Monday

• Social Justice team meets in the church library at 6:00 pm.
• Boy Scouts meet in the scout room at 6:30pm.

Tuesday

• Active Listeners meet in the church library at 10:00 am.
• “Jesus of Nazareth” the study concludes this week.  They will meet at Christensen’s at 6:30 pm.

Wednesday

• Choir practice in the sanctuary at 6:30 pm.

Thursday

• United Methodist Women meet in the at 10:30 am.  ***Guest speaker will be David Freece from the Cowlitz County Museum.  All women of the church are welcome and encouraged to attend. 
• Seder meal begins at 6:30 p.m.  All are welcome – please come
• Trustees will meet briefly following the Seder meal.

Friday

• Good Friday service begins at 7:00 p.m.  There will be special music by the choir.

Sunday

• Easter brunch provided as a fundraiser by the Worship committee:  free will donation.  It will be a lovely Easter breakfast.   What a great way to start the Easter celebration!
• Easter worship will be beautiful and meaningful!  The choir will sing and the celebration will be joyous! 

In case you missed the announcement yesterday, Easter lilies will be provided by the Worship Committee next Sunday.  If you would like to purchase a lily and have it in honor or in memory of someone special, contact Pastor Jerry of chair of the worship committee, Margaret Vockrodt.  The cost is $10.00 each and you may take them home after the service.

We had a beautiful Palm Sunday worship service yesterday, making the beginning of Holy Week.  This is one of the busiest and most meaningful times of the Christian year.  We have special services this week:  Maundy Thursday when we will participate in a Seder meal, similar to the meal Jesus shared with the disciples, Good Friday, commemorating Jesus’ crucifixion and finally Easter Sunday, celebrating Jesus’ triumphant resurrection!   

Many joys and concerns were raised during yesterday’s worship service.  I’ll attempt to recount them for those of you who weren’t there or who could use a reminder.

Prayer concerns

• Thelma and her family
• Eileen’s Dad who will begin radiation treatment for cancer
• Roger Pedersen, hospitalized for a couple of days last week and now recovering at home
• Strength and clarity for all people who suffer from addiction
• Peggy, recovering from cataract surgery and preparing for surgery on the other eye

Thanks and praise

•  Paul and Ann in worship after Paul’s hip replacement
•  For all the gay, lesbian, bisexual & transgender people connected to this congregation
• The parsonage is rented!

Monday

• Church Council meets tonight in the fellowship hall at 7:00 pm.  All members of the council are expected to attend.  Anyone involved and interested in the life of this congregation is welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting.

Tuesday

• Active Listeners will meet in the library at 10:00 am.
• The quilt and sew group will meet in the fellowship hall at 1:00 pm.  Bring your project and stitch with us or just come to visit.

Wednesday

• Choir will be in the sanctuary at 6:30 pm.  New choir members are welcome.  New praise team members are also welcome.

Next Sunday

• Evening campfire service at 5:30.  Behind the church.

Tonight

• The Worship team will meet at the church at 6:00 pm.  All interested are welcomed to attend.

Tuesday

• Active Listeners will meet in the church library at 10:00 am
• The quilt and sew group will meet in fellowship hall at 1:00 pm.  If you have sewing and craft projects of just about any kind you are welcome to join us and bring your project.

Thursday

• UMW officers will meet at the church at 10:00 am
• The Board of Trustees will meet in the church library at 7:00 pm.

Next Sunday

• There will be a fireside worship service at 5:30 pm.

Robert Mumford will be coming back to direct our church choir.  Choir practice will begin on August 19th at 6:30 pm.  All are welcomed

For the month of August we are collecting peanut butter and/or jelly for Community House.  Bring your donation at any time and place it in “Jane Wagon”.

The Worth family is collecting school supplies (spiral notebooks, pencils, erasers and pencil bags) and will send them to their son Eric who in the U.S. Marines currently serving in Afghanistan.

Another opportunity to provide school supplies next week.  John Hemrich made the announcement in worship that on August 11 from 5:00-8:00 pm  Burgerville will donate 10% of their sales to purchase school supplies for local foster families.

Monday

• Worship team meets at thr church at 6:00 pm
• SPRC meets at the church at 7:00 pm

Tuesday

• Active Listeners meets at the church at 10:00 am
• Quilt and Sew meets at the church at 1:00 pm

Friday and Saturday

• The UMW rummage sale will be in the fellowship hall.  Friday the hours are 9:oo am to 4:00 pm and Saturday the hours are 9:00 am to 2:00 pm

Next Sunday

• The campfire service will be at 5:30 pm

Pastor Jerry continues his vacation this week but will be with us next Sunday.

This weeks schedule:

Monday

• Inviting and Welcoming Team meets at the church at 7:00 pm

Tuesday

• Active Listeners group meets at the church at 10:00 am  

Next Sunday

• This is the last Sunday of the month and that means potluck.  Bring a dish to share and enjoy the fellowship.
• Summer camp fire starts at 5:30 pm  There will be hotdogs, singing, worship and fellowship.

It was so good to have Morris in curch yesterday and see him look so healthy and strong.  It looks like he’ll be back to his old self in no time.   Thank God for this answer to prayer.

The garden is looking good.  A lot of people have put time and effort into our first garden effort in several years.

We have a special opportunity to partner with our PFLAG group and show support for “Washington Families Standing Together’.   On the 4th of July we are asked to be a walking unit in the Go 4th parade.  We will be carrying signs and a banner asking people to support the “Decline 2, Sign Referendum 71″.

Mirella, John and Dan working in the gardan.

Molly and Jerry

Frank on the tiller.

Mirella planting the corn.

I’m  sure many of you already know that Morris Watson suffered a  stroke last Friday.  There is a lot of good news to report in this sad event.  It is so fortunate that Joy was with Morris when the stroke happened and she was able to get help for him.  He was taken to SW Washington hopital in Vancouver where he is making good recovery.  Joy reported yesterday that they expect to release Morris to go home on Tuesday.  Thanks for your continued prayers for Morris.

It is good to know that Sarah Cardigan ismaking a good recovery from knee replacement surgery a couple of weeks ago.  It will be good to have her back with us and pain free.

As you can see by the pictures the garden planting is happening this morning in our garden space.  If you want to get in on the fun I’m sure there is still time for others to get here and add your labor to the project.  Contact Pastor Jerry or John Polm  for specific  information on what needs to be done.

The annual meeting of the Pacific Northwest Conference begins ThursdayJune 18th.  Pastor Jerry and Lay Leader Barbara Vining will represent our congregation at the meetings.  Anyone who is interested is welcome to observe the meetings.  Jerry has announced that he will be traveling back and fortheach day of conference and would be happy to have others ride with him.

Remember the last Sunday of June will be our first evening of campfire service.  It will begin at 5:30 pm at the outdoor worship area near the fire pit.  The sharing will begin with roasting hotdogson the fire and continue with singing, fellowship and worship..