Thursday, April 6, 2023

Sunday Preview (April 9, 2023)

Join us from February 26-April 9 as we go on our Lenten journey towards Easter. We will be looking at the 7 ‘I AM’ statements that Jesus made in the book of John. These statements re-imagine how we understand the Christ that came, the Christ that resurrected from the dead, and the Christ that empowers us to continue the good work of love and justice.

April 9 | “I am the resurrection and the life” | We’ve made it to EASTER! He is Risen! (And everyone responds… ‘He is risen indeed!’)

Resurrection isn’t just something that happened or will happen, but it’s what IS happening. Christ shows us that even death can’t stifle, strangle, or stop love. Love will win. It wins in how we maintain hope in despair. It wins when we see the best in someone, even if they don’t deserve it. It wins when forgiveness animates us more than vengeance. This is new life. And it’s springing up all around!

Good Friday Service – Stations of the Cross

On Friday, April 7th, we will be hosting a Good Friday service focused on the Stations of the Cross.

This service will include elements of prayer, responsive readings, music, and contemplative practices. Our hope is that we humbly and honestly pause to consider and be shaped by the sacrificial death of Jesus, the Christ. It is through death that new life is born.

Time: 7:00p

Easter Pancake Breakfast – Sponsored by ENCORE

Time | 9:00-9:45a

Date | Sunday, April 9th

What | A pancake breakfast, hosted by Encore (Peace’s youth group), to raise support for the upcoming missions trip to Storm Mountain. Pancakes, sausage, eggs, fruit, coffee, and more! Come early on Easter morning and have breakfast at Peace.

Good Neighbor Meal – This Saturday

The next Good Neighbor Meal is this Saturday, April 8th. Sign up here to help prepare and serve.

2023 Women’s Retreat – Homelessness and Advocacy

To learn more about the Women’s Retreat: https://peaceumc.com/2023-womens-retreat/

To pay for the Women’s Retreat: https://www.simplechurchgiving.net/app/giving/peac5050234

Equal Exchange – Available on Sunday Mornings

Every Sunday morning, we make Equal Exchange products available at the Welcome Desk. Not only are these tasty and delicious, but they help create a lasting future for those who may not have had the generational opportunities that many of us have had.

To learn more about Equal Exchange, check out this video: https://www.icloud.com/pages/0ceOXRZdSx0-zg35Ol6tloSvA#Equal_Exchange

Support Midwest Mission – Shampoo Needed

Midwest Mission works with trusted nonprofits to aid those who need help in four main areas.  Disaster relief,  Education,  Health, and Micro Business.

They will be sending health kits to both the Ukraine (due to the war with Russia), as well as to Turkey following the earthquakes that have devastated that area. Currently, the biggest need is for shampoo in 12-19oz bottles. 

There is a collection box located near the name-tag bulletin board in The Commons.

Check out the website to learn about their mission statement and how they have helped others in need: midwestmission.org.

Men’s Connection – Thursday, April 6 @ Noon

Join us on Thursday, April 6th for another Men’s Connection. Bring your own lunch and come ready to share and get-to-know people better.

Youth and Family Ministry Updates!

Youth and any interested adults, pencil in your calendars for a Storm Mountain Service Trip July 31-August 4. More details to come! We will be fundraising: bake sales, pancake breakfasts, and flamingo-ing!

Storm Mountain Service Trip

Nursery Help Needed

We could use a few more volunteers to help in the nursery each Sunday. Please contact Amanda if you are interested in any of
these opportunities.

Family Game Night

Family Game Night (FGN) FGN is open to all! Everyone is welcome to bring a friend, a dish to share and a game. Peace will have drinks & desserts. Please join us, 5:00–6:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. Dates for FGN through spring: Apr. 16 & May 21.

Look forward to seeing you there!

Encore

Encore is a spiritually and socially justice minded youth time at Peace. During the summer we will work with the Garden Group on decorating the Little Free Library and with VLAMO (local watershed group). We are open to other projects, games, activities, and ideas!

Easy Details for Each Group

Nursery | Sundays | During Service | Nursery

Children’s Church | Sundays | During Service | Fellowship Hall

Encore | 1st & 3rd Sundays each month | 7:00-8:30pm | Fellowship Hall Lounge

Family Game Night | Sunday, April 16 | 5:00-7:00pm | Fellowship Hall

Help Peace Plant a Little Free Library

Here’s how you can help:

  • Make a wish come true for a specific book. We have placed a wish tree in the Commons with wishes hanging on it. Pick up a wish next time you’re in the building, return with the wish tucked into the actual book, and put the book in the designated bin in the Commons. 
  • Donate a gently-used book that you’re done with. We’re especially interested in banned books and books that espouse values of our Peace community.
  • Make a monetary donation in the offering plate, specifying the Little Free Library (or just LFL).
    *If you want us to buy a particular book from the wish tree in the Commons, please put the wish with your check.
    *If you have another book in mind, please write its title on the memo line.
    *If you just want to make a donation and let someone else decide on the book(s), that’s fine, too!
  • Make a monetary donation online through Simple Church Giving at https://peaceumc.com/participants-page/giving/. We’ll select a book or books.
  • If you’re interested in helping to keep the library stocked with appropriate material by reviewing its contents occasionally and adding books from our supply, please talk to Cindy Tidball (tidballs@gmail.com) or Bonnie Chlebecek (bchle@comcast.net). We hope to get several people to help with this. If you work with Sign-Up Genius and can help us set that up with a volunteer schedule, please contact one of us, too!

Upcoming Events

Thursday, April 6 – Men’s Connection at 10:00am

Friday, April 7 – Good Friday Service at 7:00pm

Sunday, April 9 – Easter Service at 10:00am

Sunday, April 16 – Family Game Night at 5:00pm

Sunday, April 16 – Encore (Youth Group) at 7:00pm

Podcast!

Peace | The Podcast can be found on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, or almost anywhere you find your podcasts.

Most of what you will hear are the Sunday morning messages, with a few additional elements of the Sunday service.

There is also a new page on our website that helps you navigate to the podcast home page. We will also try to embed episodes on this page.

Peace Prayers

Do you have a specific need?

Do you want to share a specific celebration of gratitude?

Peace Prayers is a space to share specific prayer requests and specific celebrations of gratitude. These are not going to be private…these are public. Our plan is to put them in the bulletin and/ or on a slide in The Commons, and include them in the Tuesday News weekly email.

We invite you to share with one another so we can be a praying people – both in times of hurt and struggle, and in times of joy and celebration. 

You can fill-out Peace Prayers HEREhttps://forms.gle/4YAguMDHmUkJqzjf8

Volunteer Opportunities

The next Good Neighbor Meal is this Saturday, April 8th. Sign up here to help prepare and serve.

We need help watering the plants this winter. Sign up here to help.