UMCWFB - Weekly eJoy

Today is Tuesday, April 19th. It is the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing that took many lives including the life of my cousin. It is near the anniversary date of the Columbine shootings in Colorado. Friends of ours had children who attended Columbine High School. Hitler's birthday is near this date as well. Generations of Jews and Christians were changed forever by his actions.

In the midst of horrific tragedy that affects our lives, hope comes. Faith and freedom, God and life are all stronger and more powerful than anything that threatens our stability and which seeks to shatter our strength and perseverance. As our Jewish brothers and sisters begin Passover, they retell the story of God's deliverance. As we make our way through the darkness of Holy Week we do so in the knowledge of the resurrection.

This weekend we will come together to remind ourselves of what God has done and continues to do in the midst of our lives. We will come and celebrate the very core of our faith that Christ is alive. And for a moment in time, Easter Sunday will renew our hope that God's goodness is greater than evil, God's love is stronger than hate and life in God is victorious over death. We will affirm our faith, proclaim "He is risen!" and go out into the world changed by the living presence of Christ made known to us in worship.

As a staff, we love meeting your extended family and friends and look forward to sharing in the joy of Easter Sunday Weekend with you all. For those of you who are traveling, we hold you in our prayers for safe travels and offer our Easter wishes to you.

See you in worship this weekend.

Pastor Susan

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Stewardship Update

On April 10 we came together to offer our commitments of giving and serving for the new church year, July 1, 2011- June 30, 2012. Thank you to all our adults, youth and children who continue to make their commitments to giving and serving. If you have not yet turned in your commitment card, you can still do so this weekend.

New this year- the commitment to giving and serving card can be submitted online. Click Here

Commitment to Giving and Serving cards can be placed in the offering plates this weekend in worship.

The Stewardship Team's goal is to receive 400 commitments before the beginning of the new fiscal year. They will begin their phone follow-up campaign beginning May 9th. If you have any questions about your Commitment to Giving and Serving card please contact Pam Vaughan, Business Manager, pvaughan@umcwfb.org.

We now have a total of 201 commitment cards, with a financial pledge total of $514,137 (average per commitment-$2558)

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Holy Week Schedule

Maundy Thursday- April 2, 7:30 PM

Traditional Worship service with chancel choir and communion (Sanctuary)

Good Friday- April 22, 1:00 PM

Student led worship service (Sanctuary)

Saturday Easter Worship- April 23

5:00 PM Casual Worship (Chapel)

Sunday Easter Worship- April 24

6:30 AM Sunrise Service (Jones Narthex)

8:00 AM Traditional Worship (Chapel)

9:00 AM Contemporary worship with praise band (Sanctuary)

10:30 AM Traditional Worship with Chancel Choir, Brass Ensemble and Singing of the Hallelujah Chorus (Sanctuary)

Family Easter Celebration and Egg Hunt

Sunday April 24, 10:30 AM & Noon

On front lawn. Children of all ages are welcome

Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday are wonderful opportunities to invite someone to come to worship with you. These are high holy days in the life of our congregation and also times of year when people who are searching for more in life are especially open to an invitation. Take a moment and invite someone to come with you.

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Children's Easter Sunday Celebration and

EGGSTRA-ORDINARY EGG HUNT

Children of all ages are invited to join us this Easter Sunday for a special Easter celebration! Children K5-5th grade are invited to Fellowship Hall following the children's message in worship at 9 & 10:30 a.m. for a special Sunday school lesson. Preschool children (ages 2 - 4) are invited to go directly to their Sunday school rooms upstairs at 9 & 10:30 a.m. where they will come as a class to the children's message in worship and then return to their classroom for a special Easter celebration. Childcare will be available at all Easter services except sunrise service.

Infants - Room 211 (upstairs nursery) Toddlers - Room 212

Preschool (3 & 4 years) - Room 219

Elementary-age (K5-5^th grade) - Fellowship Hall

EGG HUNT on the front lawn at Silver Spring Drive at 10:30 & 12 noon. Parents - after picking up your children from Sunday school - come to the front lawn for refreshments and an Easter Egg Hunt!

For more information, contact Dana Saxton, Director of Children & Family Ministry at dsaxton@umcwfb.org or 414-964-2424 x 113.

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Easter Offering 2011

This Year's Easter offering goes to the Appalachia Service Project.

ASP is a great organization whose primary goal is to make homes warmer, safer, and drier for the people of the Appalachian region of the US. ASP is so much more than just working on people's homes though. Lives are transformed when youth from around the country become the hands and feet of Christ and serve one another out of His love. THAT is what ASP is all about: serving others in the name of Christ.

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