NE NEWS - March 26, 2013

Northeast Community News – March 26, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

 What a wonderful and blessed time we had in the Lord, Sunday! While there are so many blessings to mention, I will mention three! First, we were blessed with a wonderful Sunday school hour! Downstairs, the alternative adults ran out of room and had to add another table! We were also blessed by the HUMONGOUS outpouring of diapers we received this week, too! Finally, we were blessed when Steve Hammond joined us on the Praise Team! How did God bless you this week? Go ahead and praise Him! Amen!

Palm Sunday is a bittersweet moment in the life of Jesus and the Christian Church. On one hand, we want to eagerly join the joyful throng of palm waving disciples singing: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” (Luke 19:38) On the other hand, we realize Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem turns quickly from triumph into tragedy as those same disciples who cheered Him now run from Him, deny Him, and even abandon Him to death on the cross.

How do you honor a king? How do you honor King Jesus? God’s message this week came to us from Luke 19:28-44 and was titled, “Praise Is God’s Alone.” Luke 19:28-44 is a familiar passage of Scripture to many of us. Jesus rides the prophetic donkey colt into Jerusalem as the people lay their coats before Him and all praise breaks loose. After the Pharisees suggest Jesus rebuke His disciples (v39), He answered, “…if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40b). So, we honor King Jesus with our praise!

But we often do not tie vv. 41-44 into this familiar Palm Sunday celebration. As the crowd cheers and Jesus rides into Jerusalem we read, “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it” (Luke 19:41). In v44 we read of terrible things that will happen “…because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you” (Luke 19:44b).

The Jews largely rejected Jesus in their hearts! God, who had come in the flesh “…to seek and save what was lost” (Luke 19:10) as the Son would die on The Cross to forgive, redeem, and free them was largely rejected and Jesus wept. So, we honor King Jesus not only with our praise, but when we trust and Him as our Lord and Savior, too!

How do you honor the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as enter Holy Week, Good Friday, and Easter? Receive Him! Serve Him! Praise Him! Share Him! Amen!

THE DIAPERS FROM AFRICA ARRIVED LAST WEEK!

Diapers from Africa? Yes, we received 72 diapers from Chad and Sara Hoffman and their three kids Sabra, Sam, and Aviya, from Nairobi, Kenya last week! The Hoffman’s know the Parsacas and wanted to support Morgan and her Students for Life group! The Hoffman’s are part of the ‘Journey247’ missionary group who passionately desires to see entire communities, cities, and nations transformed by the Glory and Presence of the Living God! You can check out their website here: http://www.journey247.com/

My point? Well, isn’t it obvious? If missionaries in Africa can get behind this effort and donate diapers to help prevent abortion, anybody can! What’s holding you back? 

GOAL : 1,500          COLLECTED: 2,336 (as of 3/20)

WED. NIGHT ADULT BIBLE STUDY: CHRISTIAN DISCIPLINES, 6:30PM

Are you a disciplined person? Most of us long to be people with depth, strength, wisdom and maturity and deepen our walk with Christ, but spiritual depth requires discipline! Join us during the next 12 weeks as we examine disciplines that help us connect with God, reach out to others, and stay on track! You can do this! Hope to see you there!

Blessings! Pastor Dan

Hello From Pastor Amy/Your Part-Time Church Secretary

My office hours will be on Tuesdays from 8am-5pm, but if you need to see me, you may want to call first, because my schedule varies. My responsibilities also include preparing our weekly program, so if you have an event that you would like to put in the program or newsletter, please feel free to contact me!

On Prayer Requests: If you have a specific praise or prayer request which you would like to appear in the program and/or newsletter, please make sure to fill out the tear-off sheet in the weekly program, or contact me at any time.

Please Update Me! We have a long, ongoing list of prayer requests. Please keep me updated. Requests will be pulled from the newsletter & program after three weeks.

Church Office: 616-459-2773 My Contact Info: 616-514-9521 

or aorban@nnu.edu

Wednesday Night Dinners Continue – March 27^th @ 5:30pm – THIS Wednesday!

Our dinners on the last Wednesdays of the month continue. The next dinner will be on March 27^th, which is this Wednesday. Our theme this year has been soup, salad, and bread – but the truth is that everyone pretty much brings whatever they want! So bring a dish to pass, a dessert, or drinks, and join us for an hour of food and fellowship before our regular Bible study and family night. This is also a great night to invite friends or family to join us! Talk to Julie Orban to help set-up or clean-up.

GOOD FRIDAY – COME PRAY – LIGHT A CANDLE – 12:00 – 3:00pm

Good Friday is a sacred holiday observed by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and His death at Calvary. Traditionally, the Church has recognized the Passion of Christ (His suffering and death on The Cross) between the hours of 12:00 - 3:00pm.  While we will not have a formal service, the church will be open during the Holy Hours of 12:00 – 3:00pm for you to come and pray (perhaps a prayer of gratitude) and light a votive candle (representing Jesus - the Light of the world) or simply spend some time in quiet solitude as you reflect on the cost Jesus paid on The Cross to set you free. Come. Remember. Reflect. Weep. Give Thanks. Come.

Work Days Continue! Saturday March 30, 8am-12pm

Our trustees continue to hold church work days on the last Saturdays of the month in order to keep up on the cleanliness and maintenance of our building and grounds. Many hands make the work lighter, so please come if you are able. No matter what your skills, they can put you to work! Talk to Pat Parsaca or Theo Orban with questions.

World Evangelism Fund Easter Offering!

This week Christians around the world remember our Lord's suffering on the cross and celebrate His triumphant resurrection. As the alienation and agony of Good Friday gives way to the victory of Easter morning, Nazarenes will join in the joyful refrain, "He lives! He lives!" The spotless Lamb who lovingly laid down His life is now the mighty conqueror of death and the grave! Because He lives, we live and can live abundantly!Having received His life, we now have the God-given responsibility of sharing this life with those who still need Him! The annual Easter Offering is a way to share the life-giving gospel to those who are bound by sin and darkness around the world! Together, we are making a world of difference!

Easter Egg Hunt for kids! We will be holding an Easter egg hunt for our kids immediately following morning worship on Sunday. All ages are invited to participate, but we usually give the little ones a head start! This is a great Sunday to invite friends and family! Talk to Janie if you would be willing to help stuff eggs and prepare the hunt!

Membership Class is Coming in April! Sundays 2:00pm-3:30pm

Do you want to know more about the Church of the Nazarene, our local church, or are interested in becoming a member? Pastor Dan and Pastor Amy are leading a class on Sunday afternoons in April! Attendees will receive a copy of “Welcome to the Church of the Nazarene” that will explain Nazarene history, polity, and what we believe! Let Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy know if you are interested! It will be a lot of fun!

Indian Lake Nazarene Camp Events

If you don’t know, Indian Lake is a Nazarene campground where people from churches all over our district gather for District Assembly, children and youth camps, and various other activities. Pastor Dan and Janie own two cabins there, and usually invite everyone down to visit during family camp week in July. It is a beautiful place, and a lot of fun! Here are some upcoming events at Indian Lake as we approach Spring and Summer:

April 20 – Work Day and RV Pre-Opening Weekend. Includes breakfast, and

sandwiches for lunch, but they ask that you please bring a side dish to pass for lunch.

May 21-23 – Work and Win Weekend. More work days to spruce up the camp after winter. The camp is including free meals and lodging for workers!

May 25-28 – Memorial Day Weekend. There will be family activities on Saturday, and a concert on Sunday morning.

July 4-6 – Family Festival. Fun filled days with activities for all ages, including a 5k walk, other sports, water slides and rides, animal show, crafts, swimming, ponies, pontoon boat rides, a climbing wall and zip line, an outdoor movie and more!

CHILDREN AND YOUTH CAMPS!

·        Discovery Camp (grades 1-2-3): July 1-3

·        Boys & Girls Camp (Grades 3-4-5): July 29-August 2

·        Middle School Camp (Grades 6-7-8): July 18-22

·        High School Camp (Grades 9-12): July 14-18

This year, Indian Lake is offering a special promotion! If we get three new campers to attend camps, the fourth goes for free! Registration for camp begins April 15^th, so begin planning! Please note that scholarships are available to help pay for kids who want to go to camp. You can see the bulletin boards, the tables outside of the sanctuary, or Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy if you are interested and want more information. You can also go to the website: www.ilnccamps.org, or call 269.649.2281

Are you married or about to get married? Then you need serious help!

Seriously, the married life is regularly filled with challenges! From internal communication to unrealistic expectations to learning to disagree (fight) fairly within a Christian worldview, to the external pressures of family and a culture that has normalized temptation and divorce your church understands you often need some support, insight, and encouragement. In May, Pastor Dan and Pastor Amy and their spouses will be leading a 6-week class based on the book ‘The Five Love Languages.’ The class will most likely meet in our homes Sunday evenings but we will see who is interested and their availability. Let Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy know if you are interested!

Postcard Greetings Now Available

Is there someone you’ve missed? Someone you used to look forward to seeing each week but they are missing? Maybe there is someone you would like to invite to church or to a potluck or to Sunday school, but you’re not sure how to go about it. Well, one possibility is to send them a postcard! We recently had postcards made and they are available to anyone who would like to send them to invite, encourage, miss, or welcome someone to the church! Interested? See a Sunday school teacher or Pastor Amy or Dan.

Girl Scouts Meet in our Building! Next Meeting Monday April 8 at 6:00pm

We are thrilled to announce that beginning in October, the Girl Scouts program will be meeting in our building every other week on Monday nights @ 6pm. If you have a girl who is interested in joining, there is a $12 registration fee, and the group will tentatively be meeting every other Mondays of the month. Also, if parents of girls are interested in volunteering, they are also more than welcome to register to be a part of the program! Talk to Pastor Dan for registration forms!

Want to help, but not sure how?

If you are wondering where to plug in, but are not sure how, we have opportunities. Current opportunities include a soundboard worker, nursery helpers, children's workers, potluck coordinators, visiting our shut-ins, greeters and ushers, visitor follow-ups, Sunday School teachers, music leaders, people willing to shovel snow in the winter, and much more. It doesn’t matter how long you have been attending our church, serving is a great way to honor God and get to know the people around you! If you sense a call to a specific area or need some ideas to pray about, please contact Pastor Amy or Irene Pratt.

Upcoming Events

March 27       Wednesday Night Soup, Salad, Bread dinner @ 5:30pm

March 30       Church Work Day 8am-12pm

March 31       Easter Sunday

March 31       Last day for diaper drive donations

April 07         New Membership Class begins 2-3:30pm

April 14         Northeast Community Potluck

April 15         Registration for Indian Lake kids/youth camps begins!

April 20         Work Day at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp/RV Pre-Opening Day

April 22         Earth Day

May                Marriage Enrichment Small group, dates and times tba

May 12           Mother’s Day

May 21-23     Work and Win at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp

Pastor Amy's Page

Viewing life through the lens of Jesus Christ

What calendar do you look at when you plan your life?

There is the calendar of mother’s day, father’s day, Fourth of July, birthdays, and anniversaries. This calendar also includes things like St. Patrick’s day,  Mardi  Gras, Valentine’s Day, President’s day, baby day, grandparent’s day, Earth day, bring your kid to work day, teacher appreciation day.

We typically don’t forget our children’s birthdays, and the most lunatic kinds of mothers spend months planning a tediously themed party which no one will remember (strictly my opinion). We mark our calendars for vacation, and we spend the year anticipating the arrival of the week within the little red circle. We know when Menards has their next super savings sale. We anticipate the first day of spring, we impatiently wait to voice our opinions in election seasons, and we all know men who go missing around the opening day of hunting season each year.

We have fireworks on the 4^th of July, where thousands of people gather to watch thousands of dollars in ear-splitting explosives fly across the sky, all while mindlessly devouring hot dogs and waving little flags. The entire city of Grand Rapids turns into a green-beer-drinking cacophony of chaos on St. Patrick ’s Day. We shamelessly adhere to Valentine ’s Day, the day which is forever faithful in providing couples another reason to be irritated with each other.

Now don’t hear me wrong. I am not condemning secular holidays. As Christians we have little basis for condemning days which honor our parents, bring attention to environmental stewardship, or celebrate our cultural heritage.

There is nothing inherently evil in proudly wearing your “I voted!” sticker after a heated political season, and I will most likely be the lunatic mother planning my three year-old an elephant-themed birthday party next month. By all means, please buy your wife flowers on Valentine’s Day, and as far as I am aware, there are no theological issues with growing your facial hair out for deer hunting season men.

Seriously though, the problem is not days, because we know that days are just days, and these holidays are just made up by well-meaning people. The problem has to do with what captures our attention. The problem has to do with what we center our lives around.

On the Christian calendar, this week is Holy Week. It began on Palm Sunday, when Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people shouted, waving palm branches and laying down their cloaks in the path of Jesus and the donkey. Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! (Luke 19:38). This marks Jesus’ last week of life, and we hold in tension our praise to God against our knowledge that Jesus will go to the Cross in just days.

For the Christian, this week is anything but just another week. It is the week that changed everything, for everyone, forever!

Holy week is also offensive. Our secular holidays are always celebrating (worshiping?) something or someone. These are happy days, sentimental days, days which claim an inherent ability to turn our attention toward “what matters.” These are the days which tells that “what matters” is that we are happy, well-fed, and recognized as important.

Holy week does the opposite, and has little to do with easing our minds or softening the blow. It gives us a sharp reminder that “what matters” is Jesus and what he has done to redeem the world through his death on the cross.

This week, we remember the suffering of our Lord. We read slowly about Jesus’ last meal with his disciples, we linger as He washes the feet of His disciples, teaching them to wash each other’s feet, to love one another in humble love.  

We hear Him telling us not to let our hearts be troubled because He is going to prepare a room in heaven. We hear Him promise the Holy Spirit in His absence. We see the baffled faces of the disciples, who even now do not understand what is happening. Then we hear Jesus pray for the disciples, and then he prays for us, too.

He is arrested, bound, and betrayed by Peter who denies him not once, but three times. He is questioned, beaten, flogged, and mocked. They clothe him with irony in a purple robe, give him a crown of thorns, and Pilate hands him over to be crucified.

He carries his own cross to Golgotha where they strip his clothes and nail him to the cross. A mocking sign is placed on the cross, reading “Jesus of Nazareth – King of the Jews.”

On Good Friday from 12pm-3pm, we remember that Jesus hung there for three hours. They pierced His side with a spear even after he was dead, raining blood upon the onlookers. He was dead, and submissive to the will of the Father to the very last breath.

God knew the world was being redeemed, but Jesus’ followers could only look on in horror. Jesus’ mother stood under the Cross, splattered in the blood of her son, most likely weeping hysterical with the other women and the disciple who remained.

What were they thinking? The Messiah is dead…It was not supposed to be like this…what have they done…God hates us all…

One can scarcely imagine the depths of despair which these gathered ones must have felt. Hope was lost, not just now, but forever.

The violent, humiliating death on the Cross does not make for a very good Hallmark greeting card. The birth of Jesus? Sure. The Resurrection? Absolutely. But not the Cross, not the suffering, not the blood mixed with tears and dirt and death and hopeless void unending.

We want to rush forth to the Resurrection. The Resurrection gives meaning to a seemingly nonsensical murder of God.

But for Holy Week let’s slow down and linger here in this place for a bit. Let’s look at the faces of Mary, tear-streaked with blood and the depth of human despair. Look into the faces of those who were there, and look deeply. Because they are mirrors of our faces, too.

To those who witnessed the crucifixion and to the 21^st century reader alike, the excruciating and humiliating death of God on the cross is too much to comprehend. We cannot see purpose in such an act; how can we believe that God’s hand is in this?

This is not easy to think about. It is never easy to explain suffering. But this Jesus on the Cross, this suffering Jesus had a bigger purpose than could be seen at first. Jesus did not suffer for nothing – he suffered to redeem the world. Jesus died for sinners to be saved.

It may not be the warm consolation we all want, but Jesus on the cross also reminds us that our suffering in this world, too, is not without God’s greater purpose. We see our God is still in control, even when bloodthirsty crowds gather and hell seems to have come to earth.

This week my prayer is that suffering, both Jesus’ suffering and your own suffering, leads you deeper into Jesus who died for you.

With love, Pastor Amy

NE NEWS - March 19, 2013

Northeast Community News – March 19, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

While I often say it was a wonderful day in the Lord and I mean it, last Sunday was a day I will not soon forget. For me it began with tears as Pastor Amy shared with the Praise Team what God had placed on her heart to share with us in her message. The Word had moved her and she moved us with the Word. I immediately thought of Rom. 10:14-16:

“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (Romans 10:14-16).

Surely Pastor Amy has beautiful feet for bringing us the Good News! Amen? Amen!! I was moved by her message and challenged to ‘do a strange thing’ out of love for Jesus. But before she could even challenge us with God’s Word, one young woman lived it out by standing unashamed with tears streaming down her cheeks and singing her heart out as a living testimony to the Christ who saved her and set her free! Oh, that we might all have that sort of freedom to express our love to God in worship like she did Sunday!

I immediately thought of another Romans verse: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…” (Rom. 1:16a). Surely, the Spirit of Christ was moving in our service this week! Praise God!                                               Pastor Dan

 Hello Everyone,

Our message this week came from John 12:1-8 and was titled “Extravagant Love.” To set the scene, we have Mary, Martha, and Lazarus holding a dinner for Jesus, to celebrate Lazarus’ return to health and life after Jesus raised him from the dead in chapter 11. Jesus has now gained many followers, and there is an open plot by the religious authorities to kill him.

Jesus, Mary and Martha, Lazarus, and the disciples are gathered together, enjoying a warm meal, celebrating Lazarus’ health, and celebrating Jesus’ presence with them. But this warm and comfortable scene turns strange and awkward when in verse 3 “Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.”

At this point, the sound of happy fellowship was probably interrupted sharply by a stunned silence as the disciples tried to make sense of what Mary did, and waited for Jesus to respond. You see women did not touch men, and women certainly did not let their hair down. In addition, Judas points out in verse 5 that the perfume Mary used was worth a year’s wages!  Her act did not only seem strange, but even impractical and irrational!

Yet, Jesus defends Mary, saying “leave her alone…it was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me” (vs. 7-8). Why did Jesus defend Mary, and what do we learn from Mary?

First, we learn that Mary’s action is one of extravagant love, and it is in response to extravagant love. Jesus points out that the anointing perfume was for his burial (v7). When Mary anointed the feet of Jesus, it was a foreshadowing of Jesus death on the Cross, which was coming very soon. There is no greater illustration of extravagant love, than the picture of our Savior on the Cross. Mary’s act of extravagant love was a deep, heartfelt response to the extravagant love of Jesus.

Second, we learn that extravagant love pays attention to right now. What Mary did was an appropriate act of worship for that moment. For her, the time was right, and the time was right now. Jesus was going to die for the sin of the world, and rather than wait to use the perfume on his dead body, she chose to love him right now, while he was still physically with them.

In this sense, we see that extravagant love pays attention to the present moment, and says yes to Jesus in each moment that is in front of us every day. Extravagant love sees the needs that are right now, the opportunities to love right now. Do we ever feel moved to show love to others, but put it off? How often do our good intentions melt away into inaction and forgetfulness? The truth is that delaying God’s will for our lives will leave us restless and uncomfortable. Mary shows us that we need to love deeply right now, because we might not be able to do it later.

Next, extravagant love is not self-conscious. By letting her hair down and touching Jesus’ feet, Mary was going against all cultural constraints. How easy would it have been for her to stay in her place, quiet and composed, and let the disciples have all of Jesus’ attention. But Mary wasn’t worried about that and she wasn’t caught up on what they would think of her. No, she was so consumed by her love for Jesus that nothing else distracted her!

Oh that we could be so single-minded! How often are we so worried about the approval or disapproval of the people around us that we lose sight of adoring Jesus? How often do we let pride keep us composed and inhibited? What things could God do through us if we would be rid of all these silly distractions and simply focus on our one true love, Him?

Lastly, we ask what extravagant love will look like for us, today. Mary was physically with Jesus – we are not, so how can we love him this extravagantly? In Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and the goats, Jesus teaches us this simple but beautiful truth: when we love others, we are truly loving Jesus! When we begin to see Jesus in the poor, broken, downtrodden, imprisoned, hurting people around us, and when we begin loving them, then we are loving Jesus. Our extravagant love for Jesus is seen in the extent to which we pour ourselves out, showing kindness and mercy to the people of the world. 

What an incredibly beautiful picture of extravagant love we see in Mary’s act. It is the reflection of our Savior’s love to us, reflected back to Him, like some glorious heavenly mirror of adoration. Aren’t you hungry for this? I pray that we see Jesus’ extravagant love for us a little more clearly when we look at the Cross, and I pray that respond in more extravagant ways.

With love, Pastor Amy

 WEDNESDAY NIGHT ADULT GRIEF BIBLE STUDY6:30PM

Join us this week as finish the last lesson on Psalms and grief. We have learned what the Psalms say about anger, guilt, and hope, and we will now examine what God can teach us about praising Him even as we grieve! Hope to see you there!

Hello From Pastor Amy/Your Part-Time Church Secretary

My office hours will be on Tuesdays from 8am-5pm, but if you need to see me, you may want to call first, because my schedule varies. My responsibilities also include preparing our weekly program, so if you have an event that you would like to put in the program or newsletter, please feel free to contact me!

On Prayer Requests: If you have a specific praise or prayer request which you would like to appear in the program and/or newsletter, please make sure to fill out the tear-off sheet in the weekly program, or contact me at any time.

Please Update Me! We have a long, ongoing list of prayer requests. Please keep me updated. Requests will be pulled from the newsletter & program after three weeks.

Church Office: 616-459-2773 My Contact Info: 616-514-9521 or aorban@nnu.edu

NEWS & EVENTS

Wednesday Night Dinners Continue – March 27^th @ 5:30pm

Our dinners on the last Wednesdays of the month continue. The next dinner will be on March 27^th, which is not this Wednesday, but next Wednesday. Our theme this year has been soup, salad, and bread – but the truth is that everyone pretty much brings whatever they want! So bring a dish to pass, a dessert, or drinks, and join us for an hour of food and fellowship before our regular Bible study and family night. This is also a great night to invite friends or family to join us! Talk to Julie Orban to help set-up or clean-up.

Work Days Continue  Next: Saturday March 30, 8am-12pm

Our trustees continue to hold church work days on the last Saturdays of the month in order to keep up on the cleanliness and maintenance of our building and grounds. Many hands make the work lighter, so please come if you are able. No matter what your skills, they can put you to work! Talk to Pat Parsaca or Theo Orban with questions.

Next Work Day: Saturday March 30, 8am-12pm

Easter Egg Hunt for kids! We will be holding an Easter egg hunt for our kids immediately following morning worship on Sunday. All ages are invited to participate, but we usually give the little ones a head start! This is a great Sunday to invite friends and family! Talk to Janie if you would be willing to help stuff eggs and prepare the hunt!

Membership Class is Coming in April! Sundays 2:00pm-3:30pm

Do you want to know more about the Church of the Nazarene, our local church, or are interested in becoming a member? Pastor Dan and Pastor Amy are leading a class on Sunday afternoons in April! Attendees will receive a copy of “Welcome to the Church of the Nazarene” that will explain Nazarene history, polity, and what we believe! Let Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy know if you are interested! It will be a lot of fun!

Indian Lake Nazarene Camp Events

If you don’t know, Indian Lake is a Nazarene campground where people from churches all over our district gather for District Assembly, children and youth camps, and various other activities. Pastor Dan and Janie own two cabins there, and usually invite everyone down to visit during family camp week in July. It is a beautiful place, and a lot of fun! Here are some upcoming events at Indian Lake as we approach Spring and Summer:

April 20 – Work Day and RV Pre-Opening Weekend. Includes breakfast, and sandwiches for lunch, but they ask that you please bring a side dish to pass for lunch.

May 21-23 – Work and Win Weekend. More work days to spruce up the camp after winter. The camp is including free meals and lodging for workers!

May 25-28 – Memorial Day Weekend. There will be family activities on Saturday, and a concert on Sunday morning.

We will be publishing more events as they draw closer. If you are interested, talk to Pastor Dan, or register with the camp at 269.649.2281. You can also go to their website:www.nazcamp.org

Are you married or about to get married? Then you need serious help!

Seriously, the married life is regularly filled with challenges! From internal communication to unrealistic expectations to learning to disagree (fight) fairly within a Christian worldview, to the external pressures of family and a culture that has normalized temptation and divorce your church understands you often need some support, insight, and encouragement. In May, Pastor Dan and Pastor Amy and their spouses will be leading a 6-week class based on the book ‘The Five Love Languages.’ The class will most likely meet in our homes Sunday evenings but we will see who is interested and their availability. Let Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy know if you are interested!

Postcard Greetings Now Available

Is there someone you’ve missed? Someone you used to look forward to seeing each week but they are missing? Maybe there is someone you would like to invite to church or to a potluck or to Sunday school, but you’re not sure how to go about it. Well, one possibility is to send them a postcard! We recently had postcards made and they are available to anyone who would like to send them to invite, encourage, miss, or welcome someone to the church! Interested? See a Sunday school teacher or Pastor Amy or Dan.

Girl Scouts Meet in our Building! Next Meeting Mon. March 25 at 6:00pm

We are thrilled to announce that beginning in October, the Girl Scouts program will be meeting in our building every other week on Monday nights @ 6pm. If you have a girl who is interested in joining, there is a $12 registration fee, and the group will tentatively be meeting every other Mondays of the month. Also, if parents of girls are interested in volunteering, they are also more than welcome to register to be a part of the program! Talk to Pastor Dan for registration forms!

Want to help, but not sure how?

If you are wondering where to plug in, but are not sure how, we have opportunities. Current opportunities include a soundboard worker, nursery helpers, childrens workers, potluck coordinators, visiting our shut-ins, greeters and ushers, visitor follow-ups, Sunday School teachers, music leaders, people willing to shovel snow in the winter, and much more. It doesn’t matter how long you have been attending our church, serving is a great way to honor God and get to know the people around you! If you sense a call to a specific area or need some ideas to pray about, please contact Pastor Amy or Irene Pratt.

Upcoming Events

March 27       Wednesday Night Soup, Salad, Bread dinner @ 5:30pm

March 30       Church Work Day 8am-12pm

March 31       Easter Sunday

March 31       Last day for diaper drive donations

April 07         New Membership Class begins

April 14         Northeast Community Potluck

April 20         Work Day at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp

April 22         Earth Day

May               Marriage Enrichment Small group, dates and times tba

May 12          Mother’s Day

May 21-23    Work and Win at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp

NE NEWS - March 12, 2013

Northeast Community News – March 12, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

What an amazing time we had in the Lord, Sunday! Actually, Saturday and Monday were wonderful, too! On Saturday, eight of us travelled to Perry MI, for the Tri-District Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries equipping event called “Team Day.” There we were blessed, taught, fed, and challenged! More to come! Monday was the second day of the Holiness Summit in Flint and God surely anointed His servants! God is good!

God’s message to us Sunday came from Luke 13:1-9 and was titled, “About Face! Beautiful!” What would it take for you to radically change those areas where you are out of alignment with God’s plan? For some of us, it took God permitting pain, loss, and even tragedy for us to finally decide to change the way we were headed.

In Luke 13:1-9 we find three stories that may seem a bit unrelated at first. In the first story (vv. 1-2) Jesus is asked if Pilate’s attack on the Galileans during their worship of God was the result of some terrible sin. Jesus responds, “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:3).

To further His point Jesus rhetorically tells another story (v. 4) from recent memory about 18 who died when a tower fell on them in Siloam and asks, “Do you think they were guiltier than all the others living in Jerusalem?” He responds to this tragedy in the same way He spoke of the Galilean massacre, “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:5)

Then Jesus in v. 6 shifts to a parable about a barren fig tree and asks why it shouldn’t be simply cut down (v. 7). Though the gardener pleads for one more year to care for the tree and fertilize it to see if it will bear fruit (v. 8) even he agrees it should be cut down if it doesn’t produce fruit then (v. 9).

There are several points we can make about these seemingly unrelated ‘stories.’ First, Jesus makes it clear that tragedy strikes good and bad people and the level of sinfulness doesn’t have an effect on who suffers tragedy.

Second, Jesus makes clear that it is  important to be ready to die. As my old pastor friend used to say, “Daniel, ain’t none of us going to make it out of this thing alive.” Regardless of how you die (and it could be very unexpected) you need to be ready by repenting.

Finally, Jesus makes it clear through the parable (vv. 6-9) that we are expected to do more than confess our sins (and then repeatedly return to them); Jesus expects us to repent (do an about-face) from our sinful way of living and produce fruit! Yes, we need to confess our sins, but Jesus expects more than confession; He wants changed lives!

The word “repentance” is often understood as a “change of mind” or a “change of heart,” but it is also understood as an about-face—that is to turn away from the old way of living and thinking and face a new direction and a new way of living.

Where might you need to make an about face? As you continue the Lenten journey I pray you listen to the Holy Spirit and embrace a new way of living – God’s way!

WEDNESDAY NIGHT ADULT GRIEF BIBLE STUDY 6:30PM

Join us this week as we examine what the Psalms can teach us about grieving. With just two weeks left in our study we will be examining Psalm 37 this week to see what God can teach us about acceptance and will finish off with praise! Hope to see you there!

Blessings! Pastor Dan

Hello From Pastor Amy/Your Part-Time Church Secretary

My office hours will be on Tuesdays from 8am-5pm, but if you need to see me, you may want to call first, because my schedule varies. My responsibilities also include preparing our weekly program, so if you have an event that you would like to put in the program or newsletter, please feel free to contact me!

On Prayer Requests: If you have a specific praise or prayer request which you would like to appear in the program and/or newsletter, please make sure to fill out the tear-off sheet in the weekly program, or contact me at any time.

Please Update Me! We have a long, ongoing list of prayer requests. Please keep me updated. Requests will be pulled from the newsletter & program after three weeks.

Church Office: 616-459-2773 My Contact Info: 616-514-9521 or aorban@nnu.edu

NEWS & EVENTS 

Order Your Easter Flowers!

You can order Easter flowers through March 17. The flowers will be delivered and will decorate the sanctuary on Easter Sunday; then you can take them home. Order sheets can be found in the Sunday program, and flowers cost $7.50. Just drop your order sheet and payment in the offering plate, or get them to Gerry Dawson by March 17.

Work Days Continue – Next: Saturday March 30, 8am-12pm

Our trustees continue to hold church work days on the last Saturdays of the month in order to keep up on the cleanliness and maintenance of our building and grounds. Many hands make the work lighter, so please come if you are able. No matter what your skills, they can put you to work! Talk to Pat Parsaca or Theo Orban with questions.

Alabaster Offering – Thank you!

Praise God for our Alabaster offering! We received a total of 223! Thank you all for giving! If you don’t know, twice a year we take up a special Alabaster Offering. Every penny of this offering goes to the global mission field for the purchase of land and buildings which are used for ministry around the world. Alabaster funds help provide land for many Work & Witness projects, and the entire Alabaster Offering goes toward the purchase of land and construction of churches, schools, medical facilities, and homes for missionaries and national workers. 3rd Annual Diaper Drive - STUDENTS FOR LIFE  - Throughout March We are holding our 3rd annual diaper drive to “keep em' covered” this year, but there is a wonderful twist! This year we are partnering with our own Morgan Barber (Pat and Shannen Parsaca’s daughter) and her Students for Life Club to collect diapers to help make choosing life a little bit easier for those who might otherwise terminate their pregnancies due to the heavy cost of having a baby. Morgan is a passionate pro-life student leader who wants to do whatever she can to help women choose life. Will you join the Students for Life by donating a box or two of diapers? You may recall diapers are not provided by government assistance programs and are a huge expense for anyone, but especially those with limited income. Our goal is to collect 1,500 diapers through the end of March. There will be a play-pen set up in the back of the sanctuary for you to place your packs of diapers through March 31st. Current Diaper Total: 192                      GOAL: 1500

Membership Class is Coming in April!

Do you want to know more about the Church of the Nazarene, our local church, or are interested in becoming a member? Pastor Dan and Pastor Amy are leading a class on Sunday afternoons in April! Attendees will receive a copy of “Welcome to the Church of the Nazarene” that will explain Nazarene history, polity, and what we believe! Let Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy know if you are interested! It will be a lot of fun!

Indian Lake Nazarene Camp Events

If you don’t know, Indian Lake is a Nazarene campground where people from churches all over our district gather for District Assembly, children and youth camps, and various other activities. Pastor Dan and Janie own two cabins there, and usually invite everyone down to visit during family camp week in July. It is a beautiful place, and a lot of fun! Here are some upcoming events at Indian Lake as we approach Spring and Summer:

April 20 – Work Day and RV Pre-Opening Weekend. Includes breakfast, and sandwiches for lunch, but they ask that you please bring a side dish to pass for lunch.

May 21-23 – Work and Win Weekend. More work days to spruce up the camp after winter. The camp is including free meals and lodging for workers!

May 25-28 – Memorial Day Weekend. There will be family activities on Saturday, and a concert on Sunday morning.

We will be publishing more events as they draw closer. If you are interested, talk to Pastor Dan, or register with the camp at 269.649.2281. You can also go to their website: www.nazcamp.org

Are you married or about to get married? Then you need serious help!

Seriously, the married life is regularly filled with challenges! From internal communication to unrealistic expectations to learning to disagree (fight) fairly within a Christian worldview, to the external pressures of family and a culture that has normalized temptation and divorce your church understands you often need some support, insight, and encouragement. In May, Pastor Dan and Pastor Amy and their spouses will be leading a 6-week class based on the book ‘The Five Love Languages.’ The class will most likely meet in our homes Sunday evenings but we will see who is interested and their availability. Let Pastor Dan or Pastor Amy know if you are interested!

Postcard Greetings Now Available

Is there someone you’ve missed? Someone you used to look forward to seeing each week but they are missing? Maybe there is someone you would like to invite to church or to a potluck or to Sunday school, but you’re not sure how to go about it. Well, one possibility is to send them a postcard! We recently had postcards made and they are available to anyone who would like to send them to invite, encourage, miss, or welcome someone to the church! Interested? See a Sunday school teacher or Pastor Amy or Dan.

Girl Scouts Meet in our Building! Next Meeting Mon. March 25 at 6:00pm

We are thrilled to announce that beginning in October, the Girl Scouts program will be meeting in our building every other week on Monday nights @ 6pm. If you have a girl who is interested in joining, there is a $12 registration fee, and the group will tentatively be meeting every other Mondays of the month. Also, if parents of girls are interested in volunteering, they are also more than welcome to register to be a part of the program! Talk to Pastor Dan for registration forms!

Want to help, but not sure how?

If you are wondering where to plug in, but are not sure how, we have opportunities. Current opportunities include a soundboard worker, nursery helpers, children's workers, potluck coordinators, visiting our shut-ins, greeters and ushers, visitor follow-ups, Sunday School teachers, music leaders, people willing to shovel snow in the winter, and much more. It doesn’t matter how long you have been attending our church, serving is a great way to honor God and get to know the people around you! If you sense a call to a specific area or need some ideas to pray about, please contact Pastor Amy or Irene Pratt.

Upcoming Events

March 27       Wednesday Night Soup, Salad, Bread dinner @ 5:30pm

March 30       Church Work Day 8am-12pm

March 31       Easter Sunday

March 31       Last day for diaper drive donations

April 07         New Membership Class begins

April 14         Northeast Community Potluck

April 20         Work Day at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp

April 22         Earth Day

May                Marriage Enrichment Small group, dates and times tba

May 21-23     Work and Win at Indian Lake Nazarene Camp

Reflections from Pastor Amy 

Weekly thoughts and reflections from a redeemed child of God,

 a mother, a wife, a student, a sinner under the Cross of Jesus Christ, and a Pastor-in-training.                                    

March 12, 2013

TEAM Day Recap

At 7am on Saturday morning, a group of us climbed into Pastor Dan’s comfy green van to make the 90 minute drive to Perry, Michigan for TEAM Day. Over 600 Nazarenes from three different districts gathered together for a day of learning, inspiration, and equipping for service. It was not only great to hear what is going on in the larger church, but it was great to learn from leaders all over Michigan who are making a profound impact for God’s kingdom.

The day started with a powerful sermon from Dr. James Diehl. He talked to us about the importance of staying faithful to God, no matter what. Yes, it is important for us to have goals, to work hard, and to pray hard. But ultimately, we are called to be faithful to God, no matter what comes our way.

He used his own experience as a powerful illustration. He lost his son not long ago to cancer. They prayed for a healing miracle, yet- his son died. At some point, he had to make peace with God about this loss. He realized that his son was no longer suffering, but was with Jesus. He realized he had to keep preaching the gospel, no matter what, even in the face of the worst thing he had ever dealt with, the death of his own son. We are called to stay faithful to God, no matter what.

 I asked our group members to send me a brief summary of key thoughts to share with those who were not able to attend. Here they are!

Lessons from Pastor Dan

“First, I really loved the workshop on ‘The Problem of Sin and Death’ taught by Dr. Leth, chair of the ONU religion studies. It helped me to see how Wesleyans view sin and salvation differently than some others. Jesus not only lived and died to free us from judgment by God, but His death and resurrection brings healing and order from disorder and death, freedom from captivity and bondage, and reconciliation from separation in our relationships with Him and each other! Wow! What a Savior!

Second, as a former Roman Catholic and ordained Elder in the Church of the Nazarene, JoAnn Bastien was in a unique position to teach us about ‘questions Catholics ask’ and ‘things they want Protestants to know’ when they visit our churches and mix with us. I found it enlightening to realize Catholics wonder if we are Christian and whether we embrace the Apostles and Nicene Creeds like Christians should. We have much to learn about and I was thankful Team Day taught me so much! 

A Challenge from Shannen Parsaca

“What stood out for me was creating vision of the GOOD NEWS within our church for our children and the children in our community.  I would like to see our church get more involved with the kids.  Some are, but most are not.  I would love to do VBS this summer but I would need to have many volunteers to be involved.  I think that if 20 people volunteered for this we could do it.  Maybe that could be a challenge?”

Overflowing with Blessings from Irene

“My second session was very impacting. Here are the highlights:

The Blessings of God are Conditional and Proportional: Purity in my heart precedes God's power in my life. Blessings always follow obedience. Desperation drives you to depend on God.

How to let Jesus be Lord of your life: Deal with the problem. Die to sin, self, and society. Ask God to fill you with His spirit.

The next session was on Prayer as a passion: Just do it. PRAY. One helpful thing was if you find yourself wandering in your praying, instead of criticizing yourself, go with it and see where the spirit takes you. I feel like a sponge that has so much to absorb and am already overflowing!”

Tracy Tamm’s Recommendation

“I went to a class called "Worshiping at Midnight".  It was all about praising God, even in the midst of darkness, troubles and things happening that we don't or can't understand.  I have been through many a dark time in my own life, and sometimes it is hard for me to remember that God IS there, even when I can't see Him or when I feel He is not there.  The speaker told of a story from her own life where she was tested and not trusting God, but then later realized He was there all along.  The speaker gave me hope, that God listens, understands, and loves us, even in the darkest times in our lives.

I love Team Day!  This is my fourth year going, and I learn a lot at each workshop. My faith is also reinforced by things I hear in the classes, and it is just fun to learn and mingle with other believers.  I would recommend Team Day to anyone who wants to learn more about God and grow their own faith.

Through the Eyes of Janie

“The journaling session reminded me of the importance of pouring your soul out to God. The speaker said ‘God knows your thoughts anyway, so why not write it out and tell Him?’

Last, I think we have to stand on Dr. Diehl’s sermon about being on fire and right with God! Also, I went to hear Ted Lee speak about lessons from a prior District Superintendent. It is interesting to be reminded that we need to pray for our District Superintendents and General Superintendents because they sometimes do not have all the answers and rarely get called with good news. He also reminded the pastors that we have to be strong supporters of the Nazarene faith – this means budgets and going to events. He too spoke of relationships and that pastors need to know that calling is the most important thing they do.”

Pastor Amy and Theo’s Takeaways

Later that night, Theo and I both reflected on the day. We agreed that the main idea we took away was the importance of relationships. We need to be in loving, authentic relationships with children, youth, and adults who need the love of Christ. We have to really invest in people, not just for right now, but for the long term. Jesus is our model of relationships – he came to be with us. We are challenged to change our focus, and put our priorities more on people than on tasks.

We also went to a Creativity workshop, led by Dave Clark, a professional musician and worship leader. He told us to “find what stirs you – and chase it!” So what stirs you? What makes the hairs stand up on your arms? What makes you melt? What gets you fired up? Figure it out, chase after it, let it inspire you, and use it for God’s glory!

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse of the abundant nourishment we all received from TEAM Day. If you missed this year, plan on joining us next March!

With Love, Pastor Amy

aorban@nnu.edu/616.514.9521