Greetings Everyone
Greetings Everyone.
WHAT A JOY-FILLED SUNDAY as the people of God shouted, “He is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!!”
Thanks to everyone who made the celebration happen. Alma Ramlow, thank you for leading the Alpine Ringers, the Choir, and your music on the piano. John Manuel and Jo Smith, thank you for starting our time of worship and celebration with your wonderful duet. Choir, your anthem was wonderful. Congregants, you faithful regulars who love one another and welcome the new person who walks into the people of God, thank you for fulfilling Jesus’ new commandment to “Love one another as I have loved you.” Altogether, you set the tone for the proclamation of the Gospel. Hallelujah.
As with many high points in our lives, the time following is often less than as exciting. The Sunday following Easter has often been called, “Low Sunday.” It is often the least attended Sunday of the year (as well as the Sunday following Christmas). It is almost as if we must recoup from the excitement, the exhilaration.
Maybe this is the reason why, over the centuries, Christians have often looked at the days following Easter as days filled with joy and laughter…even joking. As the saying goes, “On Easter God played the biggest joke on Satan when he raised Jesus from the dead.” Episcopal Bishop William C. Frey of Ambridge, PA, writes: “What, after all, is a joke? Isn’t it something that turns the tables on the expected, something that hinges on the unpredictable or unreasonable? There is nothing more unreasonable than the resurrection of Jesus. And to believe in it is to be part of that huge practical joke that God plays on those who trust blindly in the sufficiency of human reason to unravel all problems and to answer every question.” (Holy Humor, Samra, page 71)
I love the joke one church played on their pastor. It was a newer church building and in the restrooms they had electric air hand dryer machines. Someone had snuck into the bathrooms early Sunday morning, the Sunday after Easter, and had placed the following sign on each dryer: It read, “Push the button for a brief message from our pastor.”
As Christians we should continue the celebration of Easter each and every day, especially on Sundays. The early Christians broke with the Jewish tradition of Sabbath by choosing to meet on the 1st day of the week because it was on the first day of the week that Jesus rose. I love the time in our worship when we Pass the Peace. The sanctuary is filled with such love and such joy and even laughter. We who have been separated during the course of the week are now reunited. We who celebrate our Lord’s resurrection and anticipate our own affirm our love for one another. Hallelujah.
My prayer for us is that resurrection joy will continue to grow in our hearts and, as that joy grows, it will spill over to touch all those around us.
Walking the road with you.
Pastor Paul
News & Events
Sunday, April 7th
10:00 a.m. Sunday Worship Service with Pastor Paul Hayden
Monday, April 8th
5:30 p.m. Bell Choir Practice
7:00 p.m. Choir Practice
Tuesday, April 9th
7:00 a.m. Men’s Bible Study and breakfast
Wednesday, April 10th
100:00 a.m. Ladies AM Bible Study (L.A.M.B.S)
Thursday, April 11th
10:00 a.m. Bible Babes bible study
Check out the Events Calendar for more upcoming events.
Congregational Meeting April 21st
There will be a congregational meeting following worship service April 21st. We will receive the recommendation from the Pastor Nominating Committee for the new called Pastor for our church. Please mark your calendar and plan to atttend both the worship service and meeting.
Mission Team Meeting
What an amazing first gathering we had to start planning for the Mission of FPC!
Our next meeting is this Sunday in the chairs in the back of the sanctuary after worship (We can make a big circle with them!). There’s a good sized group of us! We’ll plan to meet at 11:20, so you can have some short vibrant conversations and a cup of coffee before we start!
We will continue with next steps after our initial brainstorming session. You should have received the document with all of our amazing ideas so there is opportunity to pray over it and determine where your passion lies.
We will hear about the Mission Fundraiser Flower Sale that will occur on May 17-18. We’ll begin preorders next week, once our new webpage with ordering capabilities is ready.
If you aren’t available on Sunday, Please contact me with your preferences of Mission Projects so we can begin moving the process forward!
If you would like to join our Mission Team, please contact Shelle Kuntz or the Church Office at (406)-862-2802.
Mission Flower Sales
Pre Orders for Flats of Annuals and Perennials and Hanging Baskets will begin next week!
Orders are due by Monday, May 6th at midnight!!
We are thrilled to bring this sale back with a big amount of flowers that can be preordered.
Flowers are available for pick up on Friday and Saturday, May 17th 10am – 5pm & 18th 9am – 4pm
As always, you can’t beat the prices of these flowers, you won’t find them less expensive anywhere in the valley! More than price, people keep coming back because of the quality of the plants. People comment each year that these are the best flowers they’ve ever had!
Best of all, the profits from flower sales go directly toward helping with Mission Projects!
PS – if you have a request for any annual or perennial not on the order form, let us know and we’ll see if we can bring it back for you from the nursery!
Watch for sign up forms to help with the sale! No experience necessary — we need everyone to help bring amazing color and joy to our homes and our community!
Annual Pork BBQ
Our annual BBQ potluck dinner will be held in the Fellowship Hall after the church service on Sunday, April 28th. The Fellowship Committee will be furnishing the smoked (11 hours), pulled BBQ pork entre. You can either have a pulled pork sandwich or pork plate. We are asking the congregation to signup and prepare your favorite side dish or dessert to compliment the meal. A signup sheet will be attached to the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall.
Thank You,
The Fellowship Committee
Youth Group on Wednesdays
We are focusing on prayer and the ideas and steps to take to Meet God. After Pizza and a Crazy Energetic Game, we came together for our first lesson. We started with learning a breathing technique to relax.
We think our lessons can benefit everyone in our congregation!
BE RELAXED || Ease Up & Set The Tone – Un-rushed! Come into your time with God under control NOT like you don’t have time.
Scripture: PSALM 46:10 Be Still, Stop Your Striving, Let Go of Your Concerns, and Know That I am God.
Thought: As You Start Your Quiet Time ASK GOD God cleanse my heart and guide me into our time together. Help me get me in tune with you, so I can understand you. Help me to see you, help me to hear you, help me to know you, Help Me To BE More Like You Today!
Recap: To Relax You Need To Be Humble For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
Luke 14:11 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.
Small Group Questions
1) Do you need anything special to relax?
2) What’s your ideal weekday evening timeline for maximum relaxation?
3) How often do you get to turn off (completely relax) – Do you ever have time when you aren’t requiring your brain to do something?
4) Does the thought of relaxing seem weird to you?
5) Have you ever started prayer, worship, bible time, or worship, by relaxing first? – What if you did? Do you think your time with God would be better
