Palm Sunday

HOLY WEEK & THE NEW WORSHIP LAUNCH

THIS SUNDAY, March 16, 2008

PALM SUNDAY

8:00, 9:15 & 10:45

We wave palm branches and shout Hosanna!

Nancy is preaching: FAMOUS LAST WORDS

Tuesday, March 18 is our DAY OF PRAYER FOR SAN ANDRES

MAUNDY THURSDAY, March 20, 7:00,

The Reckless Abandon Players present:
THE LIVING LAST SUPPER

Note from Bruce: I was up here last night and caught part of the rehearsal. This is going to be OUTSTANDING!

GOOD FRIDAY OBSERVANCE, Noon, featuring readings from the Gospel of Matthew, with appropriate hymns and prayers. We’ve been asked about the 12:00 start time. Why not hold an evening service? As Matthew tells it (and it’s version we’ll be reading on Good Friday), Jesus is nailed to the cross at 9:00 in the morning. At noon, darkness comes over the whole land. Three hours later, Jesus breathes his last. I was a little surprised to learn that the public schools are in session on Good Friday. It seems every other week now is a long-weekend, for one reason or another. No one can accuse our public schools of making accommodations to religion! I wonder what it might say to your child’s school administrators or your supervisor at work, if you were to say, “My family and I want to be in church on Good Friday, so we ask for a short excuse from class/work.” Just a thought.

EASTER SUNDAY, March 23

8:00, 9:15 & 10:45

Bruce & Nancy: JESUS ROSE

Don’t be late, as we begin the services with a wonderful new song, “East To West.”

March 29 & 30

NEW WORSHIP SCHEDULE LAUNCH

5:00 Saturday

8:30 & 10:00 Sunday

Bruce preaching: ATONEMENT: Why Jesus Jumped Into The Volcano

THREE THINGS YOU MAY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT OPENING WEEKEND:

• We’re going to be as ready as we possibly can be for week one, knowing there will be adjustments to made, depending on what we learn.
• Remember, there will be Sunday school running concurrent with all three services.
• Saturday evening is Come As You Are.

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Diana F., Mark R., Mandy B. and I spent yesterday on the Gallup Organization Campus, in a seminar on interpreting and using the results of the Membership Engagement Survey. We have taken the ME25 (offered by Gallup in conjunction with the Luis Palau Organization) three times in the past year. It was a very interesting day. After Easter, I’ll be running a weekly article in this space, reprised in the newsletter, regarding each of the 23 items in the survey, how St. Andrew’s ranks in comparison to national scores, and the implications for our congregation.

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NANCY DAVIS writes: Just want to rejoice about what a wonderful Women’s Retreat we had last weekend. There were 43 of us at Mahoney State Park and we sang and prayed and studied and we laughed (boy, did we laugh!) I saw a few of the women of St. Andrews as I have never seen them before – one even dressed like an infant with a “Juicy Couture” diaper – it was a hoot! On the more serious side, we made some new friends and just celebrated being together. We took an offering for Girls, Inc. and as a result we are giving that organization $560 to help pay for an annual trip for the girls they work with. Next year’s retreat is scheduled for the first weekend in March with the theme “Of Course I’m A Princess!”. Put it on your calendar if you are a St. Andrews gal who thinks this all sounds like great fun and a terrific way to strengthen relationships with other St. Andrews gals and to strengthen your relationship with God as well.

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NETTA P. writes: I am pleased to announce our new Children’s Special Events Coordinator, Kathy S. This is a new position in Children’s Ministries. She will be working part-time with emphasis on developing/coordinating Special Events, Movie Nights, Family Events and Camps. She will also be an asset to help cover the new services in the Children’s area. Kathy comes to us with a Marketing Background and has done planning and coordinating in many facets. Her Galllup Strengthhfinder Signature Themes are: Empathy, Woo, Communication, Positivity and Belief. I’m really excited she has taken the job. She will bring a very high energy to the Children’s Ministry Department as well as the whole church staff!

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Two items from MANDY B.: Thank you everyone who has volunteered their time or donated items or money for the Burma Refugees! If you took a tag or tags from the tree, please have those items back to the church by Sunday. If you would still like to help there are a few more ways to help out. You can donate money or Target gift cards by dropping them off to church by Sunday March 16^th. We also need trucks and/or muscles to help pick-up and deliver the furniture to the apartment. We are meeting at the church at noon on March 16^th. And we need a few to help set up the apartment on Monday at 10:00. Any questions please contact Mandy.

The new worship service is approaching fast! We are still in need of people to help out. If you would like to be an usher, mugger, or welcome table helper- Please let me know! Mandy B.

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DAVID W. writes: I have a Prayer Request. My mom is going to have more surgery this Friday. This time, it's going to be an amputation of her right leg below the knee. If you can keep my Mom, me, our family and the doctors in your prayers, that would be greatly appreciated. The more people praying for Mom, the better.

Others in our prayers include:

Prayers of Healing:

Anne J., who is beginning treatment for cancer, sister of John W.

Sandy M., recovering from surgery. (It was great to see Sandy in church on Sunday)

Hannah H. (2 yrs old), who is undergoing treatment for brain cancer, (family friends of Steve & Emily M.).

Ardyth B. (Sue S.’s Aunt), recovering from back surgery.

Joanne (friend of Carrie T.), in critical condition with pneumonia.

Steve J. (friend of Becky L.), surgery for cancer.

Susan B., recovering from surgery.

Tracy H. (friend of John and Amy B.), surgery to repair an aneurysm.

Greg W., recovery from dental surgery.

Madison D., age 5 (great-grand daughter of Orv & Darlene S.), having tests.

Prayers of Sympathy:

Tara S. in the death of her grandfather.

Prayers of Celebration

Congratulations to Karen P. and Jake V. who were married in Ames, Iowa on Saturday, March 8. They will reside in Ames. Karen is the daughter of Mike and Jane P.

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Matthew 21:1-11, When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethpage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately. This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him, and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

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BRD