Tuesday, March 4, 2008

OUR WEEK — MARCH 9 - MARCH 15

REMINDERS —
Wednesday, March 5th—Adair United Methodist Women will meet at 1:30 P.M.
Lenten Services are scheduled tonight for St. John's Lutheran Church in Casey, at 7:00 P.M.

Thursday, March 6th—Casey United Methodist Women will meet at 2:00 P.M.

Friday, March 7th—World Day of Prayer
is a worldwide movement of Christian women of many traditions who come together to observe a common day of prayer each year.
It is a movement symbolized by an annual day of celebration – the first Friday of March.


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Sunday, March 9th—
It's that time again! Daylight Savings Time! Spring ahead!
































This is the 5th Sunday in Lent and our designated color continues to be purple, the royal color.
Our scripture readings for this week are:
Ezekiel 37:1-14
Psalm 130 (UMH 848)
Romans 8:6-11
The Gospel Reading is John 11:1-45
• In the gospel reading, Jesus bids the people take the stone from the tomb, He tells Lazarus to rise, and then He tells him to unbind his shroud. The painting above shows the third of these commands.

• Today is Girl Scout Sunday.


TWEENS YOUTH GROUP PLANNING MEETING—Will be held today, March 9th, at the Casey U.M.C. Scheduled time is from 2:30 P.M. to 4 P.M.
We will be going through supplies to start making a list of everything we need to get the ball rolling. Our starting date is still April 6th and we are still planning to meet the first and 3rd Sunday of every month.
We are SUPER excited about all of the interest that has been shown by, not only the kids, but the grown ups! If you are interested in getting this going and helping in any
way, please let someone know that is on the email address listing or show up at our meeting and give us your great ideas. We will be finished by 4 P.M. at the latest.
Thanks again everyone for all of your help!

Monday, March 10th—This is Pastor Lynn's scheduled day off.
The Casey U.M.C. Disciple Study will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 P.M.
The Quilting Crew will be stitching this afternoon at 1:30 — in Casey U.M.C. Educational Wing. If you wish to verify the time, call Margaret Sullins. She will know.

Tuesday, March 11th—
The Adair U.M.C. Disciple Study for today is canceled.

Wednesday, March 12th—Our Prayer Breakfast at Happy Chef is scheduled for 7 A.M.
Lenten Service scheduled for 7 P.M. tonight at First Presbyterian Church in Adair.

Thursday, March 13th—
The Quilting Crew is scheduled for 1:30 P.M. in Casey.

FIVE PRACTICES OF FRUITFUL CONGREGATIONS
by Bishop Robert Schnase

This week we are considering the fourth practice
"Risk Taking Mission and Service"

Risk-Taking Mission and Service includes the projects, the efforts, and the work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ, whether or not they will ever be part of the community of faith. Some churches have after-school programs for at-risk children, some send work teams across the state or across the world, some offer regular ministries to the incarcerated. Risk-Taking refers to the service we offer that stretches us out of our comfort zone and has us engaging people and offering ourselves to ministries that we would never have done if not for our desire to follow Christ.

Risk-taking will step into great uncertainty, a higher
possibility of discomfort, resistance, or sacrifice.
It pushes us beyond the circle of relationships that
routinely define our commitments. It changes the
lives of the people who are served as well as the
lives of those who serve.

One of the stories the author gives is as follows:
Here's an example from Robin Roderick, First UMC,
St. Charles.
While serving meals at the local Salvation Army kitchen, a church member noticed how often people lacked the ability to attend to their basic hygiene needs. Those same people walked by the showering facilities at our local United Methodist Church. Elevating a risk taking mission into a service caused "Showers of Blessings" to be born. Why should there be persons without access to bathing when we had all of those showers? What materialized is once a week persons are transported to the church, given hot coffee, soap and shampoo — and a place to get clean. That ministry is growing.

There was hesitancy in the beginning — but we faced it head on. The program is staffed and supplied by volunteers . . . including those who clean the facilities after use. We are learning about the need which we have counted invisible, and about the ability to facilitate dignity.Thank you to the people who packaged and shipped boxes this week to our people in military service. You did a great job and I know the military personnel will enjoy the gifts. I hear they really like to know we are supporting them. Go team!

Remember Women of Faith Conference in Omaha — March 28th and 29th.

It has been another busy week and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all of
the hard work each and every one of you has given.

God Bless and Keep You,
Pastor Lynn