewildered and trembling, unable to put into words what they had seen and heard. To this day, the wonder and mystery of a risen Lord Jesus can be bewildering. That death was conquered and the chains of sin and death no longer have a hold on us is overwhelming. The crucified and risen Jesus offers us all life beyond what which we can imagine, through removing the trappings of sin and raises us up to that new life. This is what we encounter in Paul s letter to the Romans: Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. Romans 6:5-7 In this Easter season, I pray that you know that freedom of forgiveness and the fullness of a life that comes from the risen Christ Jesus. May you find the mystery, the wonder that bewildered, to also be life giving. In Christ, Pastor Keith

3 The Crossfire Page 3 C O T C S 8 / 8 P R AY E R (In this Lenten Season, let us pause each day at 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and pray this prayer for God s church and our lives.) Hymes, Sarah Blair, Gail 4/4 4/6 Leow, Aaron 4/7 Leow, James 4/7 Crozier, Patty 4/8 Ryan, Angela 4/8 Brown, Deborah 4/9 Montez, Connie 4/9 Norris, Brian 4/9 Schwabel, Dawn 4/9 Schroeder, Jessica 4/11 Klohn, Mike 4/12 Taylor, Arletha 4/14 Parker, Eva 4/18 Coulter, Richard 4/19 Zaborowski, Madisen 4/23 COTC WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR OF CHILDREN S DISCIPLESHIP I am excited to announce that Kristin Miklovic has been hired as our new Director of Children s Discipleship. Kristin comes to us with many years of experience in children s ministry in other churches, as well as volunteering here at COTC for the last few years. We look forward to her leadership with our children from nursery through 6th grade. Kristin s first day on staff was Sunday, March 19th. Please welcome Kristin and keep her, her husband Jay, and their three children; Joey, Hannah and Gabe in your prayers in this time of transition in joining our church s staff. Kristin s church is: kristinm@cotcumc.com In Christ, Pastor Keith Forquer, Diane 4/26 McDonagh, Lois 4/27

4 Page 4 Issue 237 M AUNDY THURSDAY Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, believed to be the day when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with His disciples. On Thursday, April 13 we will have our Annual Maundy Thursday Dinner at 6:30 p.m. in the gym followed by a service in the sanctuary which will include communion. Please sign up at the Adult Ministry Corner in the Gathering Area. There is a free will offering to help defray the cost of the meal. Nursery will be provided. If you will be bringing children to the nursery (please bring sack lunch) and indicate how many children on the signup sheet C REATION MEETING Monday evening April 24 at 7:00 p.m. in the Gathering area. Dr. Jerry Bergman joins us this month to discuss the second volume in his fivebook series Slaughter of the Dissidents. This series is a result of over 30 years of research into the discrimination faced by those who find problems with the evolutionary model of origins. There is no question that those how doubt Darwinian orthodoxy are subject to personal discrimination in academe. Dissenters from orthodoxy are rarely treated well, but in the case of those who doubt Darwanian conclusions about the development of life on earth, this discrimination is systematic and comprehensive. Dr. Bergman has seven graduate degrees and has over 1000 publications in 12 languages to his credit. He will have several of his 38 books and monographs available for purchase. Join us for a most revealing evening! The role of the cross If the cross is the place where the worst thing that could happen happened, it is also the place where the best thing that could happen happened. Ultimate hatred and ultimate love met on those two crosspieces of wood. Suffering and love were brought into harmony. To be saved requires a severance from the former life as clean and sharp as though made by a knife. There must be a wall of separation between the old life and the new, a radical break. That means death death to the old life, in order for the new to begin. This wall of separation, this barrier, is the cross. Elisabeth Elliot, A Path Through Suffering

5 Page 5 Issue 237 C ROSSOVER CHILDREN S MINISTRY

6 The Crossfire Page 6 G OD S ANWSERS TO OUR PRAYERS Psalms 126:3 NIV "The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Praise and thanks to God for all my blessings. I am truly blessed. Good news for former active member who had successful heart procedure. Praise God for His guiding hand. Thankful to God that the English as a Second Language Curriculum, developed in Germany as a ministry tool by one of our young missionaries, has received an award. Praises that a member's mammogram was negative. Praise and thanks for all my blessings! Praising the Lord for the blessings of good family and friends. Praising God for the love and support from church family during father's recent physical issues and his passing. Praises for two girl friends who are now cancer free. The above praises were taken from requests at the altar, from s or from Sunday Connect Cards. N OTES FROM THE FEBRUARY LEAD TEAM MEETING The meeting was started with prayer and a devotion on Isaiah 43 by Pastor Keith. The Lead Team was given two presentations by members of the church: Larry Moore presented an explanation and model of a proposed Deep Winter Greenhouse, which had been approved by Trustees, and the project was approved by the Lead Team. John Strole reported on the setting up of the new Parsonage Fund. The monies obtained from the sale of the parsonage will be kept in a Morgan Stanley fund setup with the goal of realizing 6% annual interest. The church is required by the denomination to keep these funds available for the provision of a parsonage in the future should the need arise. The Finance Committee gave an update on the budget and pledges from Consecration Sunday. The Pastor gave a report on efforts to fill the newly open Children and Youth Ministry positions and the Adult Ministry Positions. The Team discussed plans for maintaining the above ministries until the positions are filled. Also discussions were held on the cleaning up and re-purposing the Children Ministry classrooms, improving communications with church members, and the schedule for Easter and springtime. The meeting was closed with prayer by Pastor Keith.

7 Page 7 Issue 237 F INANCES AT A GLANCE F EBRUARY 2017 & YEAR TO DATE Consider Online Giving Life is busy! And that means you may not be at church every Sunday. We hope you won t forget Church of the Cross even if you are not here every Sunday. Online giving is a great way to continue your financial support of the mission and ministry programs at COTC, even though you may not be able to be here every week for worship. To donate electronically using your debit or credit card or checking account transfer, please visit our website at and click on the link that says give. C ONGREGATIONAL NOTES 55 & Over Luncheon The April 55 & Over Luncheon is scheduled for Wednesday, April 19th at 11:30 a.m. Brandywine Country Club (6904 Salisbury Rd. Maumee) Sign up at the Adult Ministry Corner. Crossfire Deadline The deadline for the May edition of the Crossfire is April 15. Please submit articles via at or drop them off at the church office. Thank you for meeting this deadline. Ugly Quilts Ugly Quilts will meet on Saturday, April 15 from 10:00-2:00. A light lunch will be provided. Please contact Dolly Ryan at if you are able to attend and for any questions. Our sincere sympathy and prayers are extended to Angie LaGreca on the death of her father, Samuel Naumoff on February 25. The funeral service was held on March 1 in Burton, MI. Dave Olin on the unexpected death of his sister, Ida Mae Olin on March 6. the funeral service was held in Gageville, Ohio on March 11. Pamela Pennington on the death of her brother, Roger Hamm on March 7. The funeral service was held in Bowling Green on March 19 with Pastor Keith officiating. Jean Guernsey on the death of her sister, Joann Gorsuch on February 27. Please remember these members and their families as they grieve the loss of their loved one.

8 Church of the Cross, UM 1750 East gate Rd. Toledo, OH Address Service Requested Prepared Especially For: Phone: Fax: Eastgate Rd. Toledo, OH Church of the Cross Phone: Fax: We re on the Web: Church of the cross We re on the Web! April 16th!Join us for Easter! Sunday Worship 8:00 AM The Chapel 9:30 AM The Gathering 11:11 AM Cross Community Food Pantry Every 2nd & 4th Tuesday 4:00-6:00 p.m. Community Meal - 4th Tuesday Prayer Line Number# M-TH 8:30am-4:30pm Editor: Lisa Gleason Deadline for copy: 15th of each month.