In This Issue

Second Sunday Social

Habits of Highly Effective Disciples

Prayer Minister Meeting Sunday

Learn About Center for Faith & Human Rights

Lent Bible Study Begins 3/15

Communion Set-Up Training

Care Notes Now Available

Update on Vision Advance

Thank you!

Hesed House

Join Us for Casting Crowns

Children's Ministry

MATRIX (Middle School)

SUMMIT (High School)

Quick Links

Rejoice Website

RWE on Spotify

Rejoice Calendar

E-Connections Archive

Ensemble Schedule

Worship Team Schedule

Metro Chicago Synod ELCA

ELCA

For Email Marketing you can trust

Grace and Peace to you! Read on to find out what's happening at Rejoice this weekend and what God is doing in and through our church community.

Scripture Text

For Sunday, March 9th

Matthew 22: 34-40

"Failure to Launch"

This passage is a very familiar one to us. Jesus expresses what is the most important commandment of all. Simply put, its to love God and love others. Unfortunately, our trajectories can be off from what God originally intended for us with these commands. If we're not careful, we can miss the mark completely.

Guest speaker Dr. Steve Gerali will shed light on these words of Jesus and help us correct or trajectories so that we don't experience failure to launch.

"Conversations on Good Sex" THIS Saturday

March 8th 6-8PM @ Rejoice

Parents and teens are invited and encouraged to join us for an informative evening & open-forum discussion on teen sexuality. Presented in a straightforward yet relaxed manner, with humor and cultural relevance, youth expert Dr. Steve Gerali will inform and educate teens and parents on God-honoring sexuality; parents will be equipped to have those difficult conversations with their teens on sex, sexting, dating and much more.

Free & open to the public, invite your friends and neighbors and join us for:

Conversations on Good Sex

"Information Parents... Equipping Teens"

March 8, 2014

6:00 - 8:00 PM

Rejoice Lutheran Church

Dr. Gerali is an author, speaker, professor and counselor, and is globally recognized

as an expert in the fields of Adolescence, Youth Ministry and Mentoring. Gerali holds two doctorates in Religion & Societal Studies/Counseling Psychology and his Masters in Counseling Psychology with specialties in Adolescent Development & Disorders from Loyola University, Chicago. Dr. Gerali did post-doctoral work in Sexuality/Sexual development and dysfunctions at Loyola Stritch Medical Center, Chicago & formerly served as the Chair of the Department of Youth Ministries/Adolescent Studies at Judson College in Elgin, IL. Learn more at www.stevegerali.com.

Spring Forward this Weekend

Turn clocks ahead one hour

Don't forget to...

...this weekend!

Second Sunday Social

This Sunday between services

Please join us for Second Sunday Social time after both services this Sunday!

This is an opportunity on the 2nd Sunday of each month to come together after worship for some refreshments, fellowship and time to connect with each other... hope to see YOU there!

Join us Sundays during Lent for "Habits of Highly Effective Disciples"

March 16, 23, 30 & April 6 after the 2nd Service

Stick around after the 2nd service during Lent and join Pastor Lou as we gather for coffee, refreshments and enlightening teaching and conversation as we explore further the theme of the Lent message this year: Habits of Highly Effective Disciples.

Held on Sunday based on the feedback of many who wanted to but unable to attend a midweek gathering, we will provide a learning & fellowship opportunity to dig more deeply into Sunday's message and enrich our discipleship with habits such as:

Prayer
Meditating on God's Word
Serving
Sharing our Faith

Join us for coffee and conversation!

Prayer Minister Meeting

Sunday, March 9th after worship

Prayer ministers, please plan to meet after the 2nd service on Sunday, March 9th for a brief meeting. Newcomers to the team are welcome! If you have any questions, contact Helen Shullaw.

Presentation on the Center for Faith and Human Rights

Monday, March 10th 7PM @ Rejoice

Please join the Rejoice Mission Team as we welcome guest speaker Ryan Down, Atty., MPA. Former director of Hesed house, Ryan is now the Executive Director of Center for Faith and Human Rights working specifically for the cause of global justice and human rights. Ryan will speak on Monday, March 10th at 7pm at Rejoice. He will share with us the status of human rights across the globe and how we as a congregation might participate in the fight. All are welcome.

For further information on the Center for Faith and Human Rights and to learn more about Ryan's adventures go to www.faithandhumanrights.org.

Lenten Bible Study

Begins Saturday, March 15th

The Saturday morning Bible study group will begin a 7-week Lenten study on March 15. The study will be based on Erwin Lutzer's book, "Cries from the Cross," and we will discuss how we can embrace the cross to be more effective witnesses for Christ. Contact Sue Garrison or Dan Bielenberg if you have questions or would like to order a book.

This group meets every Saturday, 8-9 a.m., at Graham's 318 in downtown Geneva. No Bible study experience is ever necessary! Any adult is welcome to join us at any time.

Learn Communion Set-Up

Training on Sunday, March 16th at 8:30 am

Would you like to get more involved at Rejoice? Consider learning how to set the Lord's table by setting up communion! It is an easy yet significant way to contribute to the worship experience at Rejoice. Our communion set-up individuals serve approximately every 4-6 weeks and are scheduled based on your availability.

If you are interested, join Julie Douglas on Sunday, March 16th at 8:00 am in the sacristy for breakfast and get hands-on training on how to prepare the bread and wine. Families, as well as individuals, are encouraged to join us! Questions? Click here to email Julie.

Care Notes Now Available

Take One... Give One

Available now in the narthex are Care Notes, small booklets offering strength, help and healing for those who are hurting. Featuring topics dealing with stress, illness, grief and loss, these booklets are available to anyone who would like supportive and easy-to-read guidance and support. Two topics will be available each month - please feel free to take one for yourself or for a loved one. They are located in the rack near the staircase. Questions? Contact Care Team coordinator Amy Moore.

Update on Vision Advance 2.0

From Pastor Lou...

As you know Rejoice held a Vision Advance weekend at the end of January to take stock of our energies, reflect on our vision and focus on our ministry priorities. We had about 40 people attend the event. This was a bold goal for one weekend and we made progress but we were not able to complete all of our objectives.

We did make a good beginning and we plan to (in an unhurried and prayerful manor) resume that task.

So... after Easter we will meet again to continue where we left off and I will take the initiative to help lead this process. Together we will trust God to give us the creative vibe we need to honor this great opportunity! With Lent, Easter, Confirmation and other ministries before us, we have selected Friday evening, May 9th to resume this ministry. I hope you will plan to join us.

Thank you for your prayers and interest in this important ministry and stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the date.

Thank You for Supporting our High Schoolers!

Upcoming Fundraisers for theLOVEproject:Jersey Shore

A BIG thank you to everybody who showed up with love to the Rejoice Revue to support our high school missionaries - from donating awesome auction items, to the performers, and everybody who showed up to bid at the auction and enjoy a great show! We raised over $2900 for our students traveling to the Jersey Shore to help rebuild houses and lives after the destruction of last year's Hurricane Sandy. Want to learn more about theLOVEproject? Check out the video below!

theLOVEproject is...

Additional upcoming opportunities to support our students:

Butter Braids - purchase some delicious Butter Braids in flavors like strawberry cream cheese, apple, cream cheese, raspberry and, new this year, double chocolate! Butter Braids are $13/each and will be sold through March 13th, with pick up on March 20th. If interested in purchasing, click here to contact Amy Frazer.
Easter Breakfast - Join us between services on Easter Sunday for our 6th annual Easter Breakfast April 20th. All you can eat pancakes, eggs, sausage, fresh fruit, monkey bread, OJ and coffee will be served for a free-will offering.
Wash & Worship - Get your car washed while you worship! This year's Wash & Worship will be Sunday, May 18th.

Hesed House Update

Serving March 8-9

Our congregation was able to provide all of the requested food and service volunteers for this weekend. Hesed House and our coordinators wish to thank our God and our members for stepping up to provide food and fellowship to the homeless!

~ Annmarie & Kaley Martens and Bill & Lucy Gain

Join Us at the Casting Crowns concert!

Friday, March 14th

Do you love uplifting Christian Rock? Join us for an all church event on March 14 to see Casting Crowns, with special guests Laura Story and For King & Country! They are playing at 7pm at the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. Tickets are at a reduced cost of $19 if we have 10 or more people. Please e-mail Robin Fogel if you are interested. Further info can be found at itickets.com.

Children's Ministry

Preschool - 5th Grade

Important Upcoming Dates in Children's Ministry:

Mid-week will not meet on March 18th (due elections held at the church) or April 1st (Spring break)
Due to conflicting Spring Break schedules, God's Girls will not meet on March 25th.
No S.T.O.P. on March 26th or April 2nd

Save the Date for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt! All children ages preschool through 2nd grade and their families are invited to join us April 12th from 10:00-11:30 am for a morning of excitement hunting for Easter Eggs, playing games, and eating yummy treats!

First Communion Classes Begin Sunday - First Communion classes are a special opportunity for all children ages 2nd grade or older, and their parents, to develop a deeper understanding for the importance of this Holy Sacrament. Children and their parents will appreciate the interactive sessions which allow them to have fun learning together. Classes meet immediately following the 10:30 worship service (at approximately 11:45) until 1:00pm for three sessions on March 9th, March 16th and April 13th. Snacks will be provided at all three sessions.

First Communicants will receive their 1st Communion at the Maundy Thursday service on Thursday, April 17th @ 7:00pm. Immediately following the service, 1st Communicants and their families are invited to celebrate at a special reception. Refreshments will be served.

To register, email Angel Slawinski with the following information:

Student' Full Name (as it will appear on the Communion certificate)
Parent(s) attending sessions with child
Cell Phone#
Email address of parent attending sessions

MATRIX - Middle School Ministry

6th-8th Grade

Confirmation Information -

Confirmation Workshop Wednesday, March 12 - This confirmation workshop will prepare you for what is coming in the next couple months leading up to Confirmation Sunday May 4th. In this workshop we will discuss the following: picking the right bible verse, writing your faith story and questions you will be asked in the interview. There will be no sermon notes collected this week and there is no other homework due this week but attendance is mandatory. EVERYONE needs to be present.

Confirmands Serving Communion - One of the requirements for this year's confirmation class is that we encourage the students and their families to actively participate in worship at Rejoice, and one way to do that is to serve communion and/or greet. We ask that you serve at least once during your confirmation year. To learn more about serving and how to get on the schedule, please contact Julie Douglas by March 11th to get on the next worship team schedule.

Update Newsletter Preference - Are you the parent of a new middle school student and would like to receive the eMatrix emailed newsletter? Click here

to update your preferences!

SUMMIT - High School Ministry

9th-12th Grade

Summit this week - Join us Thursday, March 6th from 7-8pm as we continue 'The Way.' This week we'll take a look at John 7 and 8. Jesus attends a Jewish festival called Tabernacles and makes some claims about himself that others don't really appreciate. The heat gets turned up on our Rabbi as the conspiracy to murder him starts to escalate. Pretty Little Liars can't come up with a plot this scandalous! Don't miss it.

Update Newsletter Preference - Are you the parent of a new high school student and would like to receive the eSummit emailed newsletter? Click here to update your preferences and choose which newsletters you would like to receive!

For more information...

If you would like more information on any of the articles above, or if you would like pastoral care, please call the church office at 630.262.0596.

Our office hours are:

Tuesday -- 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Wednesday -- 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thursday -- 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Friday -- 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

We pray God's peace, joy and hope for you this week!

Rejoice Lutheran Church
0N377 North Mill Creek Drive
Geneva, Illinois 60134