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What a beautiful start to the week! I am back in the office after a really lovely and refreshing weekend of worship and fellowship at the women’s conference I was teaching at this weekend. It was a sincere privilege to share the Word with this group of women. I taught through the book of Philemon! It is a fun, and very powerful, little book talking about how we are to live in gospel partnership with our brothers and sisters in Christ!

Today we pick-up on lots of different projects… final preparations for the upcoming D6 Conference, organizing details for Commissions, Board and Executive meetings this evening, plans for our Wednesday Roots Night this week and some recruitment for Saturday’s Wee Friends Preschool Carnival! Speaking of which, we still have some places that we’re looking for church family members to step in and help serve on Saturday at the Carnival! Specifically we need people to help park cars/direct traffic, we need some afternoon help in the kitchen, and have several openings for carnival game operators! If you are available for either a morning or afternoon shift on Saturday, please reach out to me! This is a great way to serve and love on the families in our community!

Wednesday is our spring Family-In-Service Wednesday Roots Night! We will be serving our own church this time! Come prepared to work inside or outside, every generation together! Dinner will be at normal time, 5:45pm. 

Also coming up on the calendar is a Youth Roots Gather event on Sunday 4/19, Grace Marriage Church-Wide Date Night on Friday 4/25 and the Wee Friends Preschool Graduation on 4/27 and 4/28. You can see information about the funeral services for our church family members at the bottom of this email.

I’m trusting that you’ve been enjoying all the warm sunshine we’ve been experiencing lately. I can’t wait to really get after our garden in the next few weeks! Thank you God for spring!

 

What WE’RE Learning This Week: A nugget of what our Lil’, Youth and Adults Roots heard this week

Our Key Idea: How do I keep my focus on Jesus amidst distractions?

Our Key Verse: Matthew 6:33

How Every Generation Lives This Out: Talk as a household, what is something that needs to move out of the way so you can fix your eyes on Jesus?

Check Out This Week’s PODCAST

*This season of the “The Dig” podcast is specifically designed for EVERY 

GENERATION to deepen their understanding, ignite their curiosity and grow as fruit-producing, God-glorying disciples! Don’t miss out! To make it easier for you to find and listen, you can now grab “The Dig” episodes on the church website: https://www.mgcb.org/family-ministries/the-dig-podcast--8

 

What I’M Learning This Week: Sharing what I’m reading and listening to lately

This weekend I had the privilege of teaching through the book of Philemon. It’s only 25 verses long! I had such a joyous time studying and then teaching through this little letter! At the end of the letter, Paul makes four “asks” of Philemon - 1) Will you accept the exchange? 2) Will you refresh me? 3) Will you be obedient? 4) Will you pray for my return?

The letter poses those same four questions for us too, and the body of the letter informs our responses to those questions in our lives and relationships with others. The whole letter is a call to reconciliation with others because of our reconciliation with God. These questions, or asks, that Paul proposes should produce the following responses in us. I’d encourage you to read that little letter this week and think about how you can practice and live out reconciliation in your relationships this week. 

  1. ASK: Will you accept the exchange? RESPONSE: Let the cross change you (2 Corinthians 5:20)
  2. ASK: Will you refresh me? RESPONSE: Draw near to God (James 4:8)
  3. ASK: Will you be obedient? RESPONSE: Act justly, love mercy and walk humbly (Micah 6:8)
  4. ASK: Will you pray for my return? RESPONSE: Come, Lord Jesus, Come (Revelation 2:20)

 

Make Every Week Count: Parenting, Grandparenting & Spiritual Mentoring Resources

Something to Read: New book alert! Looks great! Not Old, Not Young, Not Done

Following Jesus in your 50s and 60s

Something to Listen to: Here’s a podcast for your listening this week… “How to Pass Your Faith to Your Kids Through Prayer and Community.”

Something to Follow: I love all the resources that Axis produces for people who love and live with teens! This video is a great place to start if you’re new to their tools!

 

How Can You Pray? Prayer Requests and Praises from Roots Ministries

PRAY for the Commissions, Church Board and Executive Board as they plan and make decisions on behalf of the church family this evening. 

PRAISE for the upcoming community outreach opportunity of the COM Wee Friends Preschool Carnival Fundraiser!