Good Friday morning everyone! Pastor Mark here with your weekly update on everything happening at Church Requel this weekend. There's a lot going on so read carefully!
Saturday Night, Neighborhood Meals - It's our turn to serve the neighborhood meal Saturday evening at the Point of Grace. Sheri has planned out a spaghetti and meatballs meal that should serve all of our neighbors, and - we hope - all of our volunteers afterward. Sheri, Mary Kay, Nancy, and Cindy will prep the meal starting at 2pm. All the rest of us volunteers should show up no later than 4pm. Our guests will come between 4 and 5 and we will begin serving food at 5pm. Please bring your desserts no later than 4pm.
Mary Kay has invited a friend's son to sing before the meal. He's a real opera singer!!! And Paul has invited a youth group to sing during the meal downstairs. It sounds like it's going to be a great night at the Point! Don't miss it!
Sunday Morning at 11am - Church Requel will worship together as always on Sunday. Last weekend we had a record crowd and we're hoping for continued growth this Sunday too. We'll continue the teaching we began last week from the Parable of the Talents. We're learning 7 principles of giving. We tackled the first 4 last week. We'll wrap up the final 3 Sunday morning.
We'll welcome Pastor Steve back to lead our communion time and prayer time together. Nancy will share our announcements and read our Scripture passage. And... I'll have a very special video preview to share with you of...
The Bible Miniseries, Sunday at 8pm. This 10-part miniseries debuts Sunday evening on The History Channel. The reviews I've seen from most conservative Bible scholars make this a television event we won't want to miss. Each Sunday night for the next 10 weeks, you'll see the Bible come alive. For those who want an overview of what's in the Bible, this is a great start. For those of you who are reading through the Bible this year, you'll see some of the characters you've read about with a new appreciation.
I'm going to show you a brief preview Sunday morning of what's in store for you Sunday night. We'll see the story of Abraham taking Isaac to the mountains for the sacrifice. I love this particular clip because it raises the question of what Isaac's mother must have been thinking. Here's a link to the 10-week episode guide. And here's a link to the replay schedule this week on The History Channel, if you miss watching on Sunday.
In other news...
Children Practice Parable of the Talents. Last weekend I gave each child at Church Requel at 10-dollar bill. Actually, I'm investing into them. I figure the best way to learn the parable of the talents is to see it in action. I'm asking them to put that money to work in some way over the next 3 weeks. Maybe some will buy brownie mix and then sell the brownies. Maybe some will buy and sell candy... for a profit. Maybe someone will buy a snow shovel and shovel out some driveways. The possibilities are too many to list.
I'm confident that my money will be well invested with the kids for the Church Requel ministry. In 3 weeks - on Palm Sunday - we'll bring the kids back up front and find out how they did. And, yes, they will have the opportunity to drop their profits along with my original investment into the offering basket. Parents, I hope that you will work with your kids. They may need some help, but what a wonderful way for you to learn this parable together!
Zumba Class Tuesday!!! Many of you have been asking for this. Our own Sara Scott is a Zumba instructor - par excellent! She is offering weekly Zumba classes in the downstairs fellowship hall at Church Requel every Tuesday. Meet her and many of your friends at 7pm. The cost will be $5. The class lasts for one hour. This is a great way to support one our own members, as well as to enjoy some fitness, fun and fellowship! Thanks Sara!
Women's Bible Study - We had a record number of ladies at our home this week. Eleven of you gathered and heard the excellent teaching provided by Beth Moore. The ladies will meet again at 6:30pm Wednesday evening, March 10th, at Mary Kay Pierce's home. The study is called "Esther: It's Tough Being A Woman." If you're not already involved, this would be a great opportunity to join this wonderful group of ladies. Good food. Sweet fellowship. Great learning!
Membership Class - March 23rd. We plan to offer our next Membership Class on Saturday, March 23rd. We'll hold the class at Church Requel and will begin at 8:30 am with a continental breakfast. We'll be together all morning and will serve a noon lunch for all who come. If you'd like to be an official member of CR, this class is a must. You can come even if you are not sure you want to be a member.
I think that will be more than enough for all you Church Requelers! I can't wait to see you Saturday night and then again on Sunday morning. Bring a friend with you! We still have plenty of seats available... but they're going fast! With great affection, Pastor Mark