Heritage eNewsletter
Sunday, March 9, 2008

Welcome to another issue of the Heritage Herald Online. We send this message out on a regular basis to Members and Friends of Heritage on email, to keep everyone informed of the activities of our church.

Prayer List:
Bishop Peter Weaver, The Reverend Martin D. McLee, church family and leaders, Jean Boardman, Bruce Dodge, Walter Erwin, Jeannette Hawes, Barbara Johnson, Lois Keith, Sook Lee, Elaine Mahoney, Pat Thrall, Joyce Saunders, Martha Emmanuel, Ruby Sullivan, Rev. Walter Randolph, and Laura Tempesta.

The Tempesta family sends thanks to all for the prayers, cards and visits for Laura Tempesta, who had a perforated appendix and emergency surgery on February 23. She came home from Children’s Hospital on the 27th and had a week of IV therapy at home, but is in much better spirits and was back in church today.

We ask for prayers for Tracy Benson, who will move in April to Pennsylvania in pursuit of a job promotion. Also, for Lois Keith, who had a blood clot in her leg.  Also, pray for our confirmation students and their mentors. The Confirmation Class got underway last week with Pastor Alex teaching the first session. Students include Cody Gaston, Gregory Swain, Michael Swain, Andrew MacDougall and Elizabeth Tempesta; mentors are Dave Clark, Barry Doland and Esi Minor.

We also ask for prayers for son-in-law of Dolly McDonough, Michael Davis, who was recently diagnosed with MS.

Samantha Michelle Cox was baptized today, and Allison Cox was welcomed as a new member of Heritage. Congratulations to the entire Cox Family.

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Lenten Bible Study:
After reading the Scripture verses for the week, you are asked to daily pick a KEY word or KEY verse and write it on your note pad. At the end of each week, look at the words and verses you have noted. Are they similar?   Do they have a relationship to one another?  What do they mean to you?   Do the verses you have noted give you "food for thought"?

This week’s readings:March 9, Acts 2:1-13, 2:14-42, 2:43-47, John 16:4-15, 20:19-23, Ephesians 4:1-13, 4:13-16.

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Celebrate Holy Week:
We welcome all to come to Heritage United Methodist Church and participate with us in the Holiest week of the Christian year. Join us, and bring your family and your friends. We look forward to worshipping together.

Thursday, March 20, Maundy Thursday – Service at 7:00 pm
Humble yourself before God. Experience the forgiveness with which Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Take part in Holy Communion.

Friday, March 21, Good Friday – Service at 7:00 pm
Service of Tenebrae: Feel the passion of Jesus Christ!
Remember the sacrifice he made for you and visualize the Lamb of God in your life.

Saturday, March 22 for Children & Families, Easter Egg Hunt – 11:00 am
Children enjoy the annual hunt and learn about the resurrection of Jesus Christ through special crafts and stories.

       Sunday, March 23, EASTER! – Service at 10:00 am
       Celebrate the great Joy of resurrection! Worship, sing, listen to wonderful music
       that that the choir has prepared for us, and receive communion. Lift up your heart
       and enter into renewed life!

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Here's a little "tidbit" I didn't know!!!!
Easter is early this year!--& none of us will ever see it earlier
Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20).
This dating of Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify Passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.
Based on the above, Easter can actually be one day earlier (March 22), but that is pretty rare.

Here's more interesting info.
** This year is the earliest ***Easter*** any of us will ever see the rest of our lives!** And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:
1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).
2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year 2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818. So, no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

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Mission Trip Opportunity:   Gulf Coast Mission

Rev. Jane Lawrence and Memorial UMC (176 Somerset Ave. Taunton, MA) are organizing a work team to go to St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana to work with Habitat for Humanity to rebuild that area. Over 90% of St. Bernard Parish was damaged or destroyed when the two levies broke. The work week will be Monday, April 21-Friday, April 25 (April School vacation week - Habitat requires that volunteers be 16 or over and those under 18 need parental sign-off).

If you are interested in being part of that Mission Team or in supporting the cost of its work, please come to an informational presentation on Saturday, March 1, at 10 am.
We will show some of the work we did last year, give information concerning cost, travel and work conditions. Come join a fun and rewarding endeavor. We have been richly blessed by our work with other Habitat Volunteers from all over the world and the folks from St. Bernard Parish.

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Conference Committee on Leadership Seeks Members for the Conference Committee on Christian Unity & Interreligious Concerns

The Conference Committee on Leadership is seeking potential members for the Conference Committee on Christian Unity & Interreligious Concerns. Persons interested must be members of The United Methodist Church. Candidates may be lay, clergy, female or male. Candidates may not be elected members of other Conference committees.

The work of the Committee on Christian Unity & Interreligious Concerns includes interprets, advocates and works for the unity of the Christian church in every aspect of the life of the Conference and its churches; encourages dialogue and cooperation with persons of other living faiths. The Committee recommends to the Conference the goals, objectives, and strategies for the development of ecumenical relationships and planning for mission with other judicatories; and assists in meeting the Conference established those goals, objectives, and strategies. In addition, the Committee promotes and interprets of the work of national and world ecumenical bodies; stimulates understanding and conversations with all Christian bodies, and encourages an openness of mind toward an understanding of other major world religions.

Persons who would be interested in serving on this Committee are requested to email Leeda Marsh at LeedaM@aol.com as soon as possible.

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Christian One-Liners

If you have content for the eNewsletter, please feel free to drop an email to cjtempesta@msn.com
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