News and Views of Advent
Lutheran Church
"Led by the Spirit; Living the Word"
April 2009
So what do we do now?
Maundy Thursday signals
the end of our Lenten journey. It was on that evening that Jesus met with his
disciples in the upper room. He gives the disciples the commandment to love one
another and then portrays his advice through the washing of the disciples’
feet. Shortly after sharing with them in communion, he is betrayed and taken
captive. The disciples are left wondering; what do we do now?
As the disciples
flee in the night the, the darkness of Good Friday looms in the air. Jesus’
betrayal, trial, crucifixion and death remove any hope of God’s reign. Fearing
for their own lives, the disciples escape trembling! “What do we do now?”
On the first Easter
morning Mary went to the tomb while it was still dark. The stone was rolled
away from the tomb. Because the tomb was empty Mary feared that someone had
stole Jesus' body. Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. (John 20:11) “So what
do we do now?” Mary cried.
It was then that
Jesus said her name and she saw that Jesus was alive. The only sense in which
his body was stolen was in the resurrection power that had stolen it from the
poor grasp of death.
Amid the anxiety of
our lives through the loss of health and jobs, floundering 401’s, and death, it
is easy to lose hope. Much like the disciples and Mary, we too ask, so what do
we do now?
The story is about
us and the story does not end with the resurrection. We complete the story when
we share the wonderful news and it becomes alive in our lives, in spite of our
fear, confusion and despair. Christ has been raised from the dead, and is
alive, so real, and so present today that we can know him as certainly as Mary
did on the first of all Easters, to proclaim his hope and love.
Pastor Bob
SCHEDULE OF WORSHIP
Maundy Thursday worship service including
the celebration of Holy Communion is April
9th at 7:00 p.m.
Good Friday worship service will be
held on April 10th at
7:00 p.m.
Special Reminder…there are no Sunday
School classes held on Easter Sunday (4/12).
We will continue with regular classes the following week.
On Easter Sunday April 12th,
the fellowship hour will feature hot
foods such as pancakes, eggs and sausage.
A free-will offering will be taken to benefit the youth trip to the
National Gathering in New Orleans
and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will match the funds.
EASTER FLOWERS
If you would like to order lilies to beautify our
chancel for Easter, please use the order form that you will find in the Sunday
worship bulletins. The lilies are
$10.00 each. They may be designated
"in memory of" or "in honor of" loved ones and family
members. The deadline for ordering is today
April 5th.
FIRST COMMUNION CLASS
A First Communion class will be offered on Sunday, May 3rd immediately
following the 11:00 worship service (around noon) in the fellowship hall. A light lunch will be served for the students
and their parents at that time. This
class, taught by Pastor Bob, is available for children in first grade (or
older) to prepare for First Communion and is based on each parent’s decision on
their child’s readiness. In addition to
this class, special Sunday school classes, for the three Sundays following
Easter, will be set up for these children to help prepare them for Pastor Bob’s
class. Please call the church office at
330-877-3951 or sign up on the sheet in the narthex by April 12th if
you plan for your child to attend.
Becky Popio
A NEW CHANGE IN OUR PRAYER LIST
In April we will be changing the way we do
our prayer requests. At the beginning of
each month we will be initiating a new prayer list. God answers prayers in many ways, if you are aware
of anyone whose prayer needs have not been met, please add them to the prayer
list, "notes to the office" or email them to secretary@adventuniontown.org.
GLOW BOWL
Everyone of all ages is invited to meet us
at Park Centre Lanes (located on the
corner of Whipple Ave & Applegrove) on Saturday,
April 4th from 2:00-3:30 pm for glow bowling. The cost is $6 per person for bowling and
shoe rental. Bring your family and
friends for a great afternoon of fun!
Becky Popio
MARTHA
CIRCLE
Janet Kurtz will present the Martha
Circle program entitled "Herbs
in the Bible". The meeting is Monday,
April 6th at 1:00 p.m. in the library. All women are welcome. Please join us.
MARTHA
CIRCLE PROJECT FOR APRIL
PEGASUS (Therapeutic of Equestrain)
Besides
riding horses they have added two wheel horse driven carts.
Pegasus
needs as follows:
Distilled
white vinegar (Used to scrub down horses
and utensils avoiding harsh chemicals)
Paper
towels, napkins, Clorox wipes and purell
Office
supplies of any kind
Coffee
and Cocoa
Pegasus
now has 200 volunteers.
Your
contribution for the above would be appreciated. Leave items in the narthex if you so
choose. Thank you in advance!
On Sunday, April 19th, the
High School youth are available to
help you with your spring cleaning projects. From vacuuming to yard work
and washing windows to organizing cupboards . . . they are at your
service! Donations will be accepted and will go towards the funding of
this summer’s Youth Gathering in New
Orleans. Sign up sheets are located in the narthex, or
you can contact Kate Corsi at 330-877-3951 to reserve your time slot. (If
April 19th does not work for you, please see Kate to set up an
alternate time and day.)
WOMEN OF ADVENT
It is time to start thinking about refreshing,
renewing, and reconnecting at our annual Women's Retreat Weekend. This
year our theme is Women of the Bible. This weekend is truly a spiritual
blessing. Please prayfully consider attending our 2009 Retreat which will
be held the first weekend in May (May 1,2,3) at the Fleming
Falls Retreat
Center at Camp
Mowana in Mansfield, Ohio.
Transportation will be provided for those choosing not to drive, financial aid
is available for those who will find the cost (around $130) a hardship and
special dietary needs are provided by the retreat center food service (ps: the
food is excellent and plentiful). If you have not been a part
of the Retreat Weekend before, please know you will be warmly greeted and all
will rejoice you have chosen to experience an encounter with Christ that is
rarely felt in the routine of everyday busyness. Please feel
comfortable to invite friends and relatives. Contact Kaye
Millard at 330-699-6566 or kwmillard@juno.com if you have
questions. Mothers may need to find care for their child or
children while on retreat; other women may have pet care needs.
We need the congregation to make it possible for all women to attend. If
you know you can help, please let me know. I will try to connect those in
need with those who can meet that need. It really does take a
village!
Kaye Millard
Our deepest sympathies to the family of:
Jill Pressler at the death of father, William Ederer
Thank you Advent Lutheran for all of your support with
the donations that you provided for 'The Mission
of Love'. As a Student Ambassador for People of People, our group had
a requirement for participating in a local service project as a
way to get a feel for the needs of others and improve the world. The
Mission of Love is a local service agency headed
by Kathleen Price of Austintown , and when
contacted, she asked our group to collect t-shirts, hats, towels, sheets,
Motrin, school supplies, and shoes. Our group of 19 ambassadors responded
by filling her truck with those items, which will go to Indian reservations in
the US, South America, and other areas of the world. Mrs. Price uses the
Air Force Reserve at Vienna
as her main transport tool and lots of good can be done with our donations.
Thank you again for your support. Kevin Joestlein
APRIL CALENDAR
