On the Calendar

Open the Scripture. Join the Conversation.
Every Monday night at 7:30 p.m. and every Thursday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. as we gather to open the scripture and join in conversation with God and each other.

What is God doing in the the world? What is God doing in our lives? What is God saying to us as individuals, a community of faith, the world? What is the good news of God's kingdom? How is God sending us into the world? These are just some of the questions we ask as God engages us through God's word and the witness of the Holy Scripture.

Motherhood: A Holy Calling
Sunday, May 8, is Mother's Day.
God has called us to various walks of life and to live out the Gospel through a variety of roles we play in relationship with others. To be "mother" is not only a biological event, it is a divine calling. What better way to honor Mom and all the other mother-figures that God has brought into our life than in our worship at 10 a.m. We will include a special blessing for all mothers that Sunday.

Blankets+ Sunday, May 8th.
What is the CWS Blankets+ Program?
Blankets+ is a special mission opportunity for all ages. Some 8,000 congregations and groups across the U.S. hold CWS Blankets+ events, providing funds to help people in need around the world, including the U.S.


For over 60 years, Church World Service has worked in partnership with local communities to identify their needs and access the resources they need to build the foundation for a more viable future, including:

•Blankets, tents, food and other emergency supplies in the wake of a disaster
•Tools and seeds for refugees returning home to replant their fields
•Wells for families living in drought prone areas to provide clean, safe water to drink and to irrigate crops and gardens
•Literacy training and microcredit for women struggling to realize their potential.

Any dollar amount can help: $5 can wrap a refugee child in a warm blanket, $15 can provide a hoe, shovel, and a rake for a rural family, $25 can provide five warm blankets for a family left homeless by an earthquake or other disaster.

Please come to church on Sunday, May 8th to make your donation, or you can make donations yourself either online at www.churchworldservice.org or by mailing your check payable to "Church World Service Blankets+" to:
CWS Blankets+, PO Box 968 Elkhart, IN 46515
www.churchworldservice.org / 1.800.297.1516

“Your Grandmother’s Cupboard”
On Saturday, May 21st from 10am – 2pm, please join us as we gather to collect items for this cause. Through contributions, the volunteers who assist with “Your Grandmother’s Cupboard” are able to provide food, clothing, and the other necessities of life for the homeless, hungry and the other “invisible” children and adults in our midst.

Items needed are: Men’s clothing (a great need), women’s clothing, shoes, toiletry items, household items, sheets, comforters, quilts, blankets, baby items (clothing, diapers (a great need), blankets, powder shampoo.) Cash donations are needed as well for gasoline for the trucks and vans transporting these items. If you have any questions, please call Janet Strachan at 973.661.3556.

Pentecost, Sunday, June 12th. Pentecost Sunday, the day we remember how God poured out the Holy Spirit on Jesus’ disciples and empowered the church for God’s mission. On the first Pentecost, the Bible tells us that all the disciples were gathered in one place when the Holy Spirit blew through. Mark your calendar and invite your friends to join you for this festive worship. Let’s see what happens this year. We will once again be ordering red geraniums for this day – please see ordering instructions at the end of this newsletter. Remember to wear red!