THE LATEST NEWS
Volume II, Number 6
April 14, 2013
Did you know that in the Christian church year the two major seasons, Christmas and Easter, are far more than single days of observance? Like Christmas, Easter itself is a period of time rather than just a day. It is actually a seven-week season of the church year that began with Easter Sunday and lasts until Pentecost Sunday, on May 19 this year. The fortieth day following Easter (May 9) is referred to as Ascension Day, which marks not only the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, but his exaltation from servanthood to Ruler and Lord as the fitting climax of Resurrection Day.
SPECIAL EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
On May 8 at 6:30 we will begin having a weekly Wednesday evening worship service for those who may be unable to attend on Sunday or who might simply wish to have an additional worship opportunity during the week. There will be provisions for Bible study and worship that will be called “Wellspring at Church of the Lakes”. Details have not yet been finalized, but will be provided soon.
New Song Mission will be having a spring open house “donut fest” on April 27 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Tours of the campus will be at 9:30 and 10:30 a.m. New Song is developing a children’s home campus unlike any other in the State of Indiana on 100 acres in the hills of Brown County. The vision of New Song is to rebuild the lives of orphaned, fatherless, and impoverished children in Christ Jesus so that they will feel loved and become equipped to fulfill God’s wonderful purpose for their lives. Contact Bob Schloss at 812.372.1004 or rschloss@newsongmission.org for more information.
Do you have a favorite hymn or song that you don’t hear or get to sing as often as you’d like? Jenny and Harvey would love to know your favorites so they might work them into the Sunday worship services. You can tell them directly or contact the church office and let Angie Brown know so that she can pass the titles on to them.
Do you feel called to be a deacon or an elder? Or, do you know someone who you think would serve well in one of those roles? The elders are conducting a nominee search to fill vacancies as terms expire and would be very interested in hearing from you.
ONGOING ACTIVITIES
The Women’s Bible Study is meeting on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. Pandora Brinker is leading the study of “The Top 100 Women of the Bible”. Ladies, come and enjoy God’s Word and fellowship each week with us!
Chuck and Cheryl Robinson, Larry and Judie Petersen, and Pat Blocker are looking for volunteers to join them in tutoring at Sprunica Elementary School on Thursdays from 3:15 - 4:30 p.m. The tutoring program is being led by The Literacy Coalition. Their waiting list of young students needing tutors is long. Tutoring has long been one of the ways that Church of the Lakes tries to reach out into the community.
On the third Tuesday of each month (April 16 this month) a group of church members meets at the church at noon, then travels to Nashville to The Seasons restaurant for lunch before going to the Brown County Health and Living Center to conduct a monthly birthday party for the residents there at 2:00 p.m. The party usually lasts about an hour. If you’re available that day, think about participating in this enjoyable and fulfilling activity.
All are invited to join us on Wednesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. for a light dinner, followed by an engaging study of the Book of John led by Pastor Carlstrom at 6:30 p.m.
Volunteers are needed! The fourth Sunday of every month (April 28th this month) is COTL’s day to cook and serve food at Mother’s Cupboard Community Kitchen in Beanblossom. It’s a great opportunity to enjoy the camaraderie of other church members, learn how to prepare mass quantities of food and just feel good about knowing that 100 to 150 people will have a hot meal to eat that night. We’d love to have some new volunteers join in so that the workload can be spread among a larger number of people. Don’t worry, you don’t need cooking experience – there are plenty of non-cooking jobs to be performed.
The Top of the Hill Gang continues to meet every Tuesday morning from 8:00-9:30 a.m. Pastor Carlstrom is leading a multi-week study of the Book of Acts. Men and women are all welcome and a bountiful breakfast is always available.
Don’t forget that the St. Vincent De Paul Society has a constant need for non-perishable canned and boxed food items, as well as clothing and household items. Please check your pantry and other parts of your home for unused items that you can contribute by placing them in the collection box at church. There’s a particular need for packaged, uncooked spaghetti, so bring in all that you can provide.
FREE BOOKS FOR PRESCHOOLERS! Is your preschooler receiving a free book in the mail every month? If not, please join the 450 children in Brown County and Nineveh who are receiving FREE books. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has been sending books to the children in our community since August 2008 and has since mailed books to over 850 children! There is no cost to the families and all that is needed to get those books coming in the mail is to fill out the simple registration form below. The child must be a resident of Brown County or Nineveh and be under age 5. Please share this information with friends and neighbors in the community. For questions, please call Vonda at (317) 727-2749.
Quote of the Day: For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat and wrong.
Anon Y. Mouse
Bible Verse of the Day: You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.
Feel free to contact any one of us if you have news items you’d like to share regarding anything that might be of interest to the congregation.
Please join us as we continue to seek God’s blessing on the renewal of Church of the Lakes!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Jon Carlstrom, 317-933-2595, Cell: 812/344-8070, E-mail: jcarlstrom@mwinet.net
Elder Chuck Robinson, 878-4590, Cell: 501-9130, E-mail: crob3oaks@gmail.com
Elder Steve Bloomfield, 738-4109, Cell: 459-2583, E-mail: cordrybass @aol.com
Elder Maxine Wilhoit, 933-2939, Cell: 489-7382, E-mail: Thunderdaughter1@aol.com
Elder Pat Blocker, 878-4417, Cell: 503-7753, E-mail: pab6253@embarqmail.com
Elder Marlene VanDevander, 317/946-2288
Church of the Lakes Website: www.church-of-the-lakes.net
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. NIV Listen