Dear Church Family,

Another beautiful quote:

   “The leaven hidden in the flour works invisibly to bring the whole mass under its leavening process; so the leaven of truth works secretly, silently, steadily, to transform the soul. The natural inclinations are softened and subdued. New thoughts, new feelings, new motives, are implanted. A new standard of character is set up —the life of Christ. The mind is changed; the faculties are roused to action in new lines. Man is not endowed with new faculties, but the faculties he has are sanctified. The conscience is awakened. We are endowed with traits of character that enable us to do service for God.”  {COL 98.3}

In the news:

1. Tonight at 7pm, our church retreat will begin at the Oaks with a presentation from our special guest, Dr. Michael Dant. I am excited about what Dr. Dant is planning to share with us.  He appears to be a very humble and generous man and I have only communicated with him online.  He will be with us this weekend and next to share with us this powerful series on how to surrender to Jesus.
2. Remember that this is a retreat and therefore dress throughout the weekend is casual. Tomorrow we will share in a fellowship meal and the church will provide for supper.    Remember that the practice for fellowship meals is that each family bring enough food for themselves and another of like size.  Also, the camp has reiterated the rule of NO PETS anywhere on the campus all weekend.
3. The schedule for Sabbath looks like this:
   • 10am Sabbath School
   • 11:30am “How Can I Enjoy God?”
   • 1pm Lunch
   • 2:30pm “Enjoying God to the Fullest”
   • 4pm “The Root of the Problem”
   • 5pm Supper
   • 6:30pm “The Greatest Unused Power”
4. The church board and finance committee meetings for this Monday have been canceled.
5. Opal Silva went to sleep in Jesus after struggling with lung issues for many years. The family will receive friends next Tuesday from 4-8pm at Kiser Rose Hill Funeral Home next to the church. Then there will be a funeral service on Wednesday at 2pm at the same funeral home.  All are welcome.  Let’s lift the family up in prayer during this difficult time.
6. Dinner with the Doctor is a new program being offered by our Health Ministries committee and is replacing the usual CHIP alumni meetings. Their first meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday evening at 6:30pm at the church.  This new approach is intended to reach a broader audience.  Advertising will be in the paper and you are encouraged to invite your friends.  Please RSVP with Rhoda first.  Harry Nelson will be sharing a talk entitled, “Avoiding Groaning Bones.”
7. Raceway Ministries is asking for help baking Chocolate Chip cookies for the upcoming race. Deadline for this is April 17^th at 5pm.  Contact Jeanne Odell for more information.
8. I forgot to share the pictures last week from the outreach event a couple of weeks ago that our Junior SS class participated in. Our Juniors reached out to numerous shoppers at K Mart and shared encouraging materials and offered prayer for those passersby.

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9. Here is another reminder about some of the dangers pertaining to some of the contemporary worship music we hear today.   Christian Berdahl has a whole series on this theme which can be accessed here.
10. I also want to share with you a series I have been listening to after having it recommended to me. Eric Wilson from Isaiah ministries used to be involved in the martial arts and spiritualism and by God’s grace came out from it.  If you know someone engaged in the martial arts or Yoga and like, there may be some interest in this series.   
11. In closing I thought I would share this picture of our Sun Conure who was out for some fresh air last week when I snapped this picture of his vivid feathers.  We serve an amazing Creator. 

Blessings as you prepare for the coming Sabbath and our special time of refreshment at the Oaks.

In His Service,

Pastor Jeremy