Welcome to springtime in Mansfield, Ohio! Good Friday morning to you - all my Church Requel family and friends! I don't know about you, but I couldn't believe it when I opened my morning News Journal and saw this snowy headline. This time last year we were experiencing record-breaking warm temperatures. I guess we will have to rely this year on the warmth of our friendship for one another!
Things are really heating up at Church Requel as we prepare for Resurrection Week! The photo on the right is of our good friend, Paul Lintern, as he continues his patching and plastering of the sanctuary ceiling at the Point of Grace. We expect the ceiling work to be completed by the end of this week.
Pastor Steve has also spend quite a few days down at the Point this week, continuing his wiring work. You won't immediately notice his efforts UNLESS you notice that all the cords and wires that used to connect the lights and sound system and used to travel along the carpeting and under pews have disappeared! They've all gone underground! No more stepping over all the lines! Yay! He is preparing for the eventual installation of our new sound booth in the back center of the sanctuary.
And Jonathan was in yesterday soldering the new pulpit mic. You all probably didn't know this, but the old mic line used to pick up a local radio station whenever we tried to use it. No more mixed signals!
There's lots going on this coming week at Church Requel - one of our most important weeks of the year - so make sure you take a few minutes to read over the details!
Membership "Belong" Class Saturday - Tomorrow morning at 8:30am we will be teaching our membership class, which we call "Belong." The class includes a continental breakfast (Thanks Lisa!) and a Subway lunch (Thanks Steve!), so you won't leave hungry. We have seven people registered for the class, but I printed a few extra booklets if anyone still wants to register. Email me if you'd like to join the fun! There is no obligation to become a member and the class will tell you all you ever wanted to know about Church Requel and its mission. The class will meet at the church.
Palm Sunday - We will enjoy a terrific morning of worship Sunday at 11am. Cindy will join me in leading our singing. The kiddos will be talking about their "Parable of the Talents" experience (more below.) Both Jana and Randy will be reading our Scriptures. We'll follow Steve's lead in taking communion and praying together. And I've prepared some thoughtful questions for us to consider as we enter into Resurrection Week.
You won't want to miss Sunday! Things are really starting to happen down at the Point of Grace. Last weekend we had 23 guests with us - the most ever! And we enjoyed a record offering - also the most for one week ever in CR history. Don't get the wrong idea. We're not bragging here - just celebrating God's blessing. We still have much to do, but it's fun to see things beginning to work out.
Flowers on Palm Sunday. You are invited to bring potted flowers with you this Palm Sunday. Specifically, tulips, lillies and hyacynths would be greatly appreciated. Our plan is for us to decorate the inside of the church for Palm Sunday and Easter. Then, when the Easter service is concluded, you may take your flowers home with you. Or, if you prefer, any flowers left at the church will be planted outside to beautify the appearance of our property. Thanks Amie for this great suggestion! Let's start a new tradtion here for Church Requel at the Point of Grace!
Children - Parable of the Talents Applied. Moms and Dads, make sure you have prepared your children for Sunday morning. Four weeks ago we gave each child $10 and asked them to put it to work and bring back their offering on Palm Sunday. This is an excellent opportunity for them to learn the Parable of the Talents for themselves - and to have the joy of making an offering to the Lord that really means something to them. I'm hoping that several of our kiddos have some stories to share with us on Sunday morning. We plan to purchase pew Bibles with the money our children have raised so they'll always be reminded of what God accomplished through their efforts.
"Toxic" Sermon Series Launches on Easter. This Sunday you'll also get a preview of our new sermon series, "Toxic," which launches next week. This 5-part series reminds us of the toxic environment we often find ourselves in - and most importantly - how we protect ourselves. Think of some of the toxic thoughts, influences, relationships, and words that form your environment.
Here's an excerpt from our Invite Brochure:
"Need a little personal poison control? Are there relationships thoughts, or behaviors that quietly compromise our well-being? How can we learn to recognize and remove the hidden dangers in our lives?"
Sound good? I'm really looking forward to this new teaching series, because I think this is something with which we all struggle. And I'm sure that you have friends and neighbors, who would really appreciate the Easter invite as well.
We also will be advertising this new series on the Google search pages in Mansfield. Let's do our best to make this available to as many people as possible. Most people will come to church with you on Easter Sunday, if they don't already have another church home. Give them the chance to enjoy our resurrection celebration next Sunday at 11 am! Here's a 41-second video promo of our new sermon series, Toxic, which begins Easter Sunday morning.
Stay Connected Throughout The Week! I'm loving how you all are connecting to one another throughout the week. There are many online opportunities too! Diana is doing a GREAT job keeping the Church Requel Facebook Page going. Just this morning she reposted a super teaching video by Beth Moore that Sharma had put up on her own wall. Also don't miss the opportunity to listen to the weekly Church Requel podcast, where I share a conversation about all the behind-the-scenes stuff going on that you won't hear anywhere else.
Women's Bible Study - I'm told over and over about how much you are enjoying the excellent teaching provided by Beth Moore. The ladies will meet again at 6:30pm this coming Wednesday evening, March 27th. 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!
Spring Fling Game Night - April 12th. I know it's three weeks away, but it's not too early to get this fun date on your calendars. Our first game night in February was a great success. Kids of all ages had so much fun! So schedule your April 12th Friday night now so you can join in the fun and fellowship. Diana, Sara, and Paul have even more adventures awaiting you!
I can't wait to see you all on Sunday morning. Palm Sunday! Can you imagine the celebration two millenia ago when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey?! Remember he had just raised Lazarus from the dead! Resurrection was possible! Eternal life was possible through Jesus!
Nothing has changed! It's still worth celebrating! Bring a friend with you! We still have plenty of seats available... but they're going fast! With great affection, Pastor Mark
