April 5^th

Palm Sunday Worship -- 10:15 am

There is a special part in worship for children, so please come a bit early! Special music, drama, and scripture will make this service special as we prepare for Holy Week

Palm Sunday Hymn Sing – 7:00 pm

Come and enjoy special music from our community and a chance to sing our favorite Easter hymns!

April 8^th –

Spring Break Camp – 9 am to 5 pm (please pre-register)

Lenten Prayer Service – 6:30 to 7:15 pm

This will be the last of our Lenten services

April 9^th—

Spring Break Camp – 9 am to 5 pm (please pre-register)

Holy Thursday Service -- 7:30 pm

Join us as we come to the table and celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

April 10^th ---

Spring Break Camp – 9 am to 5 pm (please pre-register)

Good Friday Service – 7:30 pm

This is a Stations of the Cross service led by the youth using shadows, as we remember the death of Jesus.

April 11^th

Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, 9 am

Join us for breakfast, games, and of course an egg hunt as we begin to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus! Bring friends!

Prayer Vigil – 12 noon to 12 pm

Sign up in the back of the sanctuary.

April 12^th – Easter

8:00 am Easter Sunday Worship with Communion

9:00 am Sunday School with Breakfast

10:15 am Easter Sunday Worship with Communion

7:00 pm Community Easter Cantata 

 

Saturday April 26 6pm mark your calendars for the Youth’s annual spaghetti and fried chicken dinner!  Plans are underway for a 1920’s club and the mystery as always will be exciting.  We are especially excited because this year we are finding ways to include many more of our young people in the nights events.  We need some of the younger kids to help this time around just as much as we need our regulars.  Pastor Katie and I will be asking several of the kids of our church for help but as always we want to include everyone so if anyone wants to volunteer we would be happy to have you.  Make sure to be looking out for the sign up sheet so that we can expect you to be there.

One other thing that I want to point out is the youth retreat that we are planning.  While it is still very much in the planning stages we are looking at dates in July.  Our group is hoping to sponsor this retreat for the entire church.  This is exciting that there is a desire among our group to serve their congregation, and make sure that our congregation continues to grow spiritually in Christ.  It is also a huge challenge for our group to pull something like this off for the first time.  Our group has never been afraid of a challenge and we are not this time but we will need the churches help once again!  We’re going to learn a lot through this process just like we have with the float, rock-a-thon, and spaghetti dinners.  This WILL be good for all of us so please keep it in your prayers.

As I always do I want to thank you all for the support you have given.  Our group has been trying new things with videos and presentations during worship.  We have new ideas like this retreat, and a community rock-a-thon.  There are so many churches that would have issues with the changes we have made, but not Garfield.  It’s your support that keeps us going, and we thank you!

 

The Missions Committee is planning a fundraiser on April 18^th from 9 a.m. to 12:00 noon. There will be baked goods, potpie to eat on site or take home by the quart, sandwiches and some produce available

Orders for carry-out may be placed in advance on the sign-up sheet in the back of the sanctuary.

Your contributions and help will support the many missions of the church.  This year a goal is to provide more assistance to people in our area, therefore financial and physical support will fulfill the command to “love your neighbor as yourself.”

 

Join us as we continue to seek out God’s vision for Garfield Church over the next year. A light breakfast will be served and Conference Guide, Matt Poole will lead us in prayer, reflection and sharing. See Pastor Katie for details.

 

Mark your calendars for our first Spring Festival. Held at the Ruritan Park, May 16^th from 4-8pm it will be a time of food, fellowship and wonderful music.

Things are still in the works, but right now we are planning to have two groups play, lots of delicious food like steamers, Vegetable soup, hot dogs and sandwiches, and games for the kids. We are even planning on having something for the kids to bounce on!

 

From Pastor Katie

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

John 20:18

 

Eden loves the picture of Jesus that hangs on the walls as you go down the stairs to the Sunday School classes. Whether we are coming up or down, we have to stop and look. She points her finger at Jesus and says something that vaguely sounds like Jesus. Eden begins to giggle and then we can move on. But we have to stop.

Last week, late for quilting, I was trying desperately to get Eden and her bag of baby stuff downstairs for the sitter so I could go and learn. Without thinking I walked right past the picture of Jesus and Eden began to cry. “No momma” she said as I rushed down the stairs. Again she called out for Jesus. So back up the stairs we went. She smiled, pointed at Jesus and then we could continue our day.

I think of that story as we celebrate Easter this April. In the scripture that we will read this Easter, from John chapter 20, we hear of Mary Magdalene who goes to the tomb to tend to Jesus’ body. As she gets there, someone has moved the stone. Running to two of the disciples, she says, in the midst of tears, “They have taken him! They have taken our Lord and I don’t know where they have put him.” After Simon Peter and John, the beloved disciple, come and go, Mary remains at the tomb. In the midst of her tears, she sees angels seated where Jesus’ body had been. They ask her, “Why are you crying?” And she replies, “They have taken my Lord!”

As she turns around, she sees a man, and asks, “Where have you taken my Lord?” She pleads, “I will go and get him.” And with one word, Mary recognizes him. The man, who is Jesus calls her by her name, saying, “Mary.” And then Mary knows – Mary knows that it is Jesus.  And Jesus sends her to tell the Good News of his Resurrection to the disciples.

And Mary goes, saying “I have seen the Lord!”

We are a resurrection people. We have hope in the power of Jesus to conquer death. He rose from the dead, and because of our faith in Him, we too have been given the gift of eternal life. And we should live like it.

There are times in our lives where we should weep like Mary. But at the end of the day, we are called to be like Mary, and with joy witness that we have seen the Lord. We are called to bear witness to how the power of Christ has changed our lives, how we live through the sustenance of the Spirit. We are called to stop on the stairs, which ever way we feel our lives are going (up or down), and point to Jesus, calling on his name. We are called to say, “I have seen the Lord.”

May you be filled with Easter joy as you see the Lord moving in your lives and may you be blessed.

Grace and Peace 

 

The lily that blooms around Easter is a symbol of Christ’s resurrection because it rises from a seemingly lifeless bulb decaying in the ground. It is also used as a symbol of Christ himself. The lily, a symbol of purity, is often used to represent the Virgin Mary.

 

The Kings Kids Youth Group is planning a weekend camping retreat, open to everyone, for this summer.  They are tentatively planning it for the last weekend of July (26-28).  The Youth will be hosting the event open to everyone interested in a weekend of camping, fellowship, and renewal.  We will be camping at Mason Dixon Campground, located near Frostburg.  The campground has sites ranging from basic tent sites to pull through with water, electric, and sewer hook ups.  So whether you have a tent, a camper, an RV, or just interested in camping please plan to attending.  Contact Philip Reid or Andrew Brown if you are interested.  More details will be coming soon!

 

Each Sunday during Sunday School one of the adult classes (yes there are two) gather to discuss a chapter from a book.  The winter months had us looking at the heart of Jesus in a book entitled “Just Like Jesus”.

We talked about how to have a heart like Jesus in this “crazy” world we live in.

In April we still start a new book entitled Cast of Characters, Common People in the Hands of An Uncommon God” by Max Lucado.

Think about it the people that God and Jesus “used” to further the kingdom in the Bible are not exactly the Who’s Who in Purity and Sainthood.  In fact their antics and attitudes would make you think of the Saturday night crown at the county jail.

So as we study these “characters” we will explore how in the world God could use us to change the world because we are “common people in the Hands of an Uncommon God”.

We started this class approximately four years ago and though our number has dwindled, we still have lively conversations and explore where we fit into The Plan, God’s Plan.

There is always room for more, so plan to join us on Sunday mornings at 9:00 at the church.  Your week will be better for it.

 

As you have probably heard the Garfield Youth went for their second trip down Whitetail at the Wild & Wacky Cardboard Derby.

This year at the winter carnival atmosphere there was more than just the derby.  With Christian music playing in the background, many groups snow tubed, set up their sleds and built snowmen.

The photo of the award winning snowman did not reproduce so well, too much white.  However, our group took home two prizes for the snowman, tallest and most attractive.

Although the Garfield Elijah's Chariot did not win first prize for speed, we all celebrated that it made it down the run, in one piece and no injuries to our “astronauts”.  Elijah’s Chariot did win for most colorful

A noticeably disappointed group heard the news that they came in second for the most money raised, the title they were hoping to retain.  With over $800 raised it just did not measure up to the second place winners last year. 

 

One particular 4 year old prayed,

And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets.   

                      

In a little over two months school will be out and we will have Bible School at Garfield – that is June 15^th through 19^th in the evening.  This year we will go to Rome in the study and will have lots of fun along the way.

Help will be needed from teens and adults, so let’s get together for a planning session on Monday evening, May 4^th at 6:00 p.m. See Pastor Katie  for further details.

 

In the midst of these difficult economic times, please keep in mind that the church has a food pantry, full of canned and boxed items for families in our church and community. If your family or a family you know could use some help, please see Pastor Katie. All requests are kept confidential.

 

This summer, Pastor Katie will serve as the pastor at Camp Manidoken ’s Adventure Camp for 5^th and 6^th graders, July 5-10^th.

We would love to have a group of our young people in 5^th and 6^th grades come to camp! We are also in need of some adult volunteers (18 or older) to serve as counselors that week. Pastor Chris will be serving that week as well, with High School students. High Schoolers are also invited to come.

Both groups will participate in high ropes courses, canoeing, hiking, daily Bible Study, and other activities. 

If you are interested in serving or would like to send your youth to camp, please let Pastor Katie know. Forms are available on her desk.

 

Have you driven past the church lately or seen on Sunday mornings that the lot purchased from the neighbor of the church is being cleared. 

Under the direction of the trustees, a crew has been hired to clear the lot so that it is ready when the church is ready.

The plans for the lot are still in the discussion stage but an activity building, a parsonage, or whatever God has in mind, we at Garfield will be ready.

 

 

Several people gathered at the church on January 31^st and March 21^st to play snowman bingo and Easter bingo.

Now despite the names it was pretty much standard bingo.  Before each game the “ways” to win were explained, from “X”, to diagonal to fill in the card.

The prizes were things brought by the participants like snow man pins and Easter baskets.