Church Requel Blog - Writings of Mark Pierce

The Six Week Grumble

Good Saturday afternoon Church Requel!

Finally! May! Finally! Some good weather! Sadly by safely... still in Stay-At-Home mode. I hope this weekly newsletter will encourage your faith and let you know all the latest and greatest regarding Church Requel!

Sunday's Worship. I'm so looking forward to worshiping with you all in the morning. Brandi and I will be singing. Our guest vocalist tomorrow will be Jack Buckley. You might remember that he also sang for us in our Easter service. Cheryl Buckley will be reading our Scripture. Brandi will lead our communion. Brian will lead our prayer time together.

Grumble, grumble. Our sermon tomorrow comes right out of Exodus 16. I was reading this chapter on Friday, the same day that the Stay Safe Ohio order was extended through May 29th. When I read the first verse describing "the fifteenth day of the second month," I realized that was a long way of saying six weeks. I also realized that this has been about the length of time we have been staying at home. Once that comparison dawned upon me, I was off and running to find out what other things we might learn together from Exodus 16. I hope you're as fascinated by what we learn from God's Word together.

You can join our worship time together either by Zoom or by Facebook. As always, I recommend Zoom if you have the choice. We sometimes struggle getting the Facebook from Zoom connection to work for us right from the very beginning. If you need info for the Zoom meeting, contact Pastor Mark.

New Student Gathering On Zoom Sunday Night at 7PM! I am really excited about this announcement! Our students will gather together with Bessica, Cindy and Karen tomorrow night at 7pm. If you are the parent of one of our students, you should have already received all the info. But if you need anything, check in with Bessica.

Brian Joins the Daily Devotional Crew. Any of you who were on the daily devotional this past Friday morning received a pleasant surprise. Brian very ably led our daily devotional with music, prayers and a short Bible study. Now on a daily basis you can tune in to Church Requel's Facebook page at 11am and find either Brandi, Brian or Yours Truly and about two dozen of your CR family and friends. It's a great way to be encouraged and connected!

Brandi Leads Worship On Godsfield Sunday at 7pm. Many of you have been participating in the worship each evening over on the Godsfield page. This has been our attempt to continue the March of Prayer that began March 1st. Each night a pastor or a worship leader has prayed and sang songs. I'm so excited to tell you that Brandi will be leading Sunday night at 7pm. Let's all go there and support her tomorrow night!

Fred's Memorial Fund Raises $2,375 For Meals. I'm so delighted to report to you that we have received almost $2400 for the Neighborhood Meal program, which meant so much to Fred. What a great way for his family and friends to honor him. Thank you all so much for your participation. Susie has been blessed by this generosity in Fred's memory.

Answered Prayers on Wednesday Nights! If you knew you could schedule an appointment with God this coming Wednesday night at 7pm, wouldn't you move mountains to be able to be there? This is what we are finding for those of us who have been gathering together these past two months on Zoom. We pray, God answers! This has been some of the most powerful times we enjoy together each week. Don't miss out. I will send out a Zoom reminder for you all Wednesday morning.

National Day Of Prayer Thursday! The entire nation will go to prayer this Thursday. Here in Mansfield we have a very special 28-hour prayer and worship marathon that will begin Wednesday night at 6pm and run all the way through 10pm on Thursday night. Sixteen different pastors and worship leaders will be involved in this "Prayer-thon." As you desire to pray and worship anytime that day or night, head over to the Godsfield page on Facebook. Yours truly will have the privilege of leading twice on Thursday - at 9am and again at 7pm.

When Jordon signs off at 10pm next Thursday, this will conclude this year's March of Prayer. This has all been led by the faithful Paul Lintern. Why not send him a card, letter, email or text letting him know how much he means to all of us!

We'll get through this together. Love you all much! Pastor Mark

Two Church Services Sunday Without A Building

Good Saturday morning Church Requel!

Tomorrow will be a new double first for our Church. The first first is that we will have two church services tomorrow. The second first is that both church services will take place without a church building.

Our Worship Service Sunday at 11am. We will meet together at 11am tomorrow morning for our worship service. Brandi, Dave and Yours Truly will sing. Brian will lead our prayer time. Brandi will lead our communion. I will bring our teaching from the Word. Our sermon is called, "Peace In The Pandemic." If you'd like a head start, you can read my sermon notes here: http://bible.com/events/7198264

You may attend our worship experience in one of two ways - through Zoom or through Facebook Live. We prefer that you set up a Zoom account because we have experienced some difficulties with the Facebook feed. Last week it took eight attempts to get it to work. The Zoom meeting ID is 609-489-055. If you need the password, email or private message me.

Fred Wiegand's Memorial Service at 2pm. When our worship experience is over, we will take a short break to refresh ourselves and then host Fred's memorial service at 2pm. This will be done entirely on Zoom. Right now we have 66 different devices reserved for this memorial service by Fred's family and friends. What a wonderful opportunity to be the host church family for all of Fred's family and friends! I've been working with Susie all week long to make this possible. Please pray for us that everything goes smoothly.

If you would like to attend this memorial service, you must do so via Zoom. This service will not be on Facebook Live. The Zoom meeting ID is 925-5647-8614. If you need the password, email or private message me.

Our Daily Devotionals at 11am. For three weeks now we have continued our daily habit of worship and devotionals on our Facebook page. Usually this is led by yours truly. However twice now Brandi has led and done a wonderful job. She is planning to up her contribution to leading twice next week! Yay! If you've been working during the day during the week and haven't been able to check it out, click on our Facebook page this morning at 11am to see what you've been missing!

Weekly Bible Study Saturdays at 11am. Brian continues to do a marvelous job leading our Saturday morning Bible studies. We are working our way through the Old Testament in broad strokes. Our study is taught by Dr. Sproul. This study is also only available through Zoom. Our meeting ID is 115 939 113. If you need the password, email or private message me.

Thank you for continuing to support Church Requel with your tithes and offerings. You are such a giving people! We are doing well with our finances despite not meeting in the building. We are so thankful for online donations and we pray for your blessings as a result! For those who would like to give to Church Requel, including those who wish to contribute to Fred's memorial fund, click here:

give.ChurchRequel.org

This Coronavirus may be keeping us in our homes, but it is definitely NOT slowing us down here at Church Requel. I feel as if we are meeting and loving on one another more than ever! You are the epitome example of Hebrews 10:24 & 25 -

"Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (ESV)

Keep on keeping on! We will come out of this on the other end stronger than ever!

Love you all much! Pastor Mark

Brett Baptized This Sunday!

Happy Friday Church Requel!

We are all so excited for Brett Angel. He will be baptized at Church Requel this coming Sunday morning. I had the chance to talk with him about it on Wednesday morning. He shared with me his personal story of how he found Jesus in his life exactly one year ago. He will share that with all of you on Sunday. It's a good story!

Brett is not one to rest - even on his baptism day! So he will be joining Brandi, Amy, Aaron and Bessica on the praise team this Sunday. In fact they are rehearsing at 8:45 Sunday morning - bright and early! - so they can be ready to lead of us. Let's make sure to thank them for their hard work.

Meal After Church! After the worship service we will all gather together downstairs to celebrate with Brett and his family. We will be serving a simple meal of soup, salad and sandwiches. So plan to stick around a while longer on Sunday to enjoy the fellowship.

Jam Band Practicing! After the meal the Jam Band will be practicing again upstairs. When we were deciding whether or not to practice again I suggested that we take a week off so that Brett would have the afternoon free. To which he replied - "NO! I have the whole afternoon off! I don't have to work! I want to play in the Jam Band!" Gotta love that attitude!

I'm pretty excited to play Sunday too. As some of you already know, my new ukulele was delivered to me yesterday. It really sings! One of the things I really wanted in this new instrument was a pickup installed, just so I could plug into the church sound system for the Jam Band. Can't wait to hear what that sounds like.

We are hoping that we will all be able to lead worship with our instruments by April 29th. But you all are most welcome to stop up and sit and listen or sing with us as we practice together on Sunday. Many thanks go out to Brandi, Chris, Dan, Don, Dave and Brett for their enthusiasm for this project.

Sermon This Sunday - Next To Last In Luke! We are very close to wrapping up the Luke sermon series. This Sunday we will talk about Luke 24:36-49. I've named the sermon, "The New Mindset." 

Our outlook on life takes on an incredibly positive hue when the resurrected Jesus is among us. Sunday we'll discover the peace of Christ that can calm the troubled mind. We'll also learn that regardless of the illness and weakness we suffer in our present bodies, that our minds can envision our imperishable, resurrected future bodies. That makes all the difference in those suffering moments.

For those who would like a head start, the sermon notes are already posted. You can find them in your Bible app. Click on "Event" and then "Church Requel." Or you can view them in your browser window here.

Pancake Breakfast Next Sunday! We will celebrate the 96th and final Luke sermon next Sunday by enjoying a pancake breakfast together first. That "first" word is the operative one in that sentence. The breakfast begins at 9:30am next Sunday morning BEFORE the worship service begins. Many thanks to Sheri and to Dave for coming up with this idea and making it possible for all of us!

Summer Survey Starts NEXT week. In next week's program you'll find a survey asking you about fellowship events you might be like to enjoy together this coming summer. We'll give you the option of some of the events we've done in the past along with some new ones we have added. We will also give you some room to make your own good suggestions! The ones that receive the greatest interest will be the ones Brandi and I try to schedule for you. Speaking of Brandi - her idea! Brilliant! Also - you'll notice an announcement in this week's bulletin (already printed) that the survey is included this week. It's not. My mistake. Goofed by a week. 

I think that will do it for this week's newsletter. Keep the faith everyone! Can't wait to worship with you on Sunday! Love you all, Pastor Mark

This Week At Church Requel: Shaking The Champagne

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

We are looking at another super terrific Sunday at Church Requel. I can't wait to tell you all about it...

... but first a hearty THANK YOU to Paul and Pam Lintern, Dave Repp and Don Angel, all who helped us out tremendously when we were hit with a massive thunderstorm this past Tuesday evening. For 30 minutes we saw a rain storm like we have not seen in years. Our window wells by the nursery filled up and flooded our nursery and eastern half of our basement. Because of the hard work this week by Paul, Pam, Dave and Don, our nursery is dried up, cleaned up, and ready to go for our children this Sunday. Yay!!!

Speaking of Sunday morning... WOW! Do we have something special for Y.O.U. We're calling Sunday's worship service, "Shaking The Champagne!" It should be quite the celebration. Who has more reason to celebrate than us? 

Think about it. You’ve been declared children of the Most High God. You’ve received eternal life from the Eternal Giver of Life. You have the opportunity to help restore creation from the Redeemer in Chief. Relationship. Eternity. Purpose. On top of everything else we know how the story ends - complete victory! Who’s ready to shake the champagne?

Just look at how excited Fred is...

Haha! Now in all fairness to Fred, this is a photo taken from our new home-made movie we have prepared for this Sunday morning. Fred joins fellow movie stars Brian Betts, Tamara Engstrom, Missie Lynn, Aaron Parsons, Brandi Walker, Bessica Brilla and Cindy Thoman. They were all good sports and had a lot of fun at the video shoot two weeks ago. We hope this is just the beginning of other movie fun events we might see in the future!

Our Scripture this Sunday comes from Luke 10:17-24. The 72 disciples of Jesus all returned from their mission trip with exciting stories of spiritual success. After much frustration (see last week's sermon), Jesus and company were ready to celebrate. Want a head start on this week's sermon notes?

That's how I feel about what goes on around our church. Each week we see our challenges. God has been so faithful about helping us overcome those difficulties. So we celebrate together on Sunday mornings. The greater the frustrations from the week before, the greater the celebration when we eventually do see success! Our worship times together should reflect that celebration.

So... speaking of celebration, Brandi and I reworked the popular song by the same title, "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang. We had so much fun writing back and forth. She would come up with a lyric and then that would inspire me to do the same thing. Sunday - for the first time at Church Requel - we'll close our worship song by singing "Celebration." That's going to bring a smile to your face! Our praise team this week - Cindy, Trish, Chris and Tamara - had a blast practicing it last evening.

Back To School Supplies. This will be the final Sunday to donate school supplies for our Church Requel children going back to school. The photo on the right shows you what has been donated so far. (Click on the picture to see the full-sized image.) Hopefully that will give you an idea of what to bring with you on Sunday morning. Parents, make sure to come back on Sunday, August 21st, for the distribution of all these goodies. If anyone wants to help Amy Watson organize the distribution next week, just let her know. I'm sure she would appreciate the help. Amy - once more, thanks for coming up with such a great idea!

Help With Scaffolding After Church. We could use all your help in setting up the scaffolding after church this Sunday. The more hands the easier the work load for all of us. Two weeks ago we saw a patch of plaster fall from our ceiling. Pastor Paul has volunteered to patch up our ceiling for us next week. YAY Paul! He only asks that we set up the scaffolding for him. Most of us will simply be carrying the pieces up to the sanctuary from our basement closet. Shouldn't take too long. Paul hopes to have the work done and the scaffolding down by the end of the week - in time for our next worship together.

Neighborhood Meal - September 10th. I know it's hard to believe we're talking about ANYTHING after Labor Day. (I'm so not ready for summer to end.) However, our next serving of the neighborhood meal is only one month away. I'm sure all our neighbors will appreciate the sacrifice of your time and love. Mark your calendar now for two and a half hours at 4pm on Saturday, Sept. 10th.

That wraps up another weekly newsletter from your pastor. I pray and hope that God is working greatly in your life. Hope to see you and yours Sunday morning at 11am. Love you much, Pastor Mark 

This Week At Church Requel: 4th Of July Celebration

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

Welcome to the 4th of July weekend! Wow - this summer is speeding by way too fast! The Pierce home has had Pierce guests every night since Tuesday and I'm thrilled. I hope you will have the opportunity to celebrate our freedoms with friends and family too. Bring them with you to Church Requel Sunday morning. I'm excited that Tim, Jillian and Titus will be with us Sunday morning. If I could get my dad to come down, we'd have the entire Pierce clan with us! 

Our Freedoms. When James Madison sat down to pen the Bill of Rights - the first 10 amendments to the Constitution of the United States - what was the very first freedom he wanted to be guaranteed by our government to our people? Freedom of speech? Freedom of the press? Freedom to assemble? After all, aren't each of these freedoms included in the first amendment?

The correct answer is none of the above. The very first freedom James Madison wrote down was the freedom of religion! It's true. Read it for yourself. I admit I was a little tricky in my question, since the other freedoms listed are also included in the first amendment. How insightful, though, that the first freedom listed in the first amendment is our freedom of religion!

How easy it is for us American Christians to take this freedom for granted. We don't usually even consider the horrors of the Reformation period that led so many Christians to eventually flee to this new land, where they could practice their religion without fear.

If I may be permitted to digress from my usual Friday morning writings to remind you of WHY it is so important we stand up for the first freedom of the first amendment. In case you're wondering what I mean by this - the freedom from any "law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" does not specifically mention OUR religion of Christianity at all.

The first freedom of the first amendment provides for the practice of ALL religions. This includes Christianity. This includes Judaism. This includes Islam. As unpopular with some as it may be to write this in these terror-ridden days, an infringement of this freedom to ANY religion in America is an infringement against ALL religions. Enough said?

Sunday morning my focus will be on two of the freedoms we have promised us in the first amendment to the Bill of Rights - our freedom of religion AND our freedom of speech, meaning we can freely talk about Jesus! Luke 9:1-9 (as well as the first few verses of chapter 10) show Jesus telling his disciples to talk to others about Him. He also gives us some insight as to what we disciples of Christ should remember when we do talk about Jesus. Sunday morning we'll consider 4 lessons when we tell others about Jesus. If you want a head start, open your Bible app and click on "Events" OR click on this link for the online sermon notes.

Children Lead Worship! I'm also excited about our kiddos being so involved in this weekend's worship events. The first Sunday of every month our children remain in the worship service with the adults. This Sunday morning Phyllis, Saudie, Emma (all pictured above), Leia and Anna join Cindy, Dinah and Brandi. They rehearsed last night and did a wonderful job! These ladies will bring 5 songs to us on Sunday. If you are a friend or family member, I'd come early to grab a good seat!

Also Elijah will bring our announcements, Wyatt will be a greeter, and Grayden and Cohen will work in the tech booth. Yay kiddos! You're all growing up so fast! 

Neighborhood Meal. Our next opportunity to serve our free neighborhood meal is Saturday, July 9th. We will need volunteers to arrive by 4 pm and plan to serve util 6:30. We would also appreciate your donations of desserts to share. Please help us share God’s love with those around us.

Church Picnic July 17th. Our next summer fellowship will be our picnic at North Lake Park after church on Sunday, July 17th. We will all head to the air-conditioned pavilion right next to the northern end of the B&O Bike Trail. Bring food to share with everyone. Church Requel will provide hot dogs & hamburgers, buns, condiments, drinks, plates, cups, napkins and silverware. Come expecting fun and games! And come to be included in our annual church photo! Should be a great day!

5th Sunday Praise Team. We love it when we have a 5th Sunday of the month! It gives our worship teams the opportunity to do something new and exciting. This month on the fifth Sunday - July 31st - will be the chance for anyone and everyone to be part of the worship leadership up front! (If you don't volunteer - you see who our team will be in this picture!) Do you love to sing, but just haven’t had the time to be a regular team member? Do you have a desire to share whatever gift you have - singing, speaking, reading, acting - as a worship participant? Please talk to Brandi Walker. She would love to include you in our praise plans for Sunday, July 31st.

Watch The Tribe With Church Requel! Finally, I know it still seems really early, but if you'd like to go to our Indians event on Friday evening, September 18th, you're going to need to let us know AND give us your money so we can keep your reservation. The photo above is from last year's CR Tribe event - and that was with a losing season. Now the Indians are in first place. In fact they haven't lost a game since the Cavs won the championship. Thirteen winning games in a row! Who woulda thunk it? We have reserved 36 seats this year at a cost of $15 each. Tell Brandi, Tamira or myself if you want to go. Did I mention that we will beat the Detroit Tigers that night? Did I mention that it's also $1 hot dog night?

Prayers Prayers Prayers. We also pause and pray with several of our Church Requel family members who are struggling right now. DeeDee lost her father (also Liam's grandfather) earlier this week. Let's pray for their entire family. Bessica's father-in-law (Quazar's Grandpa Art) is recovering from a heart attack. Many members of our congregation are praying for Baby Kenzlee, born premature 3 weeks ago and fighting for her life. We are also still praying for good friends of ours, who are grieving the loss of their grandson. Georgiana, our dearest nonagenarian congregant (and who never misses!), is still grieving the recent loss of her older sister. And I'm sure there's more I haven't thought to mention. We are a family! We keep praying for one another!

This week I have been reminded afresh of how much of a family you all are to one another. Wednesday morning, while Marci and I were working on the bulletin for Sunday morning, Sheri came down and brought a family with her. She opened up the food pantry and loaded them up with provisions. I know several have provided rides to a family struggling with no car this week. Your love for one another astounds me and speaks to the world so much better than words alone of Christ's love in you. Keep up the good work. Keep up the Good Word. Keep up the good love!

Celebrating with you who are celebrating and grieving with you who are grieving, Pastor Mark

This Week At Church Requel: Sabbath Satire

Good Friday morning Church Requel!

What an amazing week! Eleven of us showed up last Monday to load up the truck with clean bottles of water headed up to Flint, Michigan. It was quite the party! Kudos to Ed Walker and Dayton Freight for making this possible. Kudos to all of you for providing the water. Your generosity even made the Wednesday morning news on WMAN. To God be the glory!

Just another reason to attend CR... Did you realize that by attending Church Requel, you are becoming a much more informed voter for the upcoming presidential election? I'm not suggesting that we are changing our topics to talk about politics. Rather, this week our presidential politics changed topics to talk about what we talk about every week!

"What does it mean to be a Christian?"

"What do the gospels say about Christians anyway?"

Could there be any time better to attend Church Requel? Could there be any time to be studying the Gospel of Luke? I hope you haven't missed a single talk, but if you have missed, you can always get caught up!

Sign Up For The Resurrection Breakfast! Jim Tressel will be the featured speaker at this year's 29th annual Resurrection Breakfast to be held at the Mid-Ohio Conference Center on Saturday, March 26th at 8:30am. That's the day before Easter. EASTER! Yes this year, Easter comes early - the last Sunday in March. With Coach Tressel coming to Mansfield, this year's Resurrection Breakfast is expected to sell out, so I'm getting this news out to you all early.

We will have a sign-up sheet in the lobby for the next two Sundays. I hope to get our ticket order in by the beginning of March. The cost for the breakfast will be $15, an incredibly reasonable cost in my opinion.

(Don't let the cost hold you back. If you really can't afford to go I know there would be people in our church who would love to help you anonymously. Just come see me.  If you happen to be one who would like to help out a fellow Church Requeler go to the breakfast, also please let me know.)

In addition to Coach Tressel speaking, special music will be provided by the Colonial City Quartet. It should be a fabulous morning. What a great opportunity to invite family and friends! Every year we see people make initial commitments to follow Christ at these breakfasts. The time to be thinking about this is NOW! It will be too late the week before.

One more thing... this is not a men's only event any longer. Ladies, you are most welcome to come too! Would you like a flyer for the event to give to your family and friends? Download it here and print it out.

Church Requel to Host Brown Bag Lunch! I thought you might like to know that next Thursday we will be hosting local evangelical pastors for their monthly luncheon here at Church Requel. Each month two to three dozen pastors gather together at different local churches for mutual encouragement and support. I have tried to attend most of them.

We call them "brown bag lunches" because we all pack our own lunch when we come. It's been great for me to see so many of the other churches in Mansfield. And I have enjoyed the camaraderie and suggestions of other pastors who share a similar calling.

The last time we hosted was right after Church Requel got started here at the Point of Grace. We were just getting everything setup back then so I'm eager for my fellow pastors to see how far we've come!

Here's what's happening this Sunday... We will be changing a few things around as far as the order of our worship is concerned. Nancy will share a few announcements right up front followed by one worship song. After a greeting time we'll hear the Scripture read and then go right into the sermon.

This week's talk, "Sabbath Satire," will be focused on Luke 6:1-11. We'll learn the meaning of Sabbath and what Jesus had in mind for it. This will be followed by 4 worship songs led by Brandi, Trish and Brian, followed by communion and prayer.

I love how Brandi keeps our worship experience fresh each week, don't you?

Our children will continue the new Everest series they kicked off last week. They are learning how to conquer life's challenges. I love it! Last week they learned that God has the power to provide. They learned about the prophet Elijah and how God took care of providing food and water. The kiddos made a brook and flew around like the ravens that brought food to Elijah.

To bring the point home, our children brought snow seeds home with them. Snow seeds expand when water is added and grow into something more. Don't you love their creativity?

My daughter Jennifer will be teaching this week that God has the power to comfort. I wonder what experiential learning she might have in mind? Don't let your children miss out a single special week of this series!

Keep these dates in mind too...

Women's Bible Study - each Wednesday evening at the Pierce home from 6:30 to 8:30. They are studying about prayer, otherwise known as The War Room

Minute To Win It Game Night - Saturday night, March 5th from 6pm to 9pm. Food! Fellowship! Fun! Watch for more details to follow.

Children Lead Worship - March 6th. I've seen the planning sheet. MANY children will be involved. You won't want to miss a moment. I'm just saying.

Neighborhood Meal - Saturday night, March 12th. Help us feed our neighbors. Volunteers show up at 4pm. We start feeding folks at 5pm.

I never cease to be amazed when I sit down to write these newsletters just how many good things are going on within our church. I love it!!!

Pray! Pray! Pray! Keep in mind all those who are struggling within our church family. David and Doug are still recovering from serious illnesses in local nursing facilities. Loni and Mari are still recovering at home. Mary Kay's niece's husband Patrick is recovering from bone cancer surgery last week. Tamara's daughter, Alyssa, is suffering from seizures and headaches. Trish still is suffering with back issues. Jan and Ron's great grandson, Braydon, is recovering from an accident.

There are also quite a few family relationship struggles for members of our congregation. We don't need to mention all the details, but we are certain our Lord knows them when you pray about them.

Please remain faithful in praying for your church family. Please remain faithful to pray for me too. And please pray that God would continue to bless our church ministry. Love you all much! - Pastor Mark

Will Church Requel Close Sunday?

We are currently (Saturday morning) under a Winter Storm Watch. Snow accumulations are expected between 8 and 10 inches beginning early Sunday morning and lasting through Monday morning. Periods of most intense snow are anticipated Sunday between noon and 9pm.

Will Church Requel be open for worship at 11am on Sunday?

We will close if and when Richland County officials declare a Level 2 Snow Emergency.

Regardless of whether we are open or not, we encourage you to only drive to Church Requel if you believe conditions are safe for you to travel. Should you decide not to attend, but CR is open for worship, you can watch the LIVE webcast from wherever you are!

Watch this CR blog site, our Church Requel website, or our Facebook page for confirmation if and when we decide to close. - Pastor Mark Pierce

This Week at CR: Celebrating Good News

Dear Church Requel family,

I am so very blessed to be able to write you each Friday morning. This morning I prayed the most sincere prayer of thanksgiving to our Lord for you. I love being your pastor. I appreciate the opportunity to serve here in this city Mary Kay and I have called home for the past 35 years. I am overwhelmed by your faithfulness and your obedience to our Lord... as well as by your love for Mary Kay and me. I'm excited about our future in Mansfield together. God is growing me. And I know He is growing you.

Exciting announcement Sunday. Along the lines of our growth in God's blessings, I have some very special news to share with you this weekend. I must wait to tell you, because this is the kind of news you really deserve to hear in person. Most news I can tell you in a letter. But big news... church life-changing news... well, that deserves the personal touch. This good news comes as the result of our leadership team meeting last evening. I think they are even more excited than I am to share it with you. So make sure you come Sunday at 11am so you can hear it for yourself. 

Four More... No, not four more years. Four more laws of sowing and reaping. That's what we'll be learning about this coming Sunday morning. What have we learned so far? (1) Everything starts as a seed. Church Requel began as the seed of an idea. What seed does God wish to plant in your life? (2) Nothing happens until the seed is planted. You may be waiting for God to get you that special relationship or increase your income, but God may be waiting for you to plant the seeds of opportunity. (3) Whatever I sow is what I will reap. This is the law you hear the most. If you plant seeds of distrust, criticism, harshness, arrogance and pride, then you shouldn't be surprised when people, in turn, treat you the same way. But if you plant seeds of kindness, encouragement, love and grace, then your life will often grow in the light of those same positive attributes. (4) I'm not the only sower. We are also reaping what other people have sown. Not only that, but I am not the only reaper. When we sow hurtful seeds, we are not the only ones who are hurt. There's a fallout that goes far beyond what we could imagine. (5) It's time to start planting now. Each and every day God gives us opportunities to sow seeds. We don't wait for all the lights to turn green. Perfection paralyzes potential. That's what we learned last week. If you missed it, you can listen to it or watch it here. 

Building a Team... Team Working On The Building. I love that we are building a team that will last here at Church Requel. We may not be the fastest, but we are building for the long haul. I'm confident that the people who have joined up with the CR staff will be here for a long time. Some of us have actually "retired" into ministry - giving our retirement lives to God's service. No rocking chairs for us, thank you very much!

This photo on the left is of Pastor Steve wiring in our new security cameras so graciously donated by Randy Craig. You'll notice these cameras throughout the church, especially in the children's ministry areas. 

Steve tells me he has several other projects in mind for the coming weeks including (1) moving the sanctuary light dimmer switch to the tech booth, (2) installing a new latch for the tech booth hatch, (3) making a new table for our nursery kids, (4) installing a level pad for the mouse in the tech booth, and (5) lashing together a cross for our very special upcoming Easter service. If you'd like to join Steve in the "No Rocking Chair For Me Thank You Very Much Team," just send Steve an email. He'd love to include you in the fun!

Belong Membership Class. We have a really great Belong Class shaping up for a week from Saturday, March 22nd.  It's not too late for you to join the class! Joining the class doesn't mean you join the church. However, the Belong Class is a must if you do wish to join the church. We teach this class twice a year so that those who want to know about us can discover who we are and where we are going. You'll hear about our history. You'll learn our core values. You'll discover our strategy. It's a terrific opportunity to have some one-on-one time with your pastor. Yes, I teach the class personally - it's just that important! You can sign up this Sunday morning if you haven't already done so. Registration and breakfast begins at 8:00 am. The class begins at 8:30 am and lasts until 1:30 pm.

Game Night. The church that plays together stays together. Well, actually it's supposed to be the church that prays together stays together, right? And we do plenty of praying together. But it's a good idea for us to play together every now and again too. Two weeks from tonight we'll have the opportunity to do just that. Plan on bringing games and snacks to share. Plan on having a fun time. Plan on meeting new friends.

I think that is more than enough for this long love letter from pastor to parishioner. I hope you enjoy a fantastic weekend. And really - I hope you come this Sunday morning to hear the good news. I'm busting at the seams to tell you!

"A twinkle in the eye means joy in the heart,
and good news makes you feel fit as a fiddle."
Proverbs 15:30 MSG

With a twinkle in my eye this morning, Pastor Mark

This Weekend at CR: Rotten Banana Christians!

Good Friday morning to you!  What a beautiful day here on the Pierce patio.  As my dad has so many times reminded me: "The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the bees are making honey."  I'm told by the weather app on my phone that this whole weekend promises to be sunny and warm - sure signs that summer is on its way to Mansfield.  Whatever other plans you have for this weekend, I hope you'll spend your Sunday evening with us at Church Requel.

I have some special plans for our worship Sunday evening!  We will talk about what it means to be a productive Christ-follower.  That's the way we talk as adults.  For the kids (and for most of us kid-thinking adults) I thought another title might be more appropriate: "Rotten Banana Christians!"  For our kids' sermon I have a pretty disgusting object lesson in mind (pictured on the right.)  I'm guessing that no one will leave Church Requel without a changed perspective of "being fruitful!"

I'm also excited for our praise music Sunday night.  As your pastor I know just how many of you are struggling.  No one other than God Himself knows about all your trials.  I take my role as your pastor seriously, praying for all of you often.  I thought that Sunday night we could all use some encouraging music. So I have worked hard to come up with a worship set that will praise God and at the same time will encourage you. Plan to come early so you won't miss a minute!

Here are some other CR events or opportunities you might want to know about:

• Sneak peak at Sunday evening's sermon notes on YouVersion!
• Wednesday night, May 23rd, women's Bible study on the book of James.  At Mary Kay's house 6:30pm.  Only two more sessions, ladies!
• The CR Podcast from this past Monday.  Listen as we talk about the Ivy League janitor, same-sex marriage and politics in the pulpit, house church, and the Mom's Day sermon from last weekend.
• The video sermon from 2 weekends ago - "Love Is More Than A Feeling."  Do you remember the 6 lessons we learned from the parable of The Good Samaritan? Let's all thank Dave Johnson for his video editing work!

I love you all much!  Praying for each of you!  Hope to see you all Sunday at 6pm!

Pastor Mark

This Weekend at CR: MOM's Day!

Good Friday morning everyone! TGIF! It's an amazing, beautiful day here in sunny Mansfield, Ohio.  I hope you have fantastic plans for this weekend.  Personally, I'm running in the NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) 5k Run/Walk tomorrow morning.  Getting some exercise, donating to a great cause, and earning a new t-shirt... how does it get any better than that?  If you don't already have Saturday morning plans (9am), come out to the fairgrounds and cheer on this slow body.  Or cheer on our own Jana Edwards as she will probably lap me!  

Our children will all be in town at one time or another this weekend to support their mom!  Not only is Mary Kay the catalyst behind the NAMI 5k, but Sunday being Mother's Day, she will be the most honored person of our family's weekend plans. At one time - back when I was a naive and inexperienced husband - I tried to explain to her that the title to the day was "Mother's" Day and not "Wife's" Day, thinking that our kids were solely in charge of the honoring responsibilities.  I'm happy to report that our relationship has survived that hapless era of our marriage.  Guys, if your wife is also the mother to your children, don't miss this opportunity to say how awesome she really is!

One of the best ways to do this is to BRING ALL MOMS to Church Requel on Sunday evening!  We have gone all out to honor all of our moms.  We have a very special worship service planned this weekend. We have praise music - led by Tim and Jillian Vincent - specially selected by our CR moms as their favorites! We'll enjoy a funny and poignant visit from the Skit Guys.  Every mom walking in the door will receive a flower.  We also have some special gifts set aside for some of our most special moms.  And I've written a Mother's Day sermon that will remind our M.O.M.s to Model, Obseve and Motivate their children.  Sunday night's 6pm worship service will be one of our most special ever!

Before I wrap up this Friday morning message I want to pass along a "thank you" encouragement to Patty, who is my Friday morning waitress at Paul Revere's Family Restaurant.  She watches me write many of these messages while keeping my coffee cup filled AND she's on our email list.  Recently she enjoyed a vacation to Florida (she also obviously took all our warm weather with her!)  She told me that she looks forward to her weekly, Friday-morning email from Church Requel.  Last week I was late in getting the email out.  Patty told me she checked her email down in Florida several times throughout the day wondering when the email would arrive.  Thanks Patty for letting me know that there are folks who look forward to this weekly message from Church Requel!

Or maybe you are more of a Church Requel Podcast fan.  Jana Edwards (yes - the aforementioned runner who will most likely finish the run well ahead of me tomorrow morning) texted me that she loved last weekend's podcast and found another great use for it.  She was at a conference in Kentucky this week with her brother.  He was keeping her awake with his snoring so she took out the headphones and listened to the CR podcast to drown him out!  If nothing else we are good for white noise!!!

How about you? Do you like knowing what's happening at Church Requel?  I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading.  Thanks for supporting Church Requel.  Hope to see you Sunday night at CR!

With great affection, Pastor Mark

This Weekend at CR: Love Is More Than A Feeling

Hi everyone!  Pastor Mark here with your "What's Happening" blog post for this weekend at Church Requel.  Hope this Friday finds you in an upbeat TGIF mood!  Do you have big plans for this weekend? Mary Kay and I are planning to get an early start on Cinco de Mayo with a Mexican dinner celebration with my Dad up in Wadsworth.

Whatever your plans for the weekend, I hope they will include Sunday night at Church Requel.  I have a good talk lined up for you: "Love Is More Than A Feeling."  We will study Jesus' parable of The Good Samaritan and learn 6 lessons for how we can put our love for other people into action.  If you can't wait until Sunday night - or you'd like a sneak peek - click here for the YouVersion Bible App LIVE event.

Our Sunday evening worship will be greatly enhanced under the leadership of Brandi Walker.  She will be leading us in singing Hallelujah (Your Love Is Amazing) and Above All.  She will also be singing a special called "Sticking With You" by Addison Road.  Very cool - Requel-like - song! 

I also have a fun sermon planned for the kiddos in our church, which I'm calling "Race of Your Life."  We'll have some fun with toy race cars and - along the way - learn something about treating other people with love and kindness.

Jessica Pierce will be reading our Scripture from Luke 10.  Steve Thoman will be leading our communion and prayer time.  Jennifer Carrick has some exciting plans - including snacks and crafts - for our preschool children. Sounds like the entire evening will be great for kids of all ages!

Women's Bible Study Wednesday at 6:30pm. This study from the epistle of James includes a great video teaching from Beth Moore.  Topics in this study include: joy, hardship, faith, reversal of fortunes for rich and poor, wisdom, gifts from above, single-mindedness, the dangers of the tongue, humility, and prayer. If you are a woman at Church Requel, you won't want to miss this chance to meet and know new friends and learn important, faith-building lessons.  The group meets every other Wednesday at 6:30pm at Mary Kay's home. (It happens to be the same place where I hang out!)

New Members Class June 9th.  Several of you have mentioned that you would like to join the church.  We are letting you know about this June 9th class so that you can make sure you keep this Saturday free.  We'll start at 8:30am and will finish by 2:30pm.  A continental breakfast and lunch will be included.  If you come to the class you are not obligated to become a member.  This is the best way to learn everything you ever wanted to know about Church Requel!  There is no cost to attend.  So far we have Mike and Lisa, Diana, and Marilyn signed up.  Email me if you would like to reserve your seat.

Church Requel Podcast Every Monday!  Do you know about this?  Every Monday morning I put together the Church Requel podcast.  What's a podcast?  It's an audio program that you can download from the Internet.  It's like a radio show. This past week I included an excerpt from a NAMI talk given by Mary Kay, some of my thoughts on Apple and Facebook, and then a discussion on creativity and relevance when giving a talk.  I also included the audio sermon from last Sunday night. Here's a link to the podcast feed.  Listen to the podcast here.  

This is a great way to become a Church Requel insider. It's like sitting down and having a conversation with me every week. I love podcasts! I listen in the car when I'm driving and when I exercise.  There's never any hurry or time constraints because I'm usually doing something else at the same time.  

I have put together an email list of people who want to know when the podcast is actually up and ready to go every week.  If you would like to also receive this Monday message, send me an email.  You also will have the chance to comment and share your comments with others who are on the podcast mailing list!

Keep Praying for Dick, Lincoln and Diana.  Dick Jourdan was admitted to the hospital this past Monday evening.  He experienced a heart attack.  The doctors inserted a stint that alleived the current danger.  He was released today (Friday) but will have to go back in 4 weeks for triple bypass surgery.   Also keep your prayers going for Lincoln Bohnke.  He is still growing, surpassing the 4 pound mark on Thursday.  He also was moved out of the incubator and into the crib.  You can leave a message of encouragement for Dan and Katie on their Caring Bridge site.  Finally, let's keep praying for Diana. This was her first week without her dad.  

Love you all much!  Pastor Mark

This Weekend at CR: Sower and the Seed - Baseball Style

Good morning everyone!  Mark Pierce here with your weekly Church Requel "What's Happening" blog post.  I hope this message finds you doing well and looking forward to a wonderful weekend.  Whatever your plans for Saturday and Sunday, I hope you'll end your Sunday with us.

We will continue our current sermon series, The God Life, with part 4: "Keeping My Eye On The Ball." Our primary Bible text will be the parable of the Sower and the Seeds, found in Luke 8:11-15.  I've had so much enjoyment preparing your talk for Sunday night.  We'll look at this most famous of Jesus' parables through a baseball lens.  It is baseball season after all.  (And it's still early enough in the season that there's still hope for the Indians!)  I have a humorous video lined up to introduce our talk. We'll also pull a song out of the 1995 archives as we listen to Geoff Moore and the Distance sing "Home Run."  

Our Sympathies To Diana. Dwight Miller, Diana Devolder's father, passed away Thursday morning.  We extend our condolences to Diana and her family.  Calling hours will be Sunday at Wappner in Ontario from 1pm - 3pm.  The funeral service, also at Wappner, will be held Monday morning at 10:30.  More info, including Dwight's obituary, may be found here.

New Members Class June 9th.  Several of you have mentioned that you would like to join the church.  We are letting you know about this June 9th class so that you can make sure you keep this Saturday free.  We'll start at 8:30am and will finish by 2:30pm.  A continental breakfast and lunch will be included.  If you come to the class you are not obligated to become a member.  This is the best way to learn everything you ever wanted to know about Church Requel!  There is no cost to attend.  Email me if you would like to reserve your seat.

Church Requel Podcast Every Monday!  Do you know about this?  Every Monday morning I put together the Church Requel podcast.  What's a podcast?  It's an audio program that you can download from the Internet.  It's like a radio show.  Every week I talk about the things going on at Church Requel.  Then we include the audio sermon from the Sunday night before. Here's a link to the podcast feed.  Listen to the podcast here.  

This is a great way to become a Church Requel insider. It's like sitting down and having a conversation with me every week. I love podcasts! I listen in the car when I'm driving and when I exercise.  There's never any hurry or time constraints because I'm usually doing something else at the same time.  

I'm putting together an email list of people who want to know when the podcast is actually up and ready to go every week.  If you would like to receive this Monday message, send me an email.  You also will have the chance to comment and share your comments with others who are on the podcast mailing list!

That will do it for this week.  Keep your prayers going for Dick Jourdan and Lincoln Bohnke.  Also pray for Diana.  This will be a tough weekend for her.  

Love you all much!  Pastor Mark

This Weekend at CR: 4PM POTLUCK!!!

Hey everyone!  Pastor Mark here with your weekly Church Requel update! Hope this Friday morning finds you up and at 'em, full of vim and vinegar! As my dad often reminded me: "The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the bees are making honey!"

POTLUCK THIS SUNDAY!!!  Mention the word "potluck" to a requeler and his or her mouth will automatically start watering! People come from miles around to be part of the Church Requel potluck.  I've already been receiving messages from some of the things you all have cooking up - and it sounds so fantastic.  Bryan (pictured here) complained at our last potluck that we scheduled it on a weekend when he had to work. This time we checked first with Bryan's schedule (back in February!) so that he could again lead the line.  Don't worry - even with Bryan getting first dibs, there will be plenty to eat for everyone! 

Plan on arriving at the church by 4pm - two hours earlier than usual.  We'll meet in the fellowship hall directly beneath the chapel area where we hold our services.  Families should bring one main dish and one side dish or dessert.  Single folks bring one dish of any kind to share with others.  The church will provide plates, napkins, eating utensils and noncarbonated beverages.

A special message to some of our new families.  I know coming to something like this can be intimidating.  Trust me when I tell you there is no better way to get to know other folks at Church Requel.  It's a fun, low-key, enjoyable event where you can make new friends and catch up with old friends.

Learn To Be Your Own Boss.  That's sounds like an odd title for a Christian message.  However that's the theme for our 6pm Church Requel service.  We will meet in the chapel at 6pm like always. (Folks who come to the potluck will have to hike themselves up the stairs - no small challenge!)  Part 3 of our God Life sermon series will help us with our self-discipline.  We'll talk about our habits and the connections between our purpose, patterns and practices.  

I have a wonderfully simple (and I hope memorable) special sermon planned for our elementary children.  So make sure they come too!  They will come up front with Pastor Mark before the regular sermon.  If I do my job well enough, everyone will wish they were back in grade school!

One more piece of GREAT NEWS!  We have a new nursery volunteer!  Shannon Melton is "Mom" to Dylan, Drew, Lila, and Addie. Shannon contacted me this week and volunteered to serve once a month in the Nursery!  She'll also be bringing snacks and a craft for the lucky pre-schoolers!  If you have preschoolers at home - don't leave them behind... Bring them with you! With Shannon they will have a great church experience.  If you see Shannon, let her know how much we appreciate her being a part of the Church Requel team.

Women's Bible Study Wednesday at 6:30pm. This study from the epistle of James includes a great video teaching from Beth Moore.  Topics in this study include: joy, hardship, faith, reversal of fortunes for rich and poor, wisdom, gifts from above, single-mindedness, the dangers of the tongue, humility, and prayer. If you are a woman at Church Requel, you won't want to miss this chance to meet and know new friends and learn important, faith-building lessons.  The group meets every other Wednesday at 6:30pm at Mary Kay's home. (It happens to be the same place where I hang out!)

 New Members Class June 2nd. This is our first announcement for the new membership class.  You may wonder why we are sharing this so early.  Several of you have mentioned that you would like to join the church.  We are letting you know about this June 2nd class so that you can make sure you keep this Saturday free.  We'll start at 8:30am and will finish by 2:30pm.  A continental breakfast and lunch will be included.  If you come to the class you are not obligated to become a member.  This is the best way to learn everything you ever wanted to know about Church Requel!  There is no cost to attend.  Email me if you would like to reserve your seat.

Church Requel Podcast Every Monday!  Do you know about this?  Every Monday morning I put together the Church Requel podcast.  What's a podcast?  It's an audio program that you can download from the Internet.  It's like a radio show.  Every week I talk about the things going on at Church Requel.  Then we include the audio sermon from the Sunday night before. Here's a link to the podcast feed.  Listen to the podcast here.  

This is a great way to become a Church Requel insider. It's like sitting down and having a conversation with me every week. I love podcasts! I listen in the car when I'm driving and when I exercise.  There's never any hurry or time constraints because I'm usually doing something else at the same time.  

I'm putting together an email list of people who want to know when the podcast is actually up and ready to go every week.  If you would like to receive this Monday message, send me an email.  You also will have the chance to comment and share your comments with others who are on the podcast mailing list!

Good News About Lincoln. I know many of you have been praying for Lincoln Bohnke every day.  Lincoln was born prematurely on March 2nd.  He was only 25 weeks along. At the time he weighed only 2 pounds and 1 ounce.  Now he is up to 3 pounds.  The news this week has been good and we are grateful.  However, he is still on a ventilator.  His original due date was not until June 11th.  I know Dan (pictured on the right) and Katie would really appreciate your prayers and encouragement.  I encourage you to go to their Caring Bridge site and let them know you are thinking of them. (Click here to connect to the Caring Bridge site.)

One more prayer request - keep Dick Jourdan in your prayers.  He is still in a great deal of pain from the shingles.  And this is keeping him from having a needed surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his nose.  I know Dick would love your prayers and encouragement too.

Thank you for your faithfulness.  I would be remiss if I didn't also share with you that several of our small congregation have really taken our finances to heart and have been incredibly supportive.  I only mentioned this once at a public worship service three weeks ago, but you have responded so beautifully.  One man recently started a new, full-time job.  His first response was to show up at Pastor Steve's home to sign up for online giving.  Another woman met with me this week.  She's working a new part-time job and wanted to donate her first paycheck.  I can't begin to tell you how humbling this is for me as your pastor.  We still have a ways to go to catch up with our budget for the year.  However, I know two things.  First, I know you love your church and are praying and sacrificing to make Church Requel possible.  Second, I know that our God is good and will take us through this faith journey.  I just want you to know that I LOVE going through this journey with you!

Ok.  I think this long Friday message needs to come to an end.  If you actually read this far I congratulate you!  Why not share this with someone else?  Forward this to a friend or family member along with your invitation to Church Requel this weekend.  They will thank you.  And so will I!

God bless!  Pastor Mark

This Weekend: Living The Good Life

Hey everyone! Pastor Mark here with your weekly blog post about what's happening at Church Requel this weekend.  This week I will update you on what's happening with Mary Kay's family, this weekend's CR worship service, next weekend's potluck, the weekly podcast and the great job Diana is doing on the online CR photo albums.

Hope this message finds you all doing well.  Mary Kay and I are traveling to Celina tomorrow to join her six siblings as they spread their mother's ashes in a private burial ceremony.   Please remember Mary Kay and her family in your thoughts and prayers.  I know this will be a tough weekend for her.

We'll return in plenty of time for the Church Requel worship service Sunday night at 6pm.  We have some great things planned for this weekend's worship service.  Sheri Pryor will tell us about the Easter dinner donations.  Lisa Gilbert will teach our elementary children. Steve Thoman will catch us up on all the cool things happening at CR - including details of next Sunday's potluck meal (see below). Nancy Roop will read our Scripture from Luke's gospel.

I've worked all week on our new sermon series.  The name of this seven-part series is The God Life. Each weekend we'll start with a verse from 2nd Peter 1.  Then we'll study a parable or teaching from Jesus in one of the gospels.  This weekend we learn about living the good life.  Peter tells us to add to our faith goodness (2 Peter 1:5 NIV).  We'll talk about how we do this.  From Jesus' parable of the rich fool we'll discover the three fugitives of assumption, gumption, and presumption we must guard against if we want to live the good life.  I think it's good, but then I'm biased.  Guess you'll have to come to find out! (Want a preview? Here are the YouVersion sermon notes.)

Potluck Next Sunday! Start planning now for next weekend's potluck. Church Requel folks love their potlucks.  As the picture on the left shows, Bryan plans to be back at the front of the line.  I actually called Bryan two months ago when I scheduled the fellowship hall for next weekend's potluck.  He told me he never wants to miss another potluck because of a work conflict! We're talking priorities here!  

Families should plan on bringing two dishes, including one main dish. Single folks can bring one dish of any variety.  Plates, silverware, napkins and a non-carbonated drink will be provided by Church Requel.  You bring everything else.  Plan on being at the church by 4pm next Sunday.  We'll enjoy our regular service upstairs at 6pm.  Our potlucks are a great opportunity to get to know new people - and there are quite a number of new families this year.  So plan on coming to church early next week... and bring a large appetite!

Listen to the Church Requel Podcast.  Do you know about this new opportunity?  Each Monday morning I publish an audio podcast and make it available for free on the Internet.  What's in the podcast?  For the first 20 to 30 minutes I talk about whatever is on my mind - usually things happening behind the scenes at Church Requel.  For example, last week I talked about the Easter weekend.  ...What it was like to preach the Good Friday message. ...How the Easter CR service almost didn't happen (as we planned it) because the projector died 15 minutes before the service.  ...About how cool it was to hear my children practicing their music for last weekend's service.  

The last half of the podcast is always a repeat of the Sunday evening message so you can hear it again and let it soak into your brain!  Think of this weekly podcast as your ability to take a conversation with your pastor with you wherever you go.  You can listen in your car, while you're exercising, or at home in the easy chair. Set your computer, tablet or smart phone to automatically download the podcast each Monday afternoon.  You can find the podcast in any of three places online: 1) from the iTunes Music store; 2) from the CR Audio blog feed; or 3) from the CR website.

Church Requel Photos. Have you checked out the Church Requel online photo album yet? Diana Devolder is doing an AMAZING job for us with her photography talents.  The picture on the left is just one of 28 photos she uploaded to our Easter album just this past week!  This album is just one of eleven photo albums she has made available for us in the past few months! Each album has a theme and is carefully edited and uploaded by Diana.  The next time you see Diana, let her know how much we appreciate her pictures. They say a picture is worth a thousand words... so far Diana has told the story of Church Requel with hundreds of thousands of words worth!  

That will wrap up this week's blog entry of what's happening.  I always say that for such a little church we sure have a lot of things going on!  Hope to see you all Sunday evening!  Love you much!  Pastor Mark

Photos From The Easter Service At Church Requel

Diana, our church photographer, was up until 1:45 last night posting our new Easter photo album online.  There are 28 photos altogether.  You can see the whole album online here.  All of these photos are available to download if you see something special you want to keep.

Here are a few of my favorites!

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Thanks Diana for posting such beautiful photos!

This Weekend at CR: Good Friday and Easter!

Hi everyone!  Pastor Mark here to remind you about all the special things happening this weekend at Church Requel.  First, make it a priority to come to the Good Friday service this evening!  We will be combining our service with Ontario Christian Fellowship.  It should be a memorable experience for all of us.  There will be special worship events - songs, drama and worship choreography.  I've prepared a message that comes right from my own heart on the subject of betrayal.  I'll be asking if we are PRETENDER Christians, DEFENDER Christians, or SURRENDERED Christians?  We will celebrate the victory of Good Friday with a special communion service together with our fellow Christ followers from OCF.  I'm looking forward to spending time with all of you tonight at 7pm!

Sunday will be Easter - Resurrection Day!  We have some great events planned for our worship time together Sunday night at 6pm.  The entire service will be a celebration of worship, stories, videos, and special music.  Families will enjoy it together and children will be welcomed up front during part of this special Easter worship event.  I'm especially looking forward to following the worship lead of Jillian, Tim, Christy Anne, and Dave - all very special young people in my own life.  We'll hear music by Natalie Grant, Kari Jobe and Casting Crowns.  We'll watch special Easter videos from The Skit Guys and The Story.  And we'll kick off a brand new sermon series this Easter Sunday about the good life. The name of this new 7-part series is "The God Life!" I promise you that you will not want to miss this celebration with family and friends!

I'm sure everyone has great plans to enjoy family and friends over this special Christian holiday.  Don't miss the opportunity to also enjoy your Christian family at Church Requel.  I'm especially looking forward to seeing and celebrating with each one of you.  

He is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Love you all much, Pastor Mark

This Weekend at CR: Breakfast for the Guys + Palm Sunday!

Hey everyone!  Pastor Mark Pierce here with everything you need to know about Church Requel this weekend.  We've got our breakfast plans for Saturday morning for the guys, a preview of the great worship experience planned for Sunday night, and an update on Lincoln Bohnke.  So stop and take a moment to catch up on all the news!

Breakfast By Birthday Dad!  Tomorrow morning (Saturday) we will enjoy an unbelievably great breakfast by one of my all-time greatest cooks: my dad, Walt Pierce!  I've enjoyed the very breakfast he is going to fix for all of you.  Just thinking about it gets my mouth watering.  Here's what he has planned for you. 

Orange Juice - Tomato Juice, Blue Berry French Toast with Home Made Blue Berry Syrup, Crusty Fried Potatoes with Onions, Browned Flour Sausage Gravy, Freshly Baked Biscuits, Sausage Patties, Scrambled Eggs with Chives and Cheese, Coffee and Milk

It also happens to be my dad's 81st birthday tomorrow!  So let's all gather at my house in the morning at 9am and enjoy a wonderful time of good eating and fellowship.  Dads - bring your sons and daughters.  All the guys - bring a friend.  All the gals - get your beau out of the house and to my house tomorrow morning!

Palm Sunday Evening Worship.  We have a very special Palm Sunday Church Requel service planned.  Sisters Brandi Walker and Trish Trubachik will be leading our worship singing time.  Not only do they both have a wonderful voice, they both are wonderful worshippers.  I love following their lead.  Also on Sunday evening, Pastor Steve will be leading our children's church with some special Palm Sunday activities.  And I have worked up a unique message entitled, "When Heart Meets Mind." We'll examine Jesus' emotions on the day of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and we'll consider what our own emotions can tell us about our Christian worship.

Good Friday. One of the best worship experiences of the Christian year doesn't take place on a Sunday!  Good Friday is the day that Jesus died for us on the cross.  We call it "good" because of his sacrifice and the good news for us that resulted for our benefit.  This year we at Church Requel will celebrate Good Friday with Ontario Christian Fellowship.  There will wonderful music, worship choreography, and a drama.  I've been invited to share a brief devotional message.  The next three services are all important: Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter.  I hope you will be able to attend every one.

Update on Lincoln Bohnke. Thank you so much for your continued prayers on Lincoln's behalf.  It's been a month since he's been born.  He remains hosptilized and on a breathing vent.  But he's getting stronger and bigger every day!  Dan wrote this week that Lincoln now weighed 2 pounds 6 ounces.  Dan went on to write that Lincoln is "doing chin ups off the vent tube... He's a beast!" Read the encouraging update on Caring Bridge. Let's keep praying for Lincoln, Dan, and Katie! 

I think that will wrap up the news for this week at Church Requel.  I hope to see all the guys tomorrow morning at my place.  And I hope to see everyone Sunday night at 6pm for Palm Sunday.  Love you all much!  Pastor Mark

What's Happening At CR: Where No Man Has Gone Before!

Hey everyone!  Pastor Mark here with your weekly "What's Happening at Church Requel" blog post.  This weekend we wrap up our "I KNOW" sermon series with our 15th and final talk on Romans 8.  [Cue applause and confetti.]  I'm really excited about this talk about God's love for us.  The Apostle Paul takes us "where no man has gone before."  I couldn't help myself.  When I read just how exhaustively the Bible explains the extremes of God's love - I think of all the science fiction I've ever read or watched - and I realize that God loves us even beyond the boundaries of what we can imagine.  I guess you'll just have to come Sunday night to find out what I'm talking about.  I know you love me because you keep coming despite my funky sci-fi love and my endless references to football. (Yes, I've found a way to include the NFL QB swaps this past week in this same talk!)  Want to get a head start on the talk?  The YouVersion sermon notes link is here or just open your Bible app and search for "Church Requel."

Bowling With God.  There will be lots more going on this Sunday evening than just the exciting conclusion to our Romans 8 sermon series.  We'll enjoy singing some great songs about God's love for us - like "Majestic," "Because of Your Love," and "Amazed."  We'll hear Jana read our Scripture.  We'll hear Steve lead our prayer time.  We'll enjoy the amazing fellowship greeting time together and a most meaningful communion time.  AND - for our elementary children - I'm looking forward to inviting them all up with me to go "bowling with God!"  I'm planning an object lesson that, I hope, will be long remembered by both our children and our adults.  So if you have an elementary child in your vicinity, you'll want to make sure they come with you to Church Requel this weekend.  After all, how often do they get to go... "bowling with God?"

Amazing Breakfast For Men and Their Children!  My dad will celebrate his 81st birthday next Saturday, March 31st.  He plans to enjoy himself by doing something special for all the men and their children: He will cook up a fabulous breakfast for us! If you've met my dad you know he never does anything small or half-hearted.  This week on his own blog, Dad posted his menu. Can you read this and not have your mouth start watering? Orange Juice - Tomato Juice, Blue Berry French Toast with Home Made Blue Berry Syrup, Crusty Fried Potatoes with Onions, Browned Flour Sausage Gravy, Freshly Baked Biscuits, Sausage Patties, Scrambled Eggs with Chives and Cheese, Coffee and Milk. Yum! Yum! You definitely don't want to miss! Saturday at 9am!

Women's Bible Study Wednesday AT A NEW TIME!  This next Wednesday evening, March 28th, the women will start their Bible study a half hour earlier - AT 6:30 PM.   Apparently they are all just having too much fun gabbing with one another!  (Aformentioned statement did not receive prior approval from Pastor Mark's wife, Mary Kay!)  This particular Bible study includes a great video teaching from Beth Moore.  Topics in this study include: joy, hardship, faith, reversal of fortunes for rich and poor, wisdom, gifts from above, single-mindedness, the dangers of the tongue, humility, and prayer. If you are a woman at Church Requel, you won't want to miss this chance to meet and know new friends and learn important, faith-building lessons from the epistle of James.

Easter Meal Donations. When you come to CR this Sunday night, don't forget to bring your groceries!!! We plan to provide meals to those families who are in need of a good Easter meal.  Each Sunday we ask you to bring in cans of vegetables, stuffing mix, boxes of potatoes and dessert.  Sheri and Jack will collect the food each week and will help coordinate the meal donations the week before Easter.  If you know of a family who could use a meal, please email Steve Thoman.  I am continuously amazed at what a kind and giving church family you all really are.  Time is going fast. There's only two weekends left before Easter week! Let's make this the best meal donation yet!

Easter Worship Plans. Speaking of Easter, there are lots of great things going on.  You'll want to mark your calendars!  Next weekend is Palm Sunday.  Brandi and Trish will be leading our worship next weekend! We'll also enjoy a special sermon examining the connection between Jesus' emotions and his mission.  We'll learn some important lessons about the connection between our own emotions, our own reasoning, and our own wills - and how all that fits in with obeying Christ!  On Good Friday we'll be combining our 7pm service with Ontario Christian Fellowship.  This special worship service will include a short drama, worship choreography, and a message from yours truly.  As a church I hope we all show up in a big way!  Then on Easter Evening we'll celebrate our Lord's resurrection day with great music from Tim and Jillian Vincent, Christy Anne Pierce, and Dave Johnson.  I'm really excited about all the great worship experiences we will enjoy together this year!

Prayer Requests. Keep praying for Lincoln Bohnke.  He continues to make slow but steady progress. This past week the medical professionals at OSU changed his ventilator tube to the next larger size, which is a good thing.  It shows he is growing.  He weighed in this week at 2 pounds 2 ounces.  Keep praying also for his mom and dad, Katie and Dan, and for grandma and grandpa, Sonnie and Fred. Making the trip down to Columbus on almost a daily basis is tough.  Pray for their encouragement and faith. Stop by their Caring Bridge website and let them know you are thinking about them!  Keep praying for Dick. He seems to be making progress with the pain from the shingles, but he still has nose surgery facing him to remove a cancerous growth.  Two new requests include (1) Nancy Roop's daughter-in-law, Wendy, who was hospitalized with the flu on Thursday.  Wendy is 15 weeks along in her pregnancy and naturally everyone is concerned that she keep her fluids up for the baby's sake.  (2) Marci's mother-in-law and Lissa's grandmother, Marjorie, went to the ER Friday morning with heart problems. She will be needing a pacemaker ASAP.

If you made it this far through our weekly "what's happening" then congrats to you!  You should receive our CR Fan of the Week prize... if only we had a Fan of the Week prize.  Why don't you email me and tell me what our weekly prize should be!  Do me one more favor.  Don't keep Church Requel a secret.  Tell a friend or family member about the great times we have together on Sunday evenings! They will thank you... and so will I.  Have you noticed how many new guests we've had lately?  Your invites are working!  Hope to see you Sunday at 6pm.  Pastor Mark Pierce

This Weekend: Winning!

Hey everyone!  Pastor Mark here with your weekly "what's happening" blog post.  I hope you are enjoying this incredibly warm winter weather.  I'm looking at the forecast and seeing 70+ temperatures every day for the next 5 days!  I can hear the bike trail calling my name.  How about you?

This weekend we have some great plans for our Church Requel worship service.  March is Disabilities Awareness month here in Richland County.  The primary message we learn from our friends with disabilities is that we should be aware of their great ABILITIES despite their disadvantages.  There is no one for whom this is more true than Diana Devolder's young friend, Austin Wells.  Austin is 15 years old and an 8th grade student at Clear Fork Middle School. He is a person with Down Syndrome; he was born with an extra 47th chromosome.  Diana tells me that Austin has proved his "abilities" far surpass his "disability" and is an inspiration to everyone who meets him.  We all will have the chance to be inspired by Austin Sunday night when he sings "Amazing Grace" for us.  This will be a special moment for our entire Church Requel family and for Austin's family!  You'll want to make sure you come to welcome Austin, his mother, Cortanee, and his entire family.

After Austin sings our children will be dismissed to Children's church - Lisa has prepared a FANTASTIC lesson for them!  If you have an elementary child in your family don't let them miss out!  When Lisa teaches, our kids always walk away from church with more than they had when they arrived!  Our adults will continue our study of Romans chapter 8 - our 14th lesson in this series! Sunday we'll be focusing on verses 34-37. How do you define winning and losing?  After Sunday evening you will gain the confidence to know that "hard times will not defeat me!"  Want a head start on our teaching time Sunday?  Click here to see the YouVersion sermon notes or open your Bible app on your mobile device, click LIVE and search for Church Requel.

Congrats to 2 Couples. This past week has been quite a week for wedding plans!  Congratulations to Jack and Sheri, who have set a date for their wedding on June 2nd.  They plan a small, private ceremony at their home with a public party to follow after their honeymoon. We'll share the details when we know them.  Also congratulations to Jessica and Dave (pictured on the right), who announced their engagement this past Wednesday.  Jessica and Dave have not decided on their wedding date yet.  We'll let you know... as soon as we know!  (The editor of this little weekly post is admittedly partial to the gal pictured here!) 

Women's Bible Study. Our ladies met again this past Wednesday evening for part 2 of Beth Moore's James study.  They all had a great time.  Jana Edwards brought a small feast with her so our ladies fed their bodies while also feeding their souls.  If you are a woman over age 18, don't miss out on this great opportunity to meet with the other women of our church.  They had such a great time last Wednesday that they've decided to move up their meeting times to 6:30pm so they have an extra 30 minutes every other Wednesday.  The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 28th.

Men's Breakfast. Great news! The only person who cooks a better breakfast than me is my dad!  If you are lucky enough to be a guy, plan now to attend the next men's breakfast on Saturday, March 31st. Walt Pierce is already planning a great menu sure to include his famous fried potatoes. It also happens to be Walt's 81st birthday - he plans to celebrate by cooking up breakfast for you!

Easter Meal Donations. We plan to provide meals to those in need of a good Easter meal.  Each Sunday we ask you to bring in cans of vegetables, stuffing mix, boxes of potatoes and dessert.  Sheri and Jack will collect the food each week and will help coordinate the meal donations the week before Easter.  If you know of a family who could use a meal, please email Steve Thoman.  Let's make this the best meal donation yet!

Palm Sunday & Easter Plans. We are making special plans for our Palm Sunday and Easter worship services.  We would love to have praise worship teams for both services.  If you enjoy singing or playing a musical instrument and would like to be part of the praise team on either day, please let me know. We have a good start! Brandi Walker is leading on April 1st for Palm Sunday.  Christy Anne Pierce, Tim and Jillian Vincent, and Dave Johnson will be leading on April 8th for Easter.

 Prayer Requests. Keep praying for little Lincoln Bohnke.  Lincoln was born 3 months prematurely, but he has survived his first (and most dangerous) two weeks.  Every day brings new challenges.  Lincoln's grandpa, Fred, told me this week that the doctors plan to keep Lincoln in the hospital until June 11th, his original due date.  So this is no time for us to let up in our prayers for him, his mom Katie or his dad Dan.  If you want to encourage Dan and Katie, you can link to their Caring Bridge site and let them know you're praying for them.  Also remember Dick Jourdan, still suffering from shingles and still expecting surgery to remove a cancerous growth from his nose. 

If you made it this far through our weekly "what's happening" then congrats to you!  Do me one more favor.  Don't keep Church Requel a secret.  Tell a friend or family member about the great times we have together on Sunday evenings!  Hope to see you Sunday at 6pm.  Pastor Mark Pierce

Weekly Podcast: Jesus Is Making The Case For Me

Here is this week's Church Requel podcast.  For those of you who only want to hear the sermon, skip forward to the 13 minute 40 second mark.  If you play the whole thing, you'll hear a description of the tearful entry of a new CR parishioner into our lobby - someone we've been praying a great deal for lately.  You'll also hear the Children's Sermon, "Dirty Windows."

Finally you'll hear the main talk of the evening, "Jesus Is Making The Case For Me." Guilt can actually be a good thing if it leads to confession and repentance. But what if you still feel guilty after God forgives you? This is false guilt, which can lead to anxiety, stress, depression, and feelings of unworthiness. Join me as we study Romans 8:34 and learn how to handle false G.U.I.L.T. Interspersed throughout you'll hear my honest reflections about another great evening at Church Requel last night. Enjoy!

Listen to this week's Church Requel Podcast:

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