The Lamplighter. Worship Schedule for April

Transcription

1 Northlawn United Methodist Church 1157 Northlawn Street N.E. Grand Rapids, MI Phone: Fax: (616) Northlawnumc.org The Lamplighter V O L U M N 6 6, I S S U E 4 A P R I L, SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST Visioning Workshop Silent Retreat I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Pastor s Pondering 2 Calendar 3 Admin Team 4 NECM News/Needs 5 Volunteer List 6 Silver Seniors 7 VCI Overview 9 Coming Events 10 Lenten Giving 11 Worship Schedule for April April 2 Address the Mess 9:45 am April 9 Palm Sunday Service 9:45 am April 13 Maundy Thursday Service April 14 Good Friday Service 12:00 noon Second Congregational Church April 16 Sonrise Service 8:00 am April 16 Easter Brunch 9:00 am April 16 Easter Service Living Hope 9:45 am

2 P A G E 2 Pastor s Pondering Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 1 Corinthians 12:27 The first day of spring is approaching as I write this. The arrival of spring reminds me of the wooded property Paula and I raised our family on near Boyne City. Every April the forest floor would begin to come alive. Small, almost imperceptible green shoots would push up into the sunlight through the brown leaves. By the middle of May the forest floor was fully alive with flora consisting of a vast diversity of plants. Flowers of many colors, shapes and sizes were mixed with ferns, morels and other plants as if by an artist s paintbrush. The result was a forest covered with a new lush carpeting of immense beauty. During our congregation s first steps into Phase 3 of Vital Church Initiative I have been thinking of how our congregation is like the early spring forest floor. God is growing each of us, even if it is hard to notice. As we continue to journey forward, the living water of the Holy Spirit continues to water us like spring rains. We are growing into a congregation that is like the immense beauty of the Risen Christ; bringing healing, freedom and abundant life to everyone we encounter. Like the lush carpeting of the spring forest floor, the diversity of each one of us needs to be included in order for Northlawn U.M. Church to be the immense beauty of Christ. Whether you wear jeans, a suit, or a dress on Sunday; no matter what side of center your theology is on; whether you voted yes or no to move forward with Phase 3 of VCI; whether you have been attending for 90 years or 1 week, you are a valuable part of the beauty which Christ is growing us into. I look forward to us growing together into the immense beauty of Christ which encompasses our neighborhood and community. In Christ, Pastor Tim T H E L A M P L I G H T E R

3 P A G E 3 April 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Worship Team 4 10:00 am Bible Study Disciple Bible Study 5 12:00 noon Silver Seniors 6:00 pm Bells 6 6:30 pm Yarn w/purpose It s up to us to keep our hearts moldable to His teaching and our ears open to his voice. Wendy Pope, First5.org Palm Sunday :30 pm Visioning Workshop 11 10:00 am Bible Study Disciple Bible Study 12 2:00 pm Ice Chatterbox 6:00 pm Bells 13 6:30 pm Yarn w/purpose EASTER 17 Admin Team 18 6:30 pm VCI Leadership Team 19 6:00 pm Bells Yashana Lodge 20 6:00 pm Finance 6:30 pm Yarn w/purpose :30 VCI Vision Writing WON Circle :00 pm Bells Yashana Lodge 27 6:30 pm Yarn w/purpose T H E L A M P L I G H T E R

4 V O L U M N 6 6, I S S U E 4 Northlawn United Methodist Church 2017 Leadership Team P A G E 4 Administrative Team Chairperson... Phil VanHammen Finance Chairperson... Diane Ludwig SPRC Chairperson... Judy VanLente Trustee Chairperson... Jerry Lachniet Lay Member to Annual Conference... Women of Northlawn President...Ruth VanValkenburg Worship Team... Jan Jager Education Team... Congregational Care... John Secord Outreach Team... Hospitality... Missions... VCI Team... Phil VanHammen Large... Alan Claybaugh CHURCH CALENDAR ALL MINISTRY LEADERS...In order to ensure clear and concise communication, please make sure all meetings/ events are on the calendar in the office. Newsletter Deadline Help Earn Money for the Church! Deadline for The Lamplighter Newsletter is the 17th of the previous month. All articles must be received by this date or they may not be included. You may your articles to Sharon@northlawnumc.org or leave them in her mail slot. Thank you. If you use the internet for any type of search, you can use GoodSearch and a donation will be made to the church for every search and purchase you make over the internet. All proceeds go toward the mortgage principle. Here s all you need to do: Go to goodserarch.com/nonprofit/ Northlawn-united- Methodist.aspx. Click REGISTER NOW and begin raising money for Northlawn every time you search, or shop on line!

5 P A G E 5 Food Needs at NECM Canned Meats Canned Soups Spaghetti Sauce Boxed Potatoes Canned Vegetables Canned Fruits Instant Jello or Pudding Salad Dressings Ramen Noodles Instant Powdered Milk Peanut Butter Snack Items: Granola Bars, Crackers, Chips, etc. Desserts-Baking Mixes: Cake, Brownies, Cookies Boxed Mac & Cheese Pasta Fruit Juice Cereal Condiments Personal Care Items Rice Beans NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR GIVING TO NECM Spartan Nash is again supporting non-profit organizations with its new shop with a purpose Direct Your Dollars program. All you have to do is bring your grocery store receipts from Family Fare, D&W and any Spartan Store and place them in the box provided in the Narthex. When $150,000 in receipts are received, NECM will receive $1,000 from Spartan Nash. The total of Northlawn receipts as of 3/1817 total $12,908. More information can be found at Connection Corner. UPCOMING FAITH BASED MOVIE RELEASES Monday, April 10 (One Night Only) Facing Darkness - a Samaritan s Purse Film, Franklin Graham, Executive Director Premiers Friday, April 7 The Case for Christ Premiers Friday, May 19 Champion Premiers Friday, October 20 Same Kind of Different as Me T H E L A M P L I G H T E R

6 V O L U M N 6 6, I S S U E 4 P A G E 6 APRIL VOLUNTEER LIST Liturgists Paula Wright Coffee Fellowship 2 Jenna McDonald 9 WON Circle 16 Bertha Parker 23 Easter Brunch 30 Connection Corner If you would like to serve at Connection Corner, please sign up at Connection Corner. There are opportunities for you to serve in April. Please sign up at Connection Corner. These are important ministries here at Northlawn. APRIL BIRTHDAYS BIRTHDAYS 1 Ed Cavanaugh 1 Patty Powell 8 Leslie Martin-Good 10 Mike DieBold 12 Charlie Yen 12 Chris Longstreth 14 Sharon Lull 15 Lyle Brockway 19 Bob Hamilton 28 Sharon Longstreth 30 Rose Dennis ANNIVERSARIES 27 Bob & Jody Hamilton Don't just count your years, make your years count. George Meredith Keep These People in Your Prayers Bishop David A. Bard G.R. District Superintendent, Rev. Bill Haggard Pastor Tim Pastor Jan Marcia Loveless Family of Wheeler Tortellet RuthAnn Buschert Sharon Longstreth & Family Family of Jaden Buschert Family of Ken Peterson Jane Lachniet Bob & Jackie Rauser Patty Powell Family of Laura Tahaney Dee Roberts Ruth VanValkenburg Theresa Gorter-Hoff Sue Smith Nothing is too great, and nothing is too small to commit into the hands of the Lord. --A.W. Pink

7 P A G E 7 Vital Church Initiative (VCI) Update VCI Leadership Team: Oversees the Implementation of our VCI Prescriptions -Pastor Tim -Judy VanLente -Phil VanHammen -Jeff Yen - Hilda Russell VCI Vision Writing Team: Finalizes our Vision from the output of the Visioning Workshops - Sharon Sumner - Tammy Diebold - Leslie Martin-Good - Bonnie Burke SILVER SENIORS POTLUCK! Wednesday, April 5 at Noon Fellowship Hall Join us on WEDNESDAY, APRIL 5 at NOON in the FELLOWSHIP HALL for a POTLUCK lunch. HAM will be provided...so just bring any side dish you wish. Friends/family are always welcome! Sign up at Connection Corner! Do you long for quiet in your busy life? The next silent retreat (yes, we will talk at times) will be Friday, April 28 through Sunday, April 30, at The Hermitage, a retreat center near Three Rivers, MI. We will be staying in individual rooms in a gorgeous renovated barn. The site has a library, chapel, walking trails, and the meals are plentiful and wonderful. (Check it out at The cost is $60 per night. If you don t have something already that you want to read, study or think about, Pastor Jan will be happy to advise you. Questions? Reservation? Call her at (616) Departure and return times are negotiable based on who is going. Insights from the Apostle Paul: We have got to be rooted in the Gospel of the crucified Christ. The church is the body of Christ. It s not about us. Take confidence in God s presence and our call. There are different abilities to perform service, but the same God gives ability to all for their particular service. 1 Corinthians 12:6 Make relationships your aim. Our main business is reaching new people for Christ. [2 Corinthians 5:19-20] T H E L A M P L I G H T E R

8 V O L U M N 6 6, I S S U E 4 P A G E 8 My dear Northlawn parishioners, Terry and I ask for your prayers for our family. Both of my parents were diagnosed with dementia last month, and we share a home with them. They can no longer be left alone. While we were in California to see our first grandson, Terry got both influenza and pneumonia, and then was diagnosed with severe heart failure. We had expected this would occur, but not so quickly or precipitously. Thank you for your heartfelt prayers for his hospitalization there and for our smooth trip home. The cardiologist's nurse practitioner believes he will slowly regain some heart function, so we are waiting and trusting God's will. Since all three of them have increased needs, I have requested a leave of absence from my responsibilities at Northlawn in order to care for them. Thank you SO much for the prayers, cards and s. You are precious to us. Depending on God s faithfulness, Pastor Jan STS FOUNDATION (a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to intercultural student exchange) Help us make the world a better place. Become a host family for an International exchange student!! Would you like to be a missionary family in your own home? Would you be willing to show hospitality to an international high school student? STS Foundation is looking for 40 host families in the greater Grand Rapids area to host students for the 2017/2018 school year. Hosting is free and will make an eternal impact. For more information, contact Misty by text: or misty.stsf@gmail.com. Thank you! Dear Family and Friends at Northlawn, Please know how very much I appreciate the cards, calls, prayers and Memorial Gifts for Ken sent over the last many months of Ken's hospitalization and finally very sudden death. Your support of us/me has been overwhelming. Thank you all. Third Visioning Workshop Monday, April 10, 7-8:30 pm A foundational step in moving forward into our Vital Church Initiative prescriptions is for us to discern God s vision for Northlawn United Methodist Church. This third workshop, like the previous two, is planned to facilitate this process. Your participation is VITAL for us to clarify who God is calling us to be. Please make every effort to attend this workshop, even if you attended the first two. It will be valuable for both you and our congregation. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Tim.

9 P A G E 9 Renewal Worship Palm Sunday - April 9 th God had a plan on the first Palm Sunday over 2,000 years ago to empower His Church to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in miraculous, new ways that would bring eternal life to Jerusalem and eventually the entire world. The events of Holy Week ignited renewal within Jesus disciples, empowering them to follow God s lead into the new future God had for them. God has a plan this Palm Sunday to empower us, the people of Northlawn United Methodist Church, to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ in miraculous, new ways to our neighborhood, community and the world. Our worship on this Palm Sunday, April 9, is designed to enable the Holy Spirit to ignite renewal in us so that we are spiritually ready to follow God into the future God has for us. Communion will be an integral part of our worship. Some questions we will examine are: What do I need to leave behind? What do I need to take with me? How can I be open to where God is leading me? I look forward to seeing how God will renew us during our Renewal Worship on Palm Sunday. Pastor Tim T H E L A M P L I G H T E R

10 V O L U M N 6 6, I S S U E 4 P A G E 10 April Volunteer Opportunities to Serve ~ More information & sign up using the links provided below and/or at the Connection Corner Annual Easter Celebration Welcome Brunch Sunday, April 16 Sunrise Service 8:00 am Brunch Worship Service 9:45 am It's become a Northlawn tradition. Help us celebrate and welcome worshipers on Easter Sunday morning by bringing a breakfast item to share at our special Easter Brunch. We hope to offer a yummy assortment of items as worshipers enter the front lobby. You can help by signing up to bring an item of your choice to share. We hope to include some meat and breakfast casserole type items in addition to continental items, fruit & other brunch dishes. Brunch will be available in the front lobby after the Sunrise and before the traditional service. Tables & chairs will be available in 1st floor classrooms. Please have items at church by 8:45 am. NE Supper House April 18, 4:30 - Mark Your May Calendar: 40th Annual Hunger Walk Date: Sunday, May 7, 2:30 p.m. Location: Park Church, Downtown GR Sign up to walk at the Connection Corner! **Can t walk - NECOM also needs help with registration, refreshments, set up/tear down, t-shirts, etc. If you can help-call Laura Castle at NECM Annual Live/Silent Auction Fundraiser Saturday, May 13 RSVP to necom77@aol.com or Red Bird Craft Show, Annual Community Plant Exchange & Bake Sale Saturday, May 20 ***We will need plant & bake sale donations and volunteers to set up Friday and help the day of the event! God doesn t call people who are qualified. He calls people who are willing, and then qualifies them. - Richard Parker

11 P A G E 11 4 FIRES 4 Fires will not be meeting from May 3rd through July 26th. It will be resuming the first week of August. FEEDING AMERICA WEST MICHIGAN This Lent, which begins Ash Wednesday, March 1 and ends on Easter, April 16, we will be donating to Feeding America. Perhaps you will remember this organization by the name of West Michigan Gleaners. Our contributions will be donated to the site in Comstock Park, and will be used to pay for transportation of food donated by individuals, farmers, packaging plants, and grocery chains. According to the charity watchdog site Charity Navigator, Feeding America West Michigan uses 98.2% of their donations for programs and services, with only 1.8% for administration and fundraising. I have never seen another charity with that high a percentage! Please take a donation card and a box, and return them to church any time up until the Sunday after Easter, April 23. Pastor Jan Lenten Giving I Worried Mary Oliver I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers flow in the right direction, will the earth turn as it was taught, and if not how shall I correct it? Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven, can I do better? Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows can do it and I am, well, hopeless. Is my eyesight fading or am I just imagining it, am I going to get rheumatism, lockjaw, dementia? Finally I saw that worrying had come to nothing, and gave it up. And took my old body and went out into morning, and sang. N E W S L E T T E R T I T L E

12 V O L U M N 6 6, I S S U E 4 P A G E 12 Northlawn United Methodist Church 1157 Northlawn Street N.E. Grand Rapids, MI Phone: Fax: (616) office@northlawnumc.org MISSION - Why We Are Here: Making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.