MARCH 2015 NEWSLETTER Jessica Herrera, Secretary hours: Mon & Wed. 8:00am-3:00pm as work demands

The Reverend Debbie Measells, Pastor: Office hours: M-Thurs 8:30am-12& 1-4pm;Friday-dayoff

************************************************************************************

Why Palm Sunday? Palm branches are mentioned in only one of the four Gospels (see John 12:12-15). So why do we call the first day of Holy Week Palm Sunday? Tradition plays an important part in church

history. During Jesus’ time, Rome was the

world’s leading power. Whenever the Romans

were victorious in battle, citizens traditionally

threw palm branches in the returning heroes’

path.

This was the accepted custom of reception. So when Jesus rode into Jerusalem, it was appropriate that he receive a hero’s welcome. One week later, he would be victorious over death.

Published in: March 2008 The Newsletter Newsletter.

********Report on Past Events*******

Thanks to your

generosity, we received 195

non perishable items for the

Souper Bowl of Caring on

February 1st.

Last month’s church dinner was soups,

sandwiches and desserts for a donation. We

raised $192.00 for Souper Bowl of Caring. This

money will be added to the food pantry and

used to purchase additional items when needed.

*********CURRENT EVENTS*********

Daylight Saving Time begins on Sunday

March 8th. Don’t forget to turn your clocks one

hour ahead before you go to bed on Saturday

night.

We will be having our annual Easter Egg

hunt on Saturday, March 28 at 10:30am. Bring

your children out to enjoy some fun activities

and participate in the egg hunt. All are welcome

to stay afterwards for lunch.

*******UPCOMING EVENTS*********

This year’s Maundy Thursday service is on

April 2nd at First United Methodist with Rev.

Debbie Measells preaching. The potluck meal is

at 5:45pm with the service following at 7:00pm.

We will not be having a Good Friday service this

year.

Our Easter Sunrise

service will be at 7am on

April 5th. The Rev. Tracy

Williams will preach the

Sermon and she will serve Communion.

Everyone is invited to breakfast immediately

following the service. There will NOT be Sunday

school or 10:30am Worship this particular

Sunday, ONLY THE SUNRISE SERVICE AT 7AM.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Thank You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We would like to thank Biff and Lynn Slater

for continuing to provide breakfast every Sunday

morning for approximately 10-15 people each

Sunday. It has been very beneficial for those of

us who have children, or just don’t have the

time to cook breakfast before we come to

church. The fellowship is great!

In acknowledgement of our 4th quarter

donation for 2014, Presbyterian Children’s

Homes and Services writes, “Thank you for your

recent gift of $300.00 to Presbyterian Children’s

Homes and Services! The amount of success an

organization is capable of achieving is in direct

proportion to the generosity and partnership it

receives from the community” With gratitude,

Steve Anderson, Director of Development.

+++++++++MISSION REPORT++++++++++

Sandra Barnett is now over Mission and with the help of Nancy McLaren will be taking care of the food pantry purchasing and other Mission related events. We thank them both for restocking the food pantry last month with the food items and monies received from Souper Bowl of Caring. During February, 6 families received food from the food pantry.

*******WORSHIP REPORT ********* Elders serving communion on March 1st are Tami Brown, Jessica Herrera, Leonard Meier and Richard McLaren and the Usher Captain for March is Biff

Slater. Our thanks to each one who has agreed to serve the Lord by serving the Church. *************************************** During the month of

February, the flowers were

placed in the sanctuary to the

Glory of God by Ginny Raska

and Sarah Raska . If you

would like to provide flowers for a particular

Sunday, please list your name on the signup

sheet in the sanctuary.

**********************************

TREASURER’S REPORT

February

Offering $ 8,179.79

Disbursements $ 9,511.83

Special Offerings:

Food Pantry $ 217.00

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not

rely on your own insight. In all your ways

acknowledge him, and he will make straight your

paths” Proverbs 3:5-6

Indulge for Lent? Rather than sacrificing something for Lent — especially something easy and spiritually insignificant, such as chocolate — Patty Kirk, in Guideposts magazine, suggests finding new ways to indulge in God’s presence. Surely one can do this by having extra devotions or attending Lenten worship services. But Kirk offers these ideas: • Spend time outdoors, sensing God’s magnificence. • Spend time with others, extending generosity and compassion. Remember Jesus’ promise that when you care for others, you care for him (Matthew 25:31-46). • Pray for the “little things,” coming before God in childlike trust and feeling peace. • Watch attentively for God’s answers to prayer, and receive them as reminders of his presence. • Turn anxiety into prayer. As you frame concerns as prayers and entrust them to God, you “sacrifice” the tendency to wallow in worry.

Lectionary Readings for February

March 1 st: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16, Psalm

22:23-31, Romans 4:13-25, Mark 8:31-38

March 8 th: Exodus 20:1-17, Psalm 19:1-

14, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 John 2:13-22,

March 15 th: Numbers 21:4-9, Psalm

107:1-3, 17-22, Ephesians 2:1-10, John 3:14-21 March 22nd: Jeremiah 31:31-34, Psalm 51:1-12 Or Psalm 119:9-16, Hebrews 5:5-10, John 12:20-33 March 29 th: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29, Mark 11:1-11 Or John 12:12-16, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Mark 14:1-15:47 For more daily lectionary readings, visit

www.pcusa.org

By reading Scriptures I am so renewed that all

nature seems renewed around me and with me.

They sky seems to be a pure, a cooler blue, the

trees a deeper green. The whole world is

charges with glory of God and I feel fire and

music under my feet.

-Thomas Merton

1-Malia Herrera

6-Vera Whitmarsh

7-Cynthia Hopwood &

Shane Ezell

8-Savannah Levesque

11-Iola Cannedy

12-Barbara Patterson

19- John Matheson

22- Cole Buchanan

25-Sandra Barnett

29- Kevin Levesque &

Joshua Buchanan

30-Debbie Measells &

Brian Knapp

31-Philip Ezell

11-Duran & Jessica Navarro

14-Vic & Barbara Tumlinson

21-James & Tiffany Giddions

Here is an interesting fact from the March

calendar from Presbyterian Children’s Homes and

Services….Approximately 1.6 million children will

experience homelessness over the course of a

year. On any given day, researchers estimate that

more than 200,000 children have no place to live.

**REMINDER**: To ensure we get the spelling

and the nature of your prayer request correct,

please list your request on the sheet provided

on the podium when you enter the sanctuary.

Assyrian Christians living

in Syria are being

imprisoned, ran off,

threatened and killed, 21

Egyptian Christians

beheaded by Islamic

State, teens in US and England joining Islamic

State, Teena Maenza- let go from the Brazoria

County News due to poor health, Albert Weaver-

surgery, Mary Clarke- plasma infusion treatment

of March 3, Linda Matheson’s Aunt Lil, Edna

Tribble, Geniva Minks,

A LOOK AHEAD FOR FEED MY LAMBS

Session has approved for our church to participate

in Feed My Lambs again this year. It will begin

sometime in June and your help is needed. As in

years past, we depend on cash donations and

volunteers to continue this wonderful ministry. It’s

not too early to begin to make your commitment

to help this summer during Feed My Lambs.

Volunteers are needed in the following areas:

meal prep, sack room and delivery drivers. If you

would like to make a monetary donation, please

write your check out to “Feed My Lambs”. To sign

up to volunteer, pick up a volunteer form in the

office or contact Jessica for more information.

2015

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Sunday School 9:15am Worship 10:30am

Every Sunday

1 Communion Sunday

2

3 Prayer Group 10am “42” 6:15pm

4

5

6 World Day of Prayer

7 Clayton Lackey Court of Honor 6pm

8 Men’s Breakfast

7am PW 12pm

Girl Scout Sunday Daylight savings time begins turn

clocks ahead 1 hour

9 10

Prayer Group 10am “42” 6:15pm

11

Choir Practice 6:30pm

12 13 14

15 Church dinner & Session

16

17 Pryr. Grp. 10am

“42” 6:15pm St. Patrick’s Day

18

Choir Practice 6:30pm

19 20 First Day of Spring

21

22

23 24

Prayer Group 10am “42” 6:15pm

25

Choir Practice 6:30pm

26 27 28 Easter Egg Hunt 10:30am

29 Palm Sunday

30 31 Prayer Group 10am “42” 6:15pm