Good Friday morning Church Requel!
For most of us the festivities of Christmas and New Year's Eve are over and now we are left with the realities of a frigid winter. Anyone else look at the -5 degree temperature outside and just want to stay in bed this morning? Ha!
Discover Your Purpose! Let's make the most of the new year together. Let's ask together, "What On Earth Am I Here For?" That's also the name of the book by Pastor Rick Warren. As a church body, we each are committing to read one short chapter every day for the first 42 days of 2014. I hope you have a copy already. If not, go get one and start reading! (The Kindle version is only $2.99. The hardcover goes for $14.76 at Amazon.)
In addition to the reading, there is also a video introduction as well as a deeper audio teaching available for you every day by Rick Warren. (Here is today's link.) The book provides you a link for each day. We are also making links available on our website and on our Facebook page.
This weekend will be our first of six sermons on this same Purpose-Driven topic. We will consider 8 things we each need to know about my life's calling. (Here's the online sermon notes.) This is a great start to 2014.
Why Do It Again? Many of us have been through the Purpose Driven Study before. (And many of us haven't yet!!!) If I've been through it before, why do it again? For one thing, I'm betting you still have a thing or two to learn. You probably didn't learn everything the first time around. Second, you're different now than before. Your situation is different. Your friends are different. Your life is different. Trust me when I tell you that this study will benefit you greatly!
Children's Sermon. The first Sunday of every month we invite our families to worship together. This weekend I've prepared a special children's talk. I would love for them to bring an alarm clock with them to show and tell. I'll be asking them how they wake up every morning. Should be fun!
What About The Snow? Those frigid realities I talked about in the first paragraph remind me that many of you have started attending CR this year and probably don't know how we handle the dangerous snowfalls we sometimes experience in Mansfield. Our policy is simple. If we are under a Level 2 Snow Emergency, then we won't conduct our Sunday morning Church Requel worship service. We will also always post our closing on the front page of our website and on our Facebook page. We made it all the way through last winter and never had to miss. Let's hope our luck holds up this year!
Undecorating Party This Sunday. Alas, the Christmas season is over and it's time to put away the Christmas decorations. Let's all meet after church this Sunday and do the work cheerfully together. I'll buy some pizzas for everyone who sticks around. Should only take us about an hour.
Thanks everyone. It sure is a pleasure being your pastor! - Pastor Mark
