News March 2019 I m excited about an opportunity that we have to help our Remember Nhu girls in Kenya. Our two girls homes, KE 12 and KE 13, are on a compound with two other homes, KE14 and KE15. This past summer while visiting the girls in their homes, our team saw pictures on their wall of things the girls are praying for and dreaming of. They have a vision for a complex big enough for all four homes, and chickens and a garden and a playground where they will have more room to be kids! After prayerful thought and discussion by SAF s Elder Board, and in partnership with the church sponsoring the other two home (Northgate Community Church in Cathedral City, California), we will be raising money to purchase land in Kenya where a new complex can be built for all four homes. Remember Nhu leadership estimates that the land will cost $40,000. They will be going to Kenya at the end of March to start the search for land. After that trip, we hope to have more information about costs. Watch for details in the upcoming months. If you would like to give to this fund, please make your contribution to SAF. On your check designate it as Remember Nhu Land. For online giving, select Remember Nhu Kenya Land 2019. Several years ago, as I was reading Isaiah 54, I was struck by verses 2 & 3. Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your offspring will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities. When I read these verses, I had a deep sense that God was telling me something specific that was for me - for us! But I didn t know what that might be. Now, all these years later, do I see a plan unfolding for our Remember Nhu Girls homes in Kenya? Could this be what God was foreshadowing to me so many years ago? As we enlarge our tent to our Remember Nhu girls in Kenya, will they in turn, be stretching their influence out to their country for the glory of God? May it be so! Kim Williams Remember Nhu Family Home Coordinator
John Kitchen, Senior Pastor Jesus Struggle and Your Struggle As we march toward the remembrance of Jesus on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, consider again the scene in the Garden of Gethsemane. See Him there, prayerfully wrestling with the suffering that lay before Him and the eternal realities that depended upon Him. Having called His Disciples to watch and pray, He stumbled forward, fell on his face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will (Matt. 26:39). He rises. He finds the Disciples sleeping. He calls them again to watchful vigilance. Again He withdrew, crying out, My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done (v.42). Once again, He rises. Again, He finds the Disciples sleeping. Yet again, He withdrew and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again (v.44). Clearly Jesus was wrestling with what the will of His Father required of Him. It made Him very sorrowful. So deep was His grief that He thought it might be the death of Him just trying to pray through it all (v.38). Jesus clearly wished for the Disciples to join Him in His struggle that would soon become their struggle. He wanted them to be prepared. Almost immediately Judas and the arresting mob arrived in the Garden (vv.46-47). The betrayal by kiss (vv.47-50a). The brief, bloody skirmish (vv.50b-51). The rebuke by Jesus of His Disciples (v.52). Consider then Jesus response both to the Disciples for their impetuous fighting and to the arresting mob in their blind arresting. Jesus reminded the Disciples that He could have called on His Father for a host of angel-warriors and been delivered from this entire affair (v.53). His next breath is telling: But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so? (v.54). Not long later, Jesus similarly rebuked the arresting authorities with a question about the timing and circumstances of their actions (v.55). Then He said, But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (v.56). Jesus response to both the Disciples and the arresting party was the same there was no other way for Him (and them) to fulfill what the Scriptures revealed as the Father s will. As Jesus struggled with the Father s will, it was against what He knew the Father had described as His will in the Scriptures. Picture it! Jesus, if you will, was struggling in prayer over an open Bible as it held before Him the difficult nature of His Father s will. It makes me wonder, will I so pray through what the Scriptures require of me as a disciple of Jesus Christ? Will I come to the same place of submission to the Father s will? When God s Word is open before me, holding forth what God requires of me, am I bowed to its authority over me? Am I bowed over that open Bible, praying through what it holds before me, where necessary, weeping and wrestling with my own will and self-preservation? Do I come to the same conclusion as Jesus? Do I say, as Jesus did, Rise, let us be going, and take the next step of obedience my Father, through his written Word, holds before me? As difficult as that next step in your discipleship with Jesus may be, He understands from experience just what you are going through (Heb. 2:18; 4:15). He too uttered with loud cries and tears in this struggle (Heb. 5:7). But for the joy that was set before him He took the next painful step of obedience (Heb. 12:2). And because He did, so can you, by His Spirit dwelling within you.
For Adults Daylight Saving Time - Don t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour on Saturday, March 9th as Daylight Saving time returns. Baptism - Have you followed the Lord in baptism? If you have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior and He is your Lord, then in obedience to His command, you should be baptized. If you are considering baptism and have questions or are interested in being baptized, please sign the back of the Communication Card or contact Pastor Miller at 330-688-7433 or dmiller@stowalliance.org. Baptisms will be held on Sunday, March 17th. Prime Timers - All senior adults are invited to join us on Thursday, March 28th at 12:30 pm in the Seasons Room for a time of food, fellowship, and faith-building. Pastor Steve Nelson will be our guest speakers this month. Bring a sandwich; dessert and beverages will be provided. Welcome Center Volunteers Needed - We are currently looking for 2 volunteers to serve at the welcome center on Sunday mornings on the 3rd Sunday (2nd service) or 5th Sunday (1st service). If you are interested in helping out our office ministry, please contact Marlynn Soliwoda at 330-688-7433. Children s Ministry Volunteers Needed - Our children s ministry is looking for a teacher for our pre-schoolers during the 1st service each Sunday. If you are able and willing to help invest in the lives of our children, please contact Darlene Risjan at drisjan@stowalliance.org or 330-688- 7433. Especially for Men Men s Gathering - Men of all ages are invited to come fellowship over breakfast as we receive encouragement from God s Word the 1st Saturday of each month. Join us on Saturday, March 2nd at 7:30 am in the Seasons Room. Our speaker will be Jonathan English of the Catch Project in Thailand. Men s Basketball - Plays on Saturdays from 9:00-11:00am. Come and join us! Stow Alliance Preschool Stow Alliance Preschool registration is going on now for the 2019-2020 school year! Our preschool offers fun and learning in a Christian environment including Bible time, snack time, story hour, craft time, and field trips! Registration forms can be found on our website (www.stowalliance.org/ preschool) or picked up on the table in the lobby. Please contact Jeanne Crowe for more information. Sports Ministry Co-Ed Volleyball - will play on Saturday, March 2nd & 30th from 7:00-9:00pm. Come and join us! Stewardship Update Through February 20, 2019: TITHES & OFFERINGS Month Year-to-Date Actual $ 40,021 $83,437 Budget 41,376 96,544 Amount Over/(Under) Budget (1,355) (13,108) GREAT COMMISSION FUND Actual $ 10,269 $ 21,901 Promises 2,778 6,482 Amount Over/(Under) Promises 7,491 15,419 PRAISE Plan Thank you for supporting the Praise Plan! Your continued gifts will help us with future projects.
Especially for Women NAOMI Women - Nurturing, Advising, Organizing, Mentoring, Instructing. This Alliance Women s ministry is designed to develop and deepen our relationships with God and other women, and strengthen our skills for ministry and life. We meet on the 2 nd Thursday of each month with our next meeting being on Thursday, March, 14th at 7:00pm in the Seasons Room. All women are invited to join us for a time of fellowship, friends, and lending a helping hand as we prepare freezer meals for those in need. New Wednesday Study Topic The women s Wednesday evening Bible study will begin a new topic on February 27th: Job, an Unlikely Story of Joy by Lisa Harper. MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) MOPS is a group offering hope, encouragement, community, and mothering support to mothers of children from birth through 5 years old. Come join local moms on Tuesday, March 12th from 9:30-11:30 am. Childcare will be provided. Chris Miletti, Youth Pastor Breakthrough Youth Ministries...but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, (1 Peter 3:15). Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he has redeemed from trouble and gathered in from the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south. (Psalm 107:1-3) Did you know that the number 1 social issue our teens face today is Depression? According to an article by www.verywellfamily.com, an estimated 3.1 million adolescents had at least 1 major depressive episode in the past year (2017)! That means 20% of teenagers will experience depression before adulthood. Scripture makes it clear that we need to be ready to share the hope we have in Christ Jesus. We call this our testimony. Our testimony is unique to each one of us. It never ceases to amaze me how much impact testimonies can have on someone. When the world views Christians in a certain light, our testimony can change how they see us, or better yet, how they see Jesus. Have you ever thought about the story God has woven into your life? How has Jesus changed your life? God can use each one of your stories for His Glory, and He wants to. I believe that teens today need to hear your testimonies. They need to know how transformational Jesus is. This means that we have to share who we once were before Christ entered our life and took over. There is a supernatural power that comes when you share your story with a teen. Somehow they realize they are not alone in their struggles. If you would be willing to share how God has transformed your life with our youth, would you please contact me: cmiletti@stowalliance.org. Youth Events Game night: Friday March 1st 6:30-9:30pm. Bring a friend and enjoy some food, and games! Legacy: All junior high and senior high students are encouraged to be part of Legacy. Practices are on Sundays from 4:30-5:30p. LIFE 2019 Dinner & Auction: Mark your calendars! Saturday March 16th at 5pm. Everyone is invited to come and enjoy dinner and to be a part of our Life Auction. Cost is $15 per person and tickets are required. This is our last large fundraiser before LIFE 2019. Last day to buy tickets is March 10. Come out and support your youth, and be ready to win some awesome items! Renew the City Cleveland: We invite our entire church family to join us in making a Kingdom impact by serving at Renew the City Cleveland, Saturday, April 6th. This event is hosted by Envision Cleveland, and churches from all over the Alliance will be coming together to serve the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood in Cleveland in a one day service project. More can be found here: https://www.envisioncleveland.org/renewthecity. Registration is required by March 15th, cost is free if you bring your own lunch, or $5 if you want lunch provided. This is a family friendly event
Our SAF Family March Birthdays Andrea Chapman 3/5 Andrea Sparrow 3/6 Ethan Sparrow Tanner Henderson 3/8 David Dysle 3/9 Gail Linger Mark Sumner Kay McAmis 3/10 Doreen Sias Evelyn Mohr 3/11 Lisa Sprague Amy Miletti 3/14 Ryan Steedly 3/16 Julie Hetherington 3/17 Pat Wilson Zach Alvarez 3/25 Amy Masl Mary Ann Sawders Aimee Wheeler 3/26 March Anniversaries Ken & Penny Erwin 3/11 George & Donna Utterback 3/16 Dwight & Jennifer Husk 3/17 Larry & Barb Ruppel 3/26 If you are not currently on our birthday and/or anniversary list and would like to be, please call the church office and let us know! Baby Congratulations To Nate & Karie Gilley on the birth of their son, Liam Joel, on January 26th. Liam s grandparents are Pat & RaeJean Wilson. Kayleigh & Paul Ferder on the birth of their son, Michael Italo, on January 30th. Michael s grandparents are Bruce & Lori Black. Our Christian Sympathy To Valerie & Mark Arredando on the death of Valerie s father, Edward J. Hall, Jr., on February 15th.