"Penetrating a Dark World,"
(Titus 1:4-5) Dr. Bruce Bickel
Dear MLEPC Members and Friends:
Thanks to Dr. Bickel for another thought-provoking sermon on March 12 titled "Marks of Trusting Myself", on March 12. After his first week with us, several people asked me about a page for sermon notes at the Contact service (the Heritage bulletin already contains such a page). Ask and thou shalt receive! We provided that last week and mine was full of notes by the end of the sermon. Dr. Bickel challenged us to consider measuring our church's life and health not by externals like attendance, budget, activities and programs but by considering the following: (1) is the truth being proclaimed? (2) is there a character change in people? (3) are people living a changed life? (4) is evangelism happening? Important "heart" factors to help us evaluate the life and health of MLEPC in this season of transition.
We also met the members of the "Onward" Team at worship, Jim and Heather Charron and Catherine (CC) Corey, who will be sharing with the church family prayers for the church during transition and answering any questions you may have. The Team has an email address,
ONWARD@mlepc.org
, and will be planning some time in the future to be available for conversation.
Several members of Session met on Tuesday evening to share some news and notes and pray for MLEPC. As we continue to encourage our church family to get to know our leaders, know that some of them will be participating in our Good Friday Tenebrae service this year. Favorite scriptures and hymns of Session members were shared and we had a time of worship, listening to those scriptures and singing the hymns, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness," "Here I Am, Lord," and "In Christ Alone." We were grateful to have Elder Rena Ralston to play the first two hymns and sang "In Christ Alone" to a recording from a cell phone, using phones to pull up the lyrics (see pictures below). God was glorified as we lifted our voices! Favorite scriptures were as follows and are offered for your reflection this week:
- Psalm 143:8: Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
- Nahum 1:7: The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.
- Psalm 63:3: Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
- 1 Peter 1:3-5: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
- 1 John 4:15: Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.
- And selected verses from Psalm 139 - read the whole Psalm!
Our news and notes time included a discussion about the great meeting our Congregational Care ministry team had with members of the congregation who are interested in reaching out to newer members to draw them into the life of the church. A four week Sunday School class is planned for the month of May and some of those attending on Sunday will be involved in that. Others will be available to walk with newer members or lead small groups to ensure that they find their place in the life of MLEPC. From our Stewardship Team, we are setting apart April 2 for a time of prayer and commitment for our capital campaign. All good things!
Continue to keep your leadership, pastors, elders, and deacons, in prayer as we lift up our church family, knowing that it's not numbers but changed hearts that are the dynamic life signs that we look for at MLEPC.
Love, in Christ,
Linda Pokrajac
Director of Congregational Care
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