This Week at Prince of Peace...

Palm/Passion Sunday March 20, 2016

This Sunday's Readings

Zechariah 9:9-13; Philippians 2:5-11; Psalm 31:9-16; Luke 22:14-23:56

GOSPEL: Luke 19:28-40

After he had said this, Jesus went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, "Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' just say this, 'The Lord needs it.' " So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They said, "The Lord needs it." Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,

"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!"

Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, order your disciples to stop." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out."

Missed last week? Check out last Sunday's sermons, music and more by clicking here!

Please remember in your prayers this week...

Recently Added

Keith Cobb (father of Allan Cobb)

Lauren Wolejsza (daughter-in-law of Nancy & Chet Wolejsza)

Kaitlyn McGurgan & her family

Sympathy

Family of Willavene Wiley (grandmother of Lori Kohne)

Thanksgiving

Baptism of Brayden Hoffman (son of Lauren Ballou & Steven Hoffman)

Continuing Prayers

Click here for Continuing Prayer List located below.

*Please notify the church office of anyone else needing prayers, or if the concern is resolved.

Coming Up at Prince of Peace

This Weekend...

PALM SUNDAY

Saturday, March 19 - Worship will be held at 5:00 pm

Sunday, March 20 - Worship will be held at 8:30 & 11:00 am

Sunday School will be held at 9:45 am

Adult Study "Divine Drama" at 9:45 am

Christina Levine will sing at both Sunday services!

Bible Art Journaling class will be held at 6:00 pm

Thursday, March 24 - Maundy Thursday Service will be held at 7:30 pm

Friday, March 25 - Good Friday Service will be held at 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 26 - Easter Vigil will be held at 8:00 pm

Next Weekend...

EASTER SUNDAY

Sunday, March 27 - Easter celebration worship will be held at 8:30, 10:00 & 11:30 am

Resurrection Run/Walk begins at 5:45, 6:00, & 6:15 am, conclusion at 6:45 am
Easter Egg Hunt at 9:45 am

Grace Notes will play at the 8:30 am service

The Adult Choir will sing at the 10:00 & 11:30 am services

Meghan McCall will perform at the 10:00 & 11:30 am services

Looking Ahead...

Thursday, Mar 17 6-8 PM Body & Soul Wellness Program

7:30 PM Men's Book Club

Saturday, Mar 19 7:45 AM Men's Group

5:00 PM Worship

Sunday, Mar 20 Palm Sunday

8:30 AM Worship

9:45 AM Sunday School

9:45 AM Adult Study "Divine Drama"

11:00 AM Worship

6:00 PM Bible Art Journaling Class

Tuesday, Mar 22 10:00 AM Quilters

Wednesday, Mar 23 7:30 PM Adult Choir Rehearsal

Thursday, Mar 24 7:30 PM Maundy Thursday Service

Friday, Mar 25 7:30 PM Good Friday Service

Saturday, Mar 26 7:45 AM Men's Group

6:30 PM Grace Notes

8:00 PM Easter Vigil

Sunday, Mar 27 Easter Sunday

5:45, 6:00, 6:15 AM Resurrection Run/Walk

8:30, 10:00, 11:30 AM Easter Sunday Worship

9:45 AM Easter Egg Hunt

Monday, Mar 28 Church Office Closed

Thursday, Mar 31 6-8 PM Body & Soul Wellness Program

Saturday, Apr 2 6:30 PM Empty Nesters Dinner

Sunday, Apr 3 10:00 AM Village at Rockville Presentation

Thursday, Apr 7 7:30 PM Faith-Full Families

Sunday, Apr 10 12:15 PM Interfaith 5K meeting

Sunday, Apr 10 12:30 PM Racial Justice meeting

Thursday, Apr 14 7:30 PM Women's Book Group

Saturday, Apr 16 9:00 AM Stream Cleanup

Thursday, Apr 21 7:30 PM Books & Beer Men's Book Club

Click here for a complete calendar

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Join us for Holy Week!

Sunday, March 20            Palm Sunday Worship at 8:30 & 11:00 am

Thursday, March 24        Maundy Thursday Service at 7:30 pm

Friday, March 25              Good Friday Service at 7:30 pm

Saturday, March 26         Easter Vigil at 8:00 pm

Sunday, March 27            Resurrection Run/Walk at 5:45,6:00,6:15, conclusion at 6:45 am

Sunday, March 27            Easter Sunday Worship at 8:30,10:00,11:30 am

Sunday, March 27            Easter Egg Hunt at 9:45 am

Bible Art Journaling meets Sunday, March 20 from 6-7:30pm. All are invited to attend this devotional class which encourages you to engage actively with the word of God through doodling, illustration, and note-taking in your Bible (bring a 'journaling Bible' with you to class). It's not too late to join in the fun! Questions? See Pastor Christine.

LAST Chance to order Easter Flowers ~ If you would like to donate flowers for the altar this Easter, please have your order and payment in by Sunday, March 20. Lilies and hyacinths are available for $12/each. Flowers can be donated in honor or memory of a friend or loved one and may be taken home after the last Easter service. Order forms are available in the narthex.

Lenten Sharing Bags are due by THIS Sunday, March 20th! We are collecting for:

* Interfaith Clothing Center - new socks and underwear

* Gaithersburg HELP - diapers, cans of powdered baby formula, Stage 2 baby food, & single grain rice or oatmeal baby cereal

Please leave your donations in the narthex by Sunday, March 20. For more info, contact: Marybeth Stockman or Becky Carr.

The April Glad Tidings deadline is Sunday, March 20. Please submit your articles, photos, etc. to Martha Rogers.

Volunteers are needed to serve during the Holy Week and Easter Sunday services.

Sign-up sheets are posted on the window in the narthex; please sign up if you are available to serve at any of these services. Thanks!

Women's Bible Study will not be held on March 22&29. Classes will resume on Tuesday, April 5 at 12:30 pm with a new book: Accidental Saints by Nadia Bolz-Weber. It is available online or at the book store. We will discuss the first two chapters on April 5. This is a great time to join the group! You do not need to attend every week. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Christine.

Celebrate the "first feast" of Easter following the Easter Vigil on Saturday, March 26 at 8:00 pm. Please sign up in the narthex if you can bring an appetizer or dessert.

There will be no Sunday School classes on March 27 & April 3. Sunday School will resume on April 10.

The annual Easter Egg Hunt will take place immediately after the first service on Easter Sunday, March 27 at 9:45 am. Kids of all ages are invited to attend. Donations of stuffed eggs are needed. Please email Kim Drissel if you can donate (indicate number of eggs). There is a collection bucket for filled eggs in the narthex (along with some empties to fill). Thanks!

Easter Morning Resurrection Run: Those fabulous Sunday morning runs/walks have precedence in the Bible as the women RAN from the tomb because they couldn't contain their excitement! Here at PoP we are going to greet Easter morning with our own Resurrection Run/Walk. All distances and paces are welcome and we will conclude our Run/Walk with a hymn around the fire and donuts. Each group will have two different speed 'coaches' and the 'coaches' will have map routes so nobody gets lost.

5:45am: 5+mile loop leaves from PoP

6:00am: 3+mile loop leaves from PoP

6:15am: 1+mile loop leaves from PoP

6:45am: hymn, donuts, and fire (AKA how runners worship the risen Christ)

Our Adult Study "Divine Drama" continues Sunday at 9:45 am in BYC conference room. You do not need to attend every week - join us!

Books and Beer, aka The Men's Book Club of Prince of Peace, continues its 2016 literary friendship campaign with a lively discussion of Erik Larson's In The Garden of the Beasts. Join us on Thursday, March 17 at 7:30 pm at the home of Steve Von Wald. Please RSVP to Steve. All men of PoP and their male friends are cordially invited.

On April 3 at 10:00 am between services, we will have a speaker from the Village at Rockville. Come and learn about what they do and how we can partner with them to serve others!

Faith-Full Families' Easter event will be held Thursday, April 7 from 6-7:30pm in the Fellowship Hall. Families with pre-school - elementary age children, and their siblings, are invited for dinner, crafts, a Bible story and fellowship. Sign up in the narthex, email Judy Bruening or just come! We will provide a main dish. If you would like to bring a side dish/salad or a dessert sign up in the narthex or let Judy know. If you just have younger children, you are welcome to join us for fellowship, too. Questions? Contact Judy Bruening.

We are planning to refresh the Memorial Garden this spring, including replacing the tree that died last year. If you are interested in helping with the planning or planting, please contact Jennifer Maloney.

The Serving in Worship schedule for March & April has been posted
on our website and the bulletin board in the narthex. Please review it and make arrangements for any conflicts. Thanks!

NEW Body & Soul Wellness Program continues each Thursday! Prince of Peace is proud to offer free health and wellness programming for adults, 18-and-over, on Thursday evenings from 6:00 - 8:00 pm in the Besecker Youth Center. Pick up a Schedule from the narthex. The program starts at 6:00 pm with a "Speed Topic" discussion on a wellness-related subject, followed by an Open Gym from 6:30-8:00 pm. Drop in when you can! Activities will be supervised by Marybeth Stockman RN, MS, an ACSM-Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist. Weights and other specialized equipment will be available to help build functional and core strength, balance, agility and endurance. Click here for more details listed below.

The magnificent National Christian Choir will appear in concert at a benefit event for Gaithersburg HELP on Saturday, March 19 at 6:00 pm at First Baptist Church in Gaithersburg (200 W. Diamond Ave). Please come early to bid on items in the silent auction that will include sports memorabilia, jewelry, spa packages, and many other goods. Tickets are just $15 per person and may be purchased online (www.GaithersburgHELP.org) or at the concert. Don't miss this wonderful event. The choir will perform a wide range of musical styles, so all can enjoy. Tickets make a wonderful gift for family and friends.

Please consider giving to the ELCA Disaster Response to assist those affected by the spring storms in the US. Visit the ELCA Disaster Response webpage to donate or learn more about how you can help.

On Saturday, April 16 PoP will have an opportunity to participate in the annual Alice Ferguson Potomac Watershed trash pickup by cleaning up around Speicher's Run from 9am-noon. If you have any questions, please contact Lesa Sullivan.

First Communion instruction will be offered beginning Sunday, April 24 for children at least in 3^rd grade. If you'd like your child to participate, please contact Pastor Steve!

All PoP Donation Statements for 2015 have been mailed. If you did not receive one, please contact Helen Griffith, our Financial Secretary. Due to a tech glitch, the statements were not emailed.

Good News for our Debt Reduction Efforts! On February 1, 2016, Thrivent Mortgage reset our mortgage per the terms of our contract. The new, 5 year rate is 3.25%, and the new mortgage payment is $2,881. Also, the 2% pre-payment penalty, if the payment came from another lending institution, went away. This is significant because it can add a hefty expense if we were to do something different with another lender. Finally, the amortization schedules continues from the original term, which was 16 years, 6 months. Thus we have roughly 10 years and 5 months left to pay on this loan (approximately $330K remaining). Of course, we are hoping to do it in a much shorter time frame! Thank you for your continued support as we work to reduce this debt to zero. Donations to our Debt Reduction Fund are encouraged!

Would you like to support Prince of Peace every time you shop at Amazon, at no cost to you? When you shop using AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to your charity of choice. AmazonSmile is completely integrated with Amazon.com; you use the same account and have the same shopping cart, Wish List, Registry, and account info. It's easy to set up and use. First click on the following link to tell Amazon that you want donations to be made to Prince of Peace: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/52-1283295; then whenever you want to make a purchase at Amazon, go to smile.amazon.com instead of www.amazon.com. (AmazonSmile will remember the nonprofit you previously selected.) Only purchases made thru smile.amazon.com will be eligible for donations. When logged on, you should see "Supporting Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Gaithersburg, MD" at the top of the homepage. You can also set up your charity choice by logging in to Amazon using Smile.Amazon.com, and choosing from the menu of available charities. Be sure to select Prince of Peace, Gaithersburg, MD (since there are many other PoPs).

Note: if you already use Goodshop, continue with that because the donation amount is higher than AmazonSmile. To learn about that program go to Goodshop.com to set up an account and select a charity.

Prayer Practice during Worship

~ Meditation, prayer, and reflection are practices which are beneficial to our relationships with God and others throughout the year. During Lent we are called especially to be mindful of these relationships. For some, the tactile experience of lighting a candle during worship allows them to center themselves for a moment in prayer and the lit candle reminds us of Jesus' words of hope, "I am the light of the world." During Lent a small prayer table will be set up during worship. We invite you to take a moment before worship or during communion to pause at the table, pray, and light a candle as a symbol of hope.

Mar-Lu-Ridge Summer Camp Registration is now open! Send a child or grandchild to week-long camps like Adventure, Arts, Sports, Service, Cooking, Horseback, Pioneer, and Swimming Camp - something for everyone; located in nearby Jefferson, MD. Brochures are available on the bulletin board; or visit www.mar-lu-ridge.org to view the Summer 2016 Brochure, register online, and download forms for camp. Attend an Open House on Sunday, March 20, April 24, or May 22 (2-4:30pm). Summer Camp is a great adventure; join the fun!

The March Glad Tidings is available on our website!

The Flower Chart for 2016 has been posted. Flowers can be given in memory or honor of a person or special occasion. A donation of $30 covers the flowers for a week, and they are yours to take home after the late service. Sign up on the Chart posted on the bulletin board in the narthex and place your donation (marked "Altar Flowers") in the Offering. Thanks for adding to our worship experience!

2016 Offering Envelopes are available for pickup in the narthex. If you do not wish to use envelopes, please leave a note or email the Office. If you do not see a box with your name and want to use Offering Envelopes in 2016, please contact Bob Butler.

Join us for Sunday School each week at 9:45 am! For younger students we continue to use a rotational model which provides an experiential approach similar to VBS. For Middle and High School students, we use cool and quirky workbooks and short films to explore relevant topics. Your kids won't want to miss it!!

We are experiencing phone problems in the Office and voicemail is not working. If possible, please send an email instead of calling.

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Body & Soul Wellness Program Meets Every Thursday!

* Are you looking for a way to jumpstart your exercise routine?

* Do you wish you could exercise in a friendly setting and not with strangers at the gym?

* Do you wish you could get more personal attention and pointers to make your diet and exercise more effective?

* Do you need help setting realistic wellness goals?

Prince of Peace is proud to offer regular health and wellness programming for adults, 18-and-over, on Thursday evenings from 6:00 - 8:00 pm in the Besecker Youth Center.

We start each week at 6:00 pm with a "Speed Topic" discussion on a wellness-related subject. An Open Gym follows from 6:30-8:00 pm. Blood pressure screening are also available.

Activities are supervised by Marybeth Stockman RN, MS, an ACSM-Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist. Weights and other specialized equipment will be available to help build functional and core strength, balance, agility and endurance. Get pointers on form and learn ways to tweak your diet and exercise program. All levels of ability are welcome, and those with chronic health conditions are encouraged to attend.

Both activities are free to PoP members. For now activities will be held on a drop-in basis as space permits. Contact Marybeth for more information.

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Please remember in your prayers this week...

As Prince of Peace Lutheran Church continues to grow, those in need of prayerful support also increases. Because of our three services, not everyone is familiar with all members of the congregation, and we are often asked if a particular name on the Prayer List is a member of the congregation. In order to clarify this the Continuing Prayers list is now divided into PoP Members and Family & Friends. Hopefully this change will facilitate communication within the church. Please continue to pray for all those in need.

Continuing Prayers - PoP Members

Lisa Adams, Emily Adams Muhler, Eardie Baka, Carol Barotti, Madelyn Berkeley, Elizabeth Langum Chung, David family, Goodwin family, Laura Hampe, Steven Hill, Jessica Jeffery, Roy Johnson, Pat Juhrs, Greta Kunkle, Mike Langum, Remi Langum, Jim McNerney, Sandy Moore, Heather Robinson, David Rogers, James Rogers, Martha Rogers, Julie Stokes, Nancy Swanson, Laura Wilson.

Continuing Prayers - Family & Friends

Rohanie Bacchus (friend of Sherry Schiebel), Scott Baka (son of Eardie Baka), Becca, Jeremy, & Shea Baldwin, Margaux Bereston (friend of Cherie DeGeorge), The Rev. Jeong & Nam Cho (parents of Claire Cho), Sydney Clark (friend of Cathy Berninger), Joanne Claycamp (mother of Gregg Claycamp), Susan Collis (mother of Jill Spivak), Gilda & Khaleesi Damiani (friends of Tonya Meyer & Amy Ceralde), Amanda Dantus (friend of Tracy Barr), Victor DeGeorge (uncle of Mike DeGeorge), Kathy Drake (friend of Dave & Nancy Swanson), Paula Everitt (relative of Amy Rossmeisl), Nathan Farrar (nephew of Richard Farrar), Stephen Farrar (brother of Richard Farrar), Ruth Garretson (grandmother of Kelly Garretson), Torie Gensch (friend of Sherry Schiebel), Kelly Gibson (sister of Dan Gibson), Nate & Susan Greenblatt (friends of Madelyn Berkeley), Karen Griese (mother of Kari Oakes), Joni Hanley (friend of Jean Bernstein), Haris (friend of Greg Von Wald), Ralph Heckel, Mary Christine Hevner (sister of Judy Wooldridge), Lisa Holmes (friend of Lisa McGurgan), Janet Howard (friend of Nettie Horne), Mario Ierardi and family (friend of Debra Aplan), Christopher Johnson (son of Roy Johnson), Kim (friend of Donna Von Wald), Bill Kratz (father of Laura Garretson), Tim Leiss, Mark Miller (friend of Butler family), Debbie Mulhern (friend of Martha Rogers), Jayson Musser (friend of the Butler family), Ray Nopper (friend of Andrea Goble), Louise Pascal (aunt of David Rogers), Bill Prueter, Linda Prueter, Ted Prueter (father of Bill Prueter), Greg Rayman (uncle of Julie Stokes), Richard Sawyer (father of Sarah Bolek), John Shay (friend of Mike & Cherie DeGeorge), Richard Sherman (cousin of Gordon Gipe), Pauline Shumaker (mother of Lisa Conary), Kathy Tezla (relative of Sofi Yanevskyy), Liz Wagner (aunt of Lisa McGurgan), Howard Weidemoyer, Carol Weisdock (mother of Jean Bernstein), Dianne Werley (friend of Ann Callahan), Kathy Williams (stepdaughter of Ann Callahan), Katina Williams (friend of Stephen Hill), Matthew Wolejsza (son of Nancy & Chet Wolejsza).

*Please notify the church office of anyone else needing continuing prayers, or if the concern is resolved.

Attendance Last Weekend

Saturday 5:00 PM 31

Sunday 8:30 AM 43

11:00 AM 77

Total: 151

Serving in Worship Sunday

8:30 AM 11:00 AM

Team Leader Laura Garretson Chuck Dixon

Altar Guild Laura Hurst Susan Tritinger

Communion Asst. Laura Hurst Susan Tritinger

Lector Elizabeth Cockerham Tom Panning

Acolyte Annie Hampe Brayan Panning

Ushers Judy Logeman & Chris Michel & John Militzer

Elizabeth Cockerham

Greeters Lori Kohne & Susan & Eric Holdsworth

Jean Bernstein

Snacks Lori Kohne Lisa Woodard

Prayer Writer Lisa Adams

Counters Laura Hurst & June Herron

Cookie Brigade Susan Potemra (Bake) & Tom Kettler (Deliver)

Click here for a complete Serving in Worship schedule.

VolunteerSpot is our new way to stay informed and sign up for volunteer opportunities at Prince of Peace. An email is sent for each need, as it is identified. The message contains a link that makes it easy to add your name as a helper. Here are our current volunteer requests:

Volunteer Need
Worship Volunteers (Ushers, Snack volunteers, Prayer Writers, Acolytes, etc.)

There is a button with a link to current volunteer opportunities on our church web page; you can also click on the specific Volunteer Need above or here to see the complete list. Thank you for sharing your time and talents!!

Contact Information

Church Office:

office@poplutheran.org

301-869-3666

Church Council:
council@poplutheran.org

Pastor Steve:

pastor@poplutheran.org

301-980-0160 (cell)

Pastor Christine:

pastorchristine@poplutheran.org

703-517-0728 (cell)
Visit Pastor Christine's blog at:

http://tinydartfrog.com

Sermon mp3 downloads are available at:
http://poplutheran.org/sermonsmusic/sermonsandmusic.html

Monthly Newsletters ("Glad Tidings") are available at:

http://poplutheran.org/newsletters.html

Follow us on Twitter: @PoPGaithersburg

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