Now that s Easter all year long! Yours in Christ, Pastor Chris

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1 Happy Easter! While re-reading the Easter stories, especially the ones in Mark and John, something jumped out at me. The women who discovered the empty tomb and Jesus disciples were some fearful people. The women began their Sunday morning anxious about who would roll away the stone from the tomb. When they made the discovery of the empty tomb, they went away afraid. In another version of this same story, Mary Magdalene was anxious and afraid that someone stole Jesus body. She was so distraught that she thought the risen Jesus was the gardener! Meanwhile, Jesus disciples spent their time hiding behind locked doors even after Jesus appeared to them. It s a small wonder that the church was ever born and blossomed, given how anxious and fearful Jesus followers were on that first Easter morning and even for weeks following. Yet with the power of the Holy Spirit, they kept moving forward, and by the indwelling presence of the Spirit, they accomplished many powerful things all over the known world. You and I are here today because they did. There are times, within you and within myself, that I sense this same kind of fear and anxiety. We know full well that God is on our side. We know that Christ is risen. We know Who has the victory in the great struggle of good versus evil, life verses death. And yet we get fearful. We worry over having enough money to keep moving forward. We worry about how hard it is to reach a world that increasingly wants nothing to do with church and with Christ. We look around at ourselves and we get anxious about having enough younger people to carry on the work of Trinity. All of these are genuine, critical concerns, and we continue to address them with open-eyed, sober consideration. However, none of this is cause for fear and anxiety. Fear and anxiety keeps us behind locked doors. Fear and anxiety keeps us silent and kept to ourselves. Fear and anxiety tempts us to judge, hate, and reject people we don t truly know or understand. Fear and anxiety shrivels us up into a shrinking, lifeless religious club. I believe it s high time for us to identity any fear and anxiety for what it is- God-denying and resurrection-denying. In the place of fear and anxiety, let s be a people of joyful love and peace unafraid of the future and of loving and including all of our neighbors into the good news of Jesus Christ. Now that s Easter all year long! Yours in Christ, Pastor Chris

2 April 2018 page 2 How Can We Assist You? The Trinity Lamplighter is published monthly by Trinity United Methodist Church 1300 West Street Annapolis, MD Church Office Phone office@trinityannapolis.org Website Church Staff Rev. Chris Owens Pastor Blairlee Owens Office Manager Prayer Chain...There is always someone who will pray for you. If you would like to place someone on the Prayer Chain, please call the church office ( ) or Cindy Sawyer at ( ) or hmclsawyer@yahoo.com. Do you like to pray, especially with others? Join Pastor Chris on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 am in the Sanctuary for a time of prayer for members of our church family and the community, and our church. Holding each other up in prayer is an essential part of our discipleship. Please come and support the life of Christ s church. Jane Daugherty Director of Music Wanda Lee Custodian Karen Jung-Yeon Yim Organist/Accompanist Thank you to all who volunteered during our two weeks of Winter Relief this year. We are grateful for the many hours spent preparing and serving meals, handing out medications and spending time with our guests. ~ Winter Relief Committee The Women s Bible Study meets every other Friday at 9:30 am in Room 209. We are currently studying the books of Timothy, Titus and Philemon. Check the church calendar for which Friday s we are meeting in April The Pastor s Wednesday Bible Study resumes on April 4, The Morning Study will meet from 10:00 am 11:30 am and the Evening Study will meet from 7:00 pm 8:30 pm. Both classes will be in Room 209 and will continue their study of the book of Genesis. Hope that you can join us as we study God s Word.

3 April 2018 page 3 Serving in Worship April 2018 Thank you for serving in this important ministry in the life of the church. If you are unable to fulfill your scheduled duties, kindly switch with someone and notify the church office. Date Greeter(s) Liturgist Usher Captain Acolyte April 1 Dottie Goodman Jack Spencer Tom Myers Rebecca Sawyer April 8 Harry & Cindy Sawyer Kathryn Hawes Tom Myers Steven Busch April 15 Carol Kulasik Darlene Robbins Bill Finagin Genevieve Robertson April 22 Bill & Nancy Busch Diane Gilligan Bill Finagin Noah Busch April 29 Claudia Johnson Susan Sienkiewich Bill Busch Jolene Wright

4 April 2018 page 4 Sunday, April 1 6:30 am Sunrise Service at Oyster Harbor Community Beach (3307 Shore Drive, Annapolis) 9:00 am Sunday School for all ages 10:00 am Fellowship Time LADIES SPRING CELEBRATION Ladies, please mark your calendars for May 53, 6452 at 5:44 p.m. The United Methodist Men would like to show you our appreciation for all that you have done for us. The theme this year is the DOO-WOP era the Rocking 50's. Look for more information in the coming weeks. Our own Karen Jung-Yeon Yim will be presenting a piano recital in the Gildenhorn Recital Hall at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center,(8270 Alumni Drive, College Park, MD 20742) on Thursday, April 26 at 8:00 pm. Come out and support Karen and listen to some beautiful music. Would you like to learn how to knit? Interested in making a sweater for a child in need? Join our Crafts for Christ group that meets every other Wednesday of each month from 1:00 pm 3:00 pm in Room 209. Interested in learning to make beautiful stained glass projects? If so, come to the Youth Room at our new day and time, every Monday from 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m. to design and make a beautiful work of art. No previous experience required. Every second Saturday of the month at 7:00 pm, come to Room 209 for a fun-filled evening of fellowship and dominoes. Hope to see you there.

5 April 2018 page 5 Come sail away with me... Vacation Bible School will be held August from 9:00 am 12:00 pm each day. We are in need of volunteers to lead groups from station to station, run a station, assist at a station, and help make this year s VBS a successful one. If you have any questions, please contact our Co-Directors Liz Williams (410) or Cindy Sawyer ( ). If you re able to volunteer in some capacity, please contact the Church Office ( or office@trinityannapolis.org. Look for registration information soon. Mission Update ~ Daniel & Beth Su ~ China Outreach Ministries (COM) We teach a session on Cross-cultural Communication to help train new missionaries. This is a critical area as many of our American missionaries wrestle with the challenge of communicating the Gospel cross-culturally to the Chinese. Prayer Requests: (1) Pray for the many outreach activities on many of our COM campuses. (2) Pray for God s wisdom and guidance as we lead this ministry. (3) Pray for quite a few Chinese scholars who have recently returned to China. I ve helped them get connected with local Christians. Pray that God be with them in their transition and testimonies in China. China Outreach Ministries shares Christ s love with Chinese students and scholars from North American campuses, serving them, reaching them with the Good News, discipling them, and helping them become godly leaders for Christ who share their faith with others.. To find out more, visit Germantown Elementary needs our help. We still have a few openings to deliver fruit to the school by 2:00 pm on Thursday. The open dates are 5/3, 5/17, 5/31, 6/7. The sign-up sheet is available in the Church Office. Thanks for all those who have donated fruits and toiletries this school year. Way to go church! In March 2018, we collected $211 which allowed us to fully fund Well #31. We are now collecting for Well #32. Monies collected in memory of Brian Myers are helping to fund our next Well. Each well costs $1,800. The money collected provides a source of clean and safe drinking water. Be sure to look at the pictures of the Wells that Trinity UMC has funded up to this point. The pictures are on the wall in the hallway between the Sanctuary and Room 209. funding our next Well.

6 April 2018 page 6 April 3 Richard Sienkiewich April 6 Karl Alexander April 7 Rebecca Sawyer April 14 Doris Brady April 15 Art Lewis April 20 Steven Busch April 21 Colin Hudgins April 21 Denise Lorenzen April 23 Nancy Plaxico April 1 Bob & Pam Stewart April 23 Jim & Claudia Johnson April 26 Harry & Cindy Sawyer April 27 Lou & Janet Lemond April 29 Tom & Judy Myers April 30 Joe & Diane Wise Please note: If your birthday or anniversary is in April and is not listed, please let the office know so we can update our database. Thank you. April 26 Joseph Moccia April 29 Kitty Howard April 30 Bobby King April 30 Jacob Owens

7 April 2018 _page 7 Annapolis Area Pastors leading our Community Ash Wednesday Service at Calvary UMC Upcoming Sermon Series April 15 unchristian Christians Matthew 23:1-4, 13-15, 23-28; Galatians 5:22-26 April 22 unchristian Science Psalm 19 April 29 unchristian Responses to Other Religions Acts 17:16-34 May 6 unchristian Views of God Jeremiah 29:11-14; John 9:1-11 May 13 unchristian Attitudes Towards LGBTQ People Romans 1:18-2:5

8 Trinity United Methodist Church 1300 West Street Annapolis, MD Phone: (410) Fax: (410) Website: Facebook: Trinity United Methodist Church Annapolis, MD Instagram: trinityumcannapolis **Change Service Requested** Upcoming Church Events Sunday, April 1 6:30 am Easter Sunrise Service; 9:00 am Sunday School; 10:30 am Worship Service Monday, April 2 Church Office Closed Wednesday, April 4 Genesis Bible Study w/ Pastor Chris Resumes 10:00 am or 7:00 pm