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5TH ANNUAL STOMP MALARLIA 5K Saturday, May 7 - Registration begins at 8am - 5k starts at 9am

We will raise money for mosquito nets to protect children and families in Africa from contracting Malaria. This fundraiser literally save lives! Over the past four years we have raised more than $10,000! There are many ways to help with this outreach event: walk it, run it, make a donation, and/or volunteer. Registration will be availabel soon on our website and in the Lobby. If you have any questions, contact Nate Franklin at natenamy97@yahoo.com.

THIS MONTH…Calendar 7Connection Kids 3Financial Update 6

Spiritual Discipline of the Month 5Youth Connection 4

EASTER AT CONNECTIONSunday March 27

8, 9:15, 10:30, 11:45amGET YOUR TICKETS TODAY AT

JUSTSHOWUP.CHURCH/EASTER

Nursery Available at All Services * Children’s Worship at All Services

Holy Thursday ServiceMarch 24 at 7pm (childcare provided)

SUNDAY, MARCH 20 AT 5:30PMDesigned specifically for parents and their children to experience the adventure together, this event helps guests discover Easter and the events leading up to it in a way they’ll never forget. "Walk With Jesus" is a powerfully moving, multi-sensory family event that guides families along Jesus' footsteps during his last days on earth. Sign up to attend or to volunteer in the Lobby.[>more information on page 3]

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead 1 hour on Saturday night, March 12

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LADIES’ NIGHT: DIAPERS & DESSERTSFRIDAY, APRIL 8, 7PM

Mark your calendars for a fun night as we honor LIFE! We will be supporting the Door of Hope and the babies and moms by reaching out to them with some practical help. Bring your favorite dessert, a drink to share, a comfortable chair, diapers, diapers, diapers, and get ready for Women’s "Diapers & Desserts" Night at Connection on Friday, April 8 from 7-8:30pm. Sign up in the Lobby or just show up!

Join us for the Network Workshop Saturday, April 9 from 8 am to noon at Connection Community Church. Discover your spiritual gifts and God-given passion for serving in the body of Christ.

Registration fee is $18 which includes materials and continental breakfast.

Sign in the Lobby by Sunday, April 3; however, we encourage you to sign up prior to that date. About an hour of pre-work from the Network Participant's Guide is necessary to make the workshop more productive and meaningful for you.

Network is required for Disciple-membership. Don't miss out on discovering the gifts God has blessed you with!

CCC Network Serving Ministry TeamJanell Snider, Diane Carpenter, and Sally Barlow

A representative from Camp Pecometh will be in the Lobby between services to share about exciting opportunities this summer. Learn all about the age-appropriate programs for grades K-11, as well as specialty programs that let your campers explore activities and topics they really want to know more about, such as horseback riding, archery, Christian leadership and more. 

A week of camp is filled with fun, faith, and great fellowship where kids and youth can grow in their spiritual journey, and where memories last a lifetime. For more information, visit pecometh.org. 

CAMP PECOMETH AT CCC ON SUNDAY, MARCH 6

SYMPATHY TOBill and Stacey Calloway on the death of Bill’s mother, Sara Calloway, on February 14. Suzanne and Frank Sutton and Sandy and Dave Chance on the death of Suzanne’s mother and Sandy’s grandmother, Clyde Robinson, on February 11.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO WERE BAPTIZED OR RE-AFFIRMED THEIR BAPTISMS ON SUNDAY, FEB. 21Thomas William Calloway III (Baptism), Stephan John McMillan (Re-Affirmation), Maria McClain (Re-Affirmation), Sierra Bellemare (Baptism) and Tyler McClarin (Baptism).

THANK YOUDear Connection Church,

We at Neighborhood House send our heartfelt thanks for generously adopting a family for Christmas in support of our missions.

We are committed to helping make a difference in the lives of our many clients from South Wilmington to Middletown. We provide quality services and programs for these families. Your thoughtfulness makes it possible to provide these services.

On behalf of everyone who is helped by Neighborhood House at both of our locations, thank you again!

Sincerely,Alison WindleInterim Executive Director

OUR DAILY BREADOur Daily Bread is an outreach program for Connection Community Church. The mission of is to feed low-income families and individuals in the MOT community with nutritious meals served at no cost and without discrimination. The meals are served the first and third Mondays of each month at Dale Memorial UMC located at 143 East Lake Street in Middletown. Connection Community Church has a team in place that will prepare and serve a meal when needed. Should you want to serve on this team, please contact Pat Cobourn at 302-378-4727.

Meals for the month of March will be served on Monday, March 7 and 21.

THANK YOU… We are writing to express our deepest thanks for your donation during the months of November and December 2015 and January 2016. We truly appreciate your kindness in helping Our Daily Bread soup kitchen. Generous contributions from donors provide the financial and moral support we need to continue our mission.

We have been making great progress with our project. And, it is with great enthusiasm that I can share that we are in the preliminary phase of construction as we build a permanent soup kitchen in the M.O.T. area. The whole project is set for completion in 2016 thanks to your generosity and that of many caring individuals like you.

Our Daily Bread cannot thank you enough for your support.

Sincerely,Timothy DeShepper, President

Our Daily Bread

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SUNDAY, MARCH 20 AT 5:30PM

Ever wonder what it would be like to walk with Jesus? Well you can! Join us on Palm Sunday evening at 5:30 pm for an amazing event! "Walk With Jesus" is a powerfully moving, multi-sensory family event that guides families along Jesus' footsteps during his last days on earth.

Families will travel to Jerusalem for Palm Sunday, sit down for the Last Supper, pray in the Garden of Gethsemane, discover the sacrifice of Good Friday, and celebrate freedom from their sins at the empty tomb that first Easter morning.

Designed specifically for parents and their children to experience the adventure together, this event helps guests discover Easter and the events leading up to it in a way they’ll never forget. We hope you can join us for this exciting time together.

Volunteers needed to make this event a success! If you can volunteer, please sign up in the lobby or email Audra at aemerso4@dtcc.edu.

Nursery: Jaime Bangston, Sharon Maerten, Amanda SmithPreschool: Kyle Mueller, Amy Novosel, Jan Wilder

252 Garage: Jane Parker and Tim Wilkins

God Squad - grades 1-3Sing, Act, Move, Create, Laugh, and Learn! A fun-filledprogram geared for younger students that provides ataste of a variety of arts.

Creative Dramatics: Acting - grades 4-8Let’s get into the “act” with improvisational gamesand skits.

Session 4 Begins Tuesday, March 8.Tuesdays from 5-6:15pm.Sign up at JustShowUp.Church/SAM. All classes are FREE!

Hands and HeARTS:Drawing On Your Mind (grades 4th - 8th) Train your mind to interpret what your eyes really see. Students will learn about gesture and line drawings, the use of value, shading, and positive and negative space in composition.   

Tech Interns - grades 7-8Contact Stefanie Griffin at sjayelord@yahoo.comif your 7th or 8th grade student is interested in one of our SAM Tech intern positions.

SPECIAL OPPORTUNITYSAM School of Praise - We will form a special praise team (instruments and vocal) to lead worship for the SAM Expo on April 24 at 3pm. Interested students in grades 6-8 should be able to attend all three rehearsals on Thursdays, April 7, 14, and 21 from 6 - 7:15pm.

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Connection is blessed with an awesome team of volunteers serving youth in grades 6 through 12. Some have given decades of service to teens and others are just getting started. We thought it would be interesting to ask a few of them why they began serving and why they think youth ministry is valuable. 

Gina Davis began serving alongside her husband in Youth Ministry nearly 41 years ago. Gina finds ministering to teens very rewarding. She said, “I not only get to share the Gospel but also how the Gospel applies to the lives of teens.” She loves working alongside the youth ministry team. She feels the team has created a space for youth to be totally honest about what’s going on in their lives. One of her favorite parts of the ministry is praying with and for the teens. Gina says, “Youth Ministry is important because teens are a culture all of their own, and they need adults who desire to help them connect with God and become disciples of Jesus Christ.” Dan Logan began serving teens 12 years ago when he felt God calling him to teach a middle school Sunday School Class. Dan feels it’s important for teens to have a place where they can not only learn truth from the Bible but also ask questions about it and express their opinions. He feels this process can help them take ownership of their faith. Dan finds it rewarding “when I see one youth gaining knowledge of God’s Word and maturing in their walk with Christ.” While Monica Kreck has been serving God for many years, she is a new addition to the Youth Connection Team. Monica said she started serving in youth ministry simply because “I was invited to.” Monica, we are sure glad you said yes! You are a great addition to the team. Monica said, “Each week I am amazed and blessed with the insight our high school students have into God's word. They allow themselves to be transparent and vulnerable every week.”  Thank you to each member of the Youth Connection team. You bless us all with your sincere love for God, and your faithfulness to helping teens grow in Christ.

YOUTH CONNECTION SUPPORTS CODE PURPLE SHELTERSOn Sunday, February 7, Youth Connection Sunday School classes packed 25 personal care/first aid kits for the Kent County Code Purple Shelter in Smyrna. We are so proud of our teens! They personally provided the items to pack in the kits.

TEEN & PARENT GAME NIGHT MARCH 4, 6:30-8:30PMHas it been awhile since you let your guard down, laughed, and had fun with your teen? If so this is the perfect event for you! We’ll have a variety of games for everyone. Sign up in the Lobby.

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING One Sunday each month, free blood pressure screening is offered

after the 8:30 and 9:45am services. The next screening will be held on April 3.

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SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE

MONTHof the FASTINGFasting. To abstain from food, or certain types of food. The purpose isn’t to lose weight or to check our will power. When we fast, we substitute prayer and a closer focus on God for the food we would normally eat. Our hunger for food becomes a hunger for God. Many people have practiced a form of fasting without realizing it when they “gave something up for Lent.”

Strictly speaking, fasting involves food, but it can be beneficial to fast from other things, especially things that might be getting in the way of your relationship with God. Maybe you spend a lot of time on the computer, cellphone, Facebook, or TV. It might be valuable for us to fast from some of our electronics and devote that time to God instead.

Fasting also allows us to more clearly focus on God and what God is trying to tell us. It allows us to be more open to where God is leading. If we pray and fast it doesn’t mean that God will automatically give us what we ask for, but it will allow us to be more tuned to God’s will.

“So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.” - Ezra 8:23 (NIV)

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS/CHALLENGE FOR THE MONTH• Take it easy at first, especially if you’ve never fasted before.

• Prepare yourself spiritually prior to fasting. Prayerfully seek God’s help and direction when deciding to fast.

• Remember that there are different kinds of fasts. For example, you might fast from something in particular, like red meat, or caffeine. You might choose to fast from solid food but continue to consume liquids. If you decide to do a total fast, it is important to drink water.

• During times of fasting it is customary to give extra money to the poor (giving of alms). For example, if you give up a meal a day, take the money you would have spent on that meal and give it to a mission in the community that helps the poor.

• Before fasting it would be helpful to talk to someone who has done this before. If you would like more information, please let us know.

• Partnering with someone can help make fasting even more meaningful as you can share your experiences with each other as you compare notes.

OTHER THINGS TO REMEMBER

• It is not always easy to incorporate a new spiritual discipline into your life.

• Choose a time for fasting that will not be overwhelming (like not on the day of a big family feast).

• If you break the fast, don’t give up.

• Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

• Keep a journal of your thoughts, feelings, and prayers during the fast.

• Enjoy the experience!

HELPFUL HINTS"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; He'll reward you well. Matthew 6:16-18 (The Message)

If you have any questions or need additional help, contact us at (302)378-7692 or connect@connectioncc.org.

For additional information on Spiritual Disciplines, refer to The Celebration of Discipline by Robert Foster.

OPEN PRAYER TUESDAY MORNINGS Join us Tuesday mornings from 7-8am for a time of open prayer

in the sanctuary. Everyone is welcome.

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FINANCE TEAM UPDATEKEY FINANCIAL RESULTS AS OF JANUARY 31, 2016

Financials above exclude income and expense related to NOW Capital Campaign.

Total income was over budget by $689 due to Tithes and Offerings being $2,325 over budget.

Expenses were under budget by $19,342 due to:

- Outreach ministry-Under budget by $4,372 due to the timing of payments to Koshy.

- Women's/Men's Conference-Under budget by $5,482 due to Women's Conference being $2,182 under budget and the Men's Conference under budget by $2,900 due to registrations being received but the expenses not being realized unti the time of the conference.

- Training, workshops and conferences-Under budget by $493 for the year to date due to a combination of the budgeted cost of the Peninsula-Delaware Conference being in July but the actual was paid in June and the expenses for the Lead Team and Staff to attend the Leadership Summit was under budget since we were able to attend a local venue which eliminated the cost for lodging and reduced the meal cost.

- Youth Connection-Under budget $3,052 due to monies being received for Youth Rally while some expenses will be paid in February. In addition, there is a delay in incurring some expenses that will be realized later.

NOW Account Building Fund

- As of 1/31/16 CCC has received $982,856 or 59.2% of the $1,659,543 committed to the NOW campaign.

- We have already paid over $521,000 in architectural and engineering fees for the building project.

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MARCH 2016CHURCH OFFICE HOURS: MON. - THURS. 9AM-1PM , FRIDAY 9AM-12:30PM 302.378.7692 // JUSTSHOWUP.CHURCH // CONNECT@CONNECTIONCC.ORG

Access our online calendar anytime on our website atJustShowUp.church/whats-happening/#calendar