In This Issue

Eat Gelato-Support Our Missionaries!

Habits of Highly Effective Disciples

Help Local Moms in Need

Easter Lilies

New Member Classes

Now Scheduling Holy Week Worship Teams

2nd Annual Concert of Prayer

Care Notes Now Available

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 4th Sunday in Lent, March 30th

1 Peter 4: 7-11

"In the Master Class of Discipleship"

The four Habits of Effective disciples continues this morning with the theme of Serving. Effective disciples find ways to show up with love in serving others in Christ's Name. In the last writing of Peter he reminds us we have gifts from God that need to be used. Lent gives us the opportunity to claim these gifts and step forward to serve with a heightened intentionality!

Then be sure to join us after the 2nd service for coffee as we delve into this topic more deeply and learn how we can incorporate the Habits of Highly Effective Disciples into our own lives!

Opportunities to Serve our Children

Volunteer Opportunities in Children's Ministry

Several upcoming, easy and short-term opportunities to serve the children of Rejoice! If you are able to help in one or more areas, please contact Director of Children's Ministries Angel Slawinski (or by phone at 630-440-8197).

Our annual Easter Egg Hunt is Saturday, April 12th. We need help with the following:

Making cupcakes
Providing salty snack mix and drinks
Boiling eggs
Providing egg coloring kits
Hiding eggs and setting up the day before the party
Clean up after the party
Supervising crafts and games at the party

Creative Design Team and Acting Team for VBS -We are excited to announce our theme for Vacation Bible School this summer is "Weird Animals" July 21-25. Summer will be here before you know it and that's why we are looking for creative/artistic volunteers right NOW to help us set the stage for the COOLEST VBS ever! Volunteers (adults and high schoolers) will be asked to preview VBS materials and collaborate to brain storm, plan and begin designing backdrops, preparing for skits etc. Contact Angel for more info!

Prayer Minister Meeting

Monday, March 31st @ Shullaw's

Our Prayer Ministers will meet on Monday, March 31st at 7PM at the Shullaw's house (229 Trentt Drive, Batavia).

If you're looking to get plugged in to this caring and supportive ministry by using your gift of prayer, please join us!

Eat Gelato - Support our High Schoolers!

Friday, April 4th

Join us on Friday, April 4th 7:00-9:30 PM at O' Sole Mio on 27 North River Street in Batavia for some awesome tunes from our very own Patrick James! Enjoy their delicious homemade gelato, espresso and a cannoli, or a glass of chianti... and they will donate 20% of the profits to our high school mission trip to New Jersey! It is an easy, fun and delicious way to support our high school missionaries - 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!

Help Moms in Need this Mother's Day

Collecting Donations for Mothers in Need at Lazarus House

Rejoice is honored to partner with Two Men And A Truck to help collect donations of care package items for their annual Movers for Moms Project, benefiting mothers at Lazarus House in St. Charles!

First launched in 2007 by Two Men And A Truck, the Movers for Moms program seeks to recognize moms in crisis on Mother's Day by arranging delivery of gifts to women living in local shelters on the holiday weekend. In 2013, more than 116 Two Men And A Truck locations in 30 states across the United States collected more than 210,000 items for women living in shelters on Mother's Day. Your donation to this project will help local mothers in need at Lazarus House create a better life for themselves and their families.

If you would like to participate and donate to the Movers for Moms Project, bring your item to the donation bin in the narthex at Rejoice by Sunday, May 4th. Items can include:

Shampoo/Conditioner (travel size)
Hair styling products (travel size)
Nice soaps/shower gels (travel size)
Nail polish/remover
Lip gloss
Comfy socks/slippers
Lightweight robes
Disposable razors
No donation will be turned away!

Click here to visit their website for more information!

Easter Lilies

Order by April 13

Order a beautiful lily in memory or in honor of someone special to adorn our altar on Easter Sunday! Plants are $8.50 each - to order, fill out an envelope available in the narthex at church and place in the collection plate. Taking orders through April 13th. Lilies can be taken home after the 10:30 service on Easter.

New Member Classes

Begin April 24th

If you are interested in learning more about Rejoice and what it means to be a Lutheran Christian, you are invited to our spring new member classes. Classes meet for about an hour and a half, and new this year we will meet on Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:30 PM on April 24, May 1, 8 & 15, with new members welcomed on May 18th.

Sign-up on the sheet in the narthex or click here to email the office if you are interested in joining us!

Holy Week Worship Teams

Serve on Maundy Thursday/Easter Sunday

Holy Week is quickly approaching and is a wonderful opportunity to serve Rejoice, our members and the many visitors and first-timers who come to worship with us by greeting, ushering and serving communion!

Sign up sheets are posted for worship teams for our Maundy Thursday worship on April 17th, and Easter Sunday worship at 8:00, 9:00 & 10:30 am on April 20th. Newcomers are welcome!

If you are interested, sign up in the narthex or contact Julie Douglas.

Save the Date

Concert of Prayer April 25-26

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.

Children's Ministry

Preschool - 5th Grade

No Midweek Youth Groups April 1st - Due to spring break, we will not meet on Tuesday, April 1st. Be sure to join us when we resume on Tuesday, April 8th!

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!

MATRIX - Middle School Ministry

6th-8th Grade

8th Graders Going on Summer Mission Trip - click here for info and updates!

Upcoming Dates in Matrix:

Wednesday, April 2nd - no Matrix due to spring break
Wednesday, April 9th - Matrix EXPLORE from 7:00-8:30PM

Confirmation Updates/Interview Schedule - Click here for the Confirmation Interview Schedule as well as the final Conformation Instructions. Please read it carefully. Remember it is your job to switch with someone if your scheduled time does not work for you. Also, if you have any questions, please visit the website www.rejoiceinthemission.org and find confirmation info under youth ministries (under the "lives are changed" tab).

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

Upcoming in Summit:

April 3rd - no Summit (spring break)
April 10th - Summit Thursday, April 10th 7-9pm (note the time change). This week we will watch the film The Passion of the Christ which is a remarkable look at Holy Week in the life of Jesus. This is a heart wrenching movie that provides a real and in depth look at what Jesus suffered for us. Due to the nature of the reality of Jesus' suffering, beating and death, this film is rated R for graphic violence. Please use discretion when deciding whether or not to join us this evening.

ATTN Missionaries - Upcoming LOVEproject Fundraisers:

Friday, April 4th, Fundraiser @ O' Sole Mio -If you like gelato and listening to quality tunes (like our very own Patrick James!) then head on over to O'Sole Mio between 7:00-9:30 PM on 27 North River St. in Batavia. Bring your friends & family, chill out for a bit, get some treats and 20% of the profits goes directly to theLOVEproject! Check out their website: http://www.osolemiogelato.com/

Easter Breakfast April 20th - We need all hands on deck for this great event. Every year we have made it better - as shared with us by the congregation's comments during the event...so let's do it again this year! A few things we need from you:

YOURSELF
1 gallon Orange Juice - you can bring this Saturday night or Sunday morning
2 packages fruit - washed and cut up ready to go for our fruit salad
Help with set-up - we are setting up on Saturday, April 19th from 4-6 pm
Easter Sunday - show up with a smile and ready to help out! We serve in two shifts so that you may worship with your family. You must be at one of the two shifts, either 7:45-9:30AM or 9:30- noon.

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