THOUGHTS FROM THE PASTOR

On Easter Sunday, the sign in front of the church said "Jesus is Alive! Are You?"

People have dead zones in their lives. Some say they live for the weekend. Does that mean they're as good as dead five days a week?

A recent article in Sports Illustrated on "Steroids in America" reveals that in addition to all the other chemical enhancements people use to combat the effects of aging, many Americans are now using human growth and testosterone. It could be that people use artificial life supplements because there are gaping holes in their real lives.

Some of these gaping holes are broken relationships. Each person has offended, or been offended by, another person. They can't get past it, they don't speak to each other. Each is dead to the other.

The message of Easter joy is that Jesus took all of our dead zones to the grave with him. Then God raised him from death, and he invites us into his family where we can share his resurrection life, real life.

This real life springs from a dynamic relationship with God, a relationship glimpsed in our human relationships of love. My wife's love for me is a gift, pure grace. I cannot earn it. I don't deserve it. Yet it calls from me my full commitment, my full devotion, giving myself in love. Our love relationships in marriage, family, and friendship transform and fulfill us. They take us out of ourselves so we can be most fully ourselves.

God's love for us is a gift, pure grace. We cannot earn it. We don't deserve it. Yet it calls from us our full commitment, full devotion, giving ourselves in love. It is a gift that costs us all we are and all we have (to use the description written by theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer). It transforms us and fulfills us. It takes us out of ourselves so we can be most fully ourselves.

And it is the foundation for transforming all of our human relationships, and healing all the dead zones in our lives. More than that: it is the foundation for healing and reconciliation in our homes, our community, our world. As people who have given themselves to God in love, we are called by God to live new life with all those around us, and spread the message of God's love. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16)

EVENING PRAISE - SUNDAY 6 PM

Evening Praise:  Our first ever contemporary service will
be this Sunday evening at 6 PM!

To keep things simple the service will almost entirely be
worshipful music and a dynamic message.  The music wilL
include some songs you know and some you don’t but the
goal is that they will be easy to sing and engage in.

The message will be from a video by Andy Stanley (Charles
Stanley’s son).  He is a great speaker who is practical,
motivational and entertaining.  Our hope is that at the
end of every service there will be something applicable
that you can take home to apply to your everyday life.

We encourage everyone, of all ages to come just to try
this out and let us know if we’ve succeeded in
accomplishing our goals.  Thanks for the opportunity!

March is Loaves and Fishes Month Can you Help?

Yes, this is that once-a-year for help to staff the Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry during the month of March. We are helping to feed the hungry when we volunteer our time and energy to do this. So, for those of us who haven’t fled to Florida, please consider calling Mildred Jordan, 667-8345 or Jan Smith 667-2979.
A crew of 3-4 volunteers will be needed Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week in March. Volunteers will start at 7:30 AM and should be finished by 11:00 AM. Volunteers are also needed to pick up produce and bakery items at 7:30 AM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from Hannaford’s behind the store. THANK YOU for whatever time and effort you can give.

NEW FURNACE

New Furnace is Installed

We did it, and easily! At the Annual Meeting of the Church Jan. 21st, it was voted to replace the aging and often broken furnace in the Chapel. Here it is the first of March, we haven’t even advertised a need to raise money, but the new furnace is in and we have the money to pay for it.
Ron McGlinchey, part of our church family, provided the unit and installation work and gave us a generous discount. (Final Bill is $3, 942.) Another friend and summer visitor went South in the fall and left a very generous gift toward the purchase. Since January, we have received several additional gifts and the Women’s Ministries will finish paying off the balance (less than $700.00). Thank you all!
The Lamoine Church is very generous and it would seem that we more than rise to meet the financial challenges that occur. So let us lay out one more challenge: the General Fund.
As you know we ask for “pledges” to help plan for the needs of the church each year. The pledge and envelope system is helpful to the finance Committee and an important reminder to you that expenses go on even when you miss a Sunday service or two.
In addition to “regular” giving (envelopes and “loose offering”), we would like to offer opportunities for you to give an extra gift to help with something specific at the Church. You get to choose where to give your extra gift. Some Examples:

Monthly telephone bill- approx $47.00
Cleaning the Church for one week- $40.00
Shoveling the doorway after a snowstorm- $12.00 per storm
A book of stamps for grapevines or prayer chain letters- $8.20
Cold spring water Co. annual bill: $225.00
Insurance on our properties- $5.75/day
Copyright License for Church music- annual expenses $101.00
Gift toward Sunday School materials- any amount

You may select where your extra gift will go. Simply add that amount to your offering envelope and make a note on the “special” line. Or, you may include cash or check in a plain envelope and identify where it is to be spent. You may include your name(s) or be anonymous. Feel free to ask Carolyn Ackerman if you would like to know specific costs of other items, or speak to Carolyn, Jane Harris, or Mike Jordan if you have any questions or ideas.

Thank you for your prayerful consideration.

*******************

Greetings!

We are just getting started setting up this site. Be patient and check back later.