ADVANCE NEWS 2019 Join us March 6, 2019

Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church Rev. Erica L. Harley, Senior Pastor 905 National Road, Wheeling, WV 1-608-322-2522 (mobile) office@vancechurch.org (e-mail) ericaharley@hotmail.com (email) vancechurch.org (website) 1-304-232-0980 (office) Church Office Hours: Mon-Thur. 9am-3pm and Fridays 9am-12pm ADVANCE NEWS 2019 Join us March 6, 2019 Soup & Bread in the Robbie Clarke Room @ 6pm Worship, Ashes & Communion in Merriman Chapel @7pm Eat, Sleep, Breathe, Max Lucado The Soup and Stuff series will begin at 6:00 pm each Wednesday night with a light meal of soup and bread and then move into a time of reflection on Lucado s works. We will conclude no later than 7:30 pm each night. Our Lenten study, beginning March 13th, will be He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart also by Max Lucado. This simply written but profound book considers the implements presents in Jesus last hours to define in new and deeper ways of considering Christ s sacrifice for us. And finally our post Lenten study will be New York Times Best Seller and Lucado s most recent book, Unshakable Hope: Building Our Lives on the Promises of God, which unpacks 12 of the Bible s most significant promises, equipping you to overcome difficult circumstances by keeping your focus on the hope found in the promises of Scripture rather than dwelling on the problems in front of you. For every problem in life, God has given you a promise. IN THIS ISSUE Soup and Stuff.....1 Birthdays...2 Food Pantry......3 Vance Families...4 Lent Info......5 Missionaries......6 Worship Schedule... 7 Keeping in Touch...8 Sundays at 10am Communion Service First Sunday of the Month at 10am Note these Dates: 3rd Communion Sunday March Birthdays 6th Ash Wednesday 10th Daylight Savings 17th St. Patrick s Day 20-21 Purim 24th Joe Sangl Presentation 30th For King and Country Concert

VMPC: A Traditional Church with Spirit March Birthdays MARCH BIRTHDAYS WILL BE ACKNOWLEDGED WITH CAKE IN THE FELLOWSHIP HALL AFTER THE 10AM COMMUNION WORSHIP. 02 Debbie Bush 04 Betty Holden 08 Jo Ann McColloch 08 Jacob Flanagan 08 Terry Younkins 11 Mary Hudnall 13 Debbie Cox 15 Julie Squibb 17 Tom Pasco 20 Scott Petticord 21 Dottie Noble 25 Grace Maxwell 30 Ed Gustkey Please contact the office if we missed your birthday. Thanks!!! Joe Sangl is coming to Vance Nationally known pastor, teacher and financial expert Joe Sangl will present a seminar in the Squibb Music Room on March 24th at 2:30 pm. All those interested in improving the tithes and offerings at Vance as well as discussing a potential capital campaign are welcome to attend. This promises to be especially relevant to current elders and stewardship and finance committee members. Joe Sangl is the founder of I Was Broke. Now I m Not., an organization that provides financial teaching through live events, and print and web resources. He is also the President and CEO of INJOY Stewardship Solutions, a company that provides solutions that resource the vision of the local church. Sangl is the author of several books including I Was Broke. Now I m Not, What Everyone Should Know about Money, and Oxen: The Key to an Abundant Harvest. Sangl has also produced a curriculum to assist with personal finances called Financial Learning Experience. Joe Sangl is a person of tremendous personal integrity, boundless energy and unending faith. Your time with him will not be wasted. See you on March 24th at 2:30 pm.

...Serving the Greater Wheeling Community and Beyond COMING SOON IN THE EASTER SEASON New Member s Classes will be offered and there will be opportunities to join the church and/or be baptized or have your children baptized. See future announcements for further details. Thank you to recent Souper Volunteers! Call the office if you would like to be part of the Vance Soup Kitchen Team on: Tuesday, March 19, 2019 3rd Tuesday of each month Deacon Tid-Bits The Board of Deacons continues to send Birthday cards and thinking of you cards to all congregation members. Thanks to you, our congregation, we continue to help needy families in our community with grocery bags filled with food from our Food Pantry. In February we assisted 18 families. Carol Myers and Kathy Hannan check on supplies once or twice a week. You may run into them at the grocery store sometime filling their carts with needed items for our food pantry. Thank you to the congregation for supplying empty grocery sacks and requested food and for contributing financially to the Food Pantry using the envelopes found in the pews. March is Peanut Butter and Jelly Month for the Food Pantry! Our Winter Sock Drive was a huge success! You donated over 170 pairs of adult socks along with gently used bedding that we delivered to the Winter Freeze Shelter. The socks were greatly appreciated. Thanks to you, members of Vance Church, we can make a positive impact on our community.

Vance Families Forever Educating Children, Youth, Adults and Families to Worship God, Walk in the Spirit and Witness Christ together. DVDs of the Children s Nativity Slideshow are available now! Our sound technician, Keith Wilson, made a DVD of the original slideshow with the original narration and choir/congregation singing. The children worked too hard to only enjoy this once, live, in Advent. Now you can see it whenever you like and share it with friends and family. If you would like a copy, please see Jane Schockey today! The Youth Group will be attending the For King and Country concert Saturday, March 30th, 2019. Please pray for the youth that the Holy Spirit will work through the ministry of this band to help our students grow in their faith. DEVOTIONALS Provided by the Christian Education Commission The March/April Editions of The Upper Room, Devozine, and Pockets are available in the Narthex Welcome Center and Lower Lobby Information Counter Vance Christian Education Questions, Concerns, Suggestions, Children s Sermons: Jane Schockey Sundays at all Worship Services Christian Education Director Phone: 1-567-203-7495 (Verizon Cell) 1-304-232-0980 (office) E-mail: vancefamiliesforever@gmail.com Sundays @ 9am No Sunday School on Easter Sunday School:

He Chose the Nails offered Sunday mornings in Lent I really want to come to that new Max Lucado Study but Wednesday evenings are not a good time for me. Maybe you have heard this or said it yourself, but fortunately, this Lenten Season, you will have another opportunity to participate in He Chose the Nails: What God Did to Win Your Heart by Max Lucado. Don t just give something up for Lent, rather add a new spiritual practice with this five week study as you await Easter. Adult Sunday School: Sundays, beginning March 10th at 9:00am in the Robbie Clarke Room led by Rev. Erica L. Harley BOOKS AND STUDY GUIDES PROVIDED TO EVERYONE C.E. Commission offers Lenten Devotional Pick up your FREE copy today of This Lenten Calendar Devotional for personal study in anticipation of Christ s Resurrection! Check the Lower Lobby and Narthex Welcome Center to get yours before they run out! The Sanctuary for Lent 2019, contains brief readings for each day in Lent, including Scripture, a short devotion, and a brief prayer. These daily readings help readers faithfully journey through Lent as they prepare to experience the joy of the Resurrection Why am I Kissing the Fishy? I am kissing the Fishy because this is the One Great Hour of Sharing Fishy! Every family in the church will get one of these fishies. It is actually a little bank! All during Lent, we will be preparing for the One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering of the PCUSA (collected April 21). Along with the fish bank, every family will get placemats that they can keep in their meal area. They have activities and prayers about the ministries supported by the OGHS. After every meal and devotional time, families can put some coins or bills in the bank as an offering to the ministries and people the OGHS offering supports. Check weekly bulletins for information about the OGHS offering and ministries such as Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, Presbyterian Hunger Program and Self-Development of People. Don t forget to bring your bank of money for the April 21st offering!

Retreats and a Dream Realized We gathered with the Cru students and staff for a weekend away earlier this month. Lydia, Elena, and Claire went to the Women s retreat with 45 staff and students, while Caleb and Aslan attended the Men s retreat of 25. This was the first time our family has participated in this type of retreat separately, and we had a great time! Claire and another staff woman prepared all the meals for the ladies and enjoyed fellowship in the kitchen. The kids enjoyed playing with another staff family s daughters outside in nature despite the cold weather. Aslan missed his mama, but he loved playing with cars and practicing his cutting skills to stay busy during the meetings. He even fell asleep on some chairs while Caleb participated in a men s panel discussion. One of the most exciting things to happen this month is the start of our English courses for adults at Kirkbride School! Together with volunteers from two churches and several Kirkbride staff, we have started our after-school homework help and literacy focus for children and ESL classes for their parents. We are averaging about 20 parents and 20 kids each week. This is building incredible community among school parents and offers an opportunity for our neighborhood church members to show love in a practical way at the public school. This was a dream God gave Claire in the spring of last year, and it is such an encouragement to see it come to fruition. We are grateful for your prayers and support that allow us to serve college students and our neighborhood for Christ. Contact Us: Caleb and Claire Bermudez s NEW address 835 Wilder Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147 Caleb.Bermudez@cru.org Claire.Bermudez@cru.org Blessings, Caleb, Claire, Lydia, Elena, & Aslan Support our Missionaries! If you'd like to give financial support to our missionaries, please follow these instructions: * Please make checks payable to Cru * DO NOT place any other information on the "pay to the order" line. * Also, please do not write on the memo line. * Please attach a note indicating which staff member or ministry the gift is intended for. Please also include the seven digit designation number. (Caleb and Claire Bermudez: 0559783) * Make sure the check is signed and dated. * Mail to: Cru Attn: Contributions PO Box 628222 Orlando, FL 32862-8222 Or visit www.cru.org using #0559783 and follow directions.

March Worship Schedule Transfiguration of the Lord (10:00AM Communion Service) March 3...... Rev. Erica L. Harley, preaching 1st Sunday in Lent (10:00AM) March 10.....Rev. Erica L. Harley, preaching WKWK-FM 97.3 10:00 AM SERVICE Regularly Broadcast 2nd Sunday in Lent (10:00AM) March 17........... Rev. Erica L. Harley, preaching 3rd Sunday in Lent (10:00AM) March 24......... Jane Schockey, preaching 4th Sunday in Lent (10:00AM) March 31......... Rev. Erica L. Harley, preaching Lenten wreath Every Sunday of Lent, you will notice a simple wooden wreath, surrounded by thorns with white Candles. This is the focal point for the Service of Diminishing Lights. The circle of gathering darkness created by the candles and the crown of thorns serves as a constant reminder of the role of human sin in bringing about the crucifixion and the need for Resurrection. This wreath was designed by Don Hendrickson to enhance Lenten Worship. Easter Lilies Sale Help decorate the sanctuary for Easter Worship while remembering or honoring someone special. Lilies - $10.00 per 6-inch pot. Please order at Worship time in the Narthex beginning the last Sunday in March. You may also call the church during office hours to place an order. Events & Activities Coming in APRIL April 7-10 Erica out of town at Westminster Foundation Board Meeting April 13 West Liberty Community Concert 2:30pm in VMPC sanctuary April 16 Wheeling Soup Kitchen Volunteering April 14 Passion/Palm Sunday Worship @10am in VMPC sanctuary April 18 Maundy Thursday Worship Service with meal 6pm in the Robbie Clarke Room April 19 Good Friday Open Sanctuary Worship 12-3pm in VMPC sanctuary April 21 Easter Sunday! Sunrise Worship @ Oglebay Park @7am Rev. Erica L. Harley, preaching Spirited, Traditional Worship @ 10am in VMPC sanctuary April 23 Upper Ohio Valley Presbytery Meeting at Roney s Point Presbyterian Church starting at 5pm April 27th Woodsdale PTO Let s Play 5K April 30 House of the Carpenter Food Bag Packing

Member Room/Phone # Address Please remember the following members who are in need of special care. They are all going through unique journeys and need your prayers, cards/calls, and visits. If you would like to inquire about a specific person s needs, please contact an Elder, Deacon or the Pastor. If any information listed is incorrect, or you would like to add someone, please notify the church office immediately. 304-232-0980 office@vancechurch.org Wileta Bell 304-242-3523 1803 Bay Terrace Ship Bottom, NJ 08008 Martha Kelley 740-772-2665 65 Robin Court Chillicothe, OH 45601 Marilyn Phillis 740-449-2152 Brookdale Hawthorne Lakes Unit# 440 Vernon Hill, IL 60061 Bill Johnson 304-242-5381 4 Greenwood Ave. Sally Ezell 304-242-3314 62 Greenwood Ave. Don Hendrickson 304-242-1740 37 Brentwood Ave. Sally Riley 304-233-9056 89 Bethany Pike Bill Maxwell 304-242-2509 143 Miller St. Parky Beneke Continuous Care 304-243-3815 236 Bransfield Pl. Rm. 202 Flo Frame 304-242-0099 9 Romney Road Shirley Driehorst 304-242-6833 14 Fairfax Dr. Deb Cox 304-233-6027 361 Merrymount Rd. Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church, a traditional church with Spirit, serving the Greater Wheeling community and beyond. Regularly Broadcast WKWK-FM 97.3 10:00 AM SERVICE Worship Sundays at 10am Communion Service First Sunday of the Month at 10:00am Sunday School time is 9:00am Vance Memorial Presbyterian Church 905 National Road, 304-232-0980 or vancechurch.org