THIS WEEK:
Sunday:
*One Great Hour of
Sharing special offering.
Please place your offering in the envelope
provided or eartag your check and place
with
your regular offering. If you are not
prepared
today you can give at a later time.
*PUMPT 4 Christ @
Norway – 5:00 P.M.
Monday:
*Cards
of Peace @ Salem – 9:00 A.M.
(Stamps are needed. Donations would be
much appreciated.)
*Making cards for “Cards of Peace” @ Salem
-
10:00 A.M.
*Kids Hangout @ Elberon – 3:50 P.M.
Wednesday:
*Prayer Time @ Salem – 9:00 A.M.
*Morning Coffee Study @ parsonage VH
9:30 A.M. based on lectionary scriptures:
Isaiah 43:16-21; Psalm 126; Philippians
3:4b-
14; John 12:1-8
*Confirmation/MYF @ Salem – 3:30 P.M.
*Kid JAMS @ Salem – 3:30 P.M.
*Parish Lenten Service “The Valleys of
Lent:
“Every Valley Shall be Lifted Up“ at Norway,
at 7 P.M.
Saturday:
*Men’s Breakfast Study @ Salem – 7:00 A.M.
LIFT
UP IN PRAYER:
Steve
Bridgewater (VH), Hospital Chaplains – Nick Longworth, Dave Pacholke, Rebecca
Carver, Mary Johnston
Condolences to: the Tom Geater family
Remember
this week:
Bernice Papesh (E)
Keystone Care Center,
250 5th St.,
Keystone, 52249
(See complete listing
in newsletter)
COMING
UP:
Communion
Service @ KNCC, Tues., March 19 – 10:30 A.M.
Parish
Lenten Services “The Valleys of Lent” “The Valley of Decision” at Elberon,
Wed., March 20 at
7:00 P.M.
Parish
Good Friday Service @ Salem, March 29 – 7:00 P.M. The PUMPT 4 Christ group will
host a Soup Supper prior, 5:30-6:30 P.M.
Parish
Easter Sunrise Service @ Salem, March 31, 6:30 A.M. The Salem men will host a
traditional Easter breakfast following. Everyone welcome! Free will offering.
On
Easter, communion services will be held at all churches during regular worship
times.
OTHER THINGS:
Annual
Ham Dinner at St. Paul’s Catholic Church, Newhall, Sunday, March 17, 11 A.M.-1
P.M.
Van
Horne First Responders Breakfast, Sunday, March 17, 7:30 A.M.-12 P.M. at
Emergency Response Station. Free will offering
Pastors and
congregations of the East Central District,
Several
years ago Jacques Luzindya came to Cedar Rapids from the Congo. His family had to remain behind. Jacques has worked and lived in this
community establishing himself and raising the funds to be able to apply for
the visas for his family to join him.
Jacques has distinguished himself as one of the pastors of the African
Methodist Ministry of the St. Mark’s UMC in Cedar Rapids. The good news is that Jacques has succeeded
in establishing the resources to demonstrate his ability to support his family
here and they have been granted the visas to come to the U.S. That is long awaited good news! The not as good news is that it will take
$9,265.31 to cover the travel costs.
That resource Jacques does not have.
We have this month (March) to raise the funds. I am reaching out to you to invite you and
your congregation to prayerfully consider if God is inviting you this Lent to
be part of the effort of reuniting this family.
If you are able to participate in this effort, you may send your
contributions to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 4700 Johnson Ave NW, Cedar
Rapids, IA 52405-4208. Please make any
checks out to St. Mark’s UMC with “Jacques” written on the memo line. Make sure your return address is clearly
marked on the envelope and/or the check.
All amounts, great and small, will be a blessing to this family. Please note that these contributions will not
be charitable deductions as
St. Mark's is merely acting as a clearing house and is not the recipient of the
gifts. That also means the gifts will not be able to be handled as a
designated gift to the church. These will be gifts from the heart but not
tax deductible.
If
we are not able to successfully raise the amount needed for the tickets, the
donations received will be returned to the donors.
Thank
you in advance for your prayerful consideration.
David W. Crow
Conference Superintendent, East
Central District
(319)
365-6273
