Worship with Us!
8:30 a.m. - Traditional Worship
9:30 a.m. - Fellowship and Education
10:30 a.m. - Contemporary Worship

Holy Communion
2nd and 4th Sundays
Sunday Worship Scripture Links
In This Issue
  • Note from Pastor Marlene
  • Lenten & Easter Announcements
  • First Communion Instruction
  • Rejoice Ministry Team Meetings
  • Young@Heart
  • More Than Pray
  • Donation Opportunities
  • Community Prayers and Links
Blessings in Abundance!
  • Spring is almost here - no more snow days, right??? Join us for worship, Faith5 aka Sunday School, and First Communion instruction on Sunday! Watch for information about how we can even “Plow Our Way Through” financial snow storms!
  • Wednesday wonder - Lenten journey of Songs & Prayer - continues each week. Good food, fellowship, worship, and Spirit-filled conversations. Join the adventure! Be sure to pick up a wooden clutching cross if you haven’t already done so!
  • Call Committee request: all confirmed members are asked to fill out the congregation survey (aqua colored,) and return it no later than March 24.
  • Easter Garden invitation: submit orders (pink Potted Plants form,) before March 24 if you would like to share a plant in honor or memory of a loved one.
As God declared to Abraham and Sarah, “you are blessed to be a blessing.” So come and share in the abundance of blessings here at Rejoice!

Peace,
Pastor Marlene
The Slopes are Calling
Join your Rejoice friends at Powder Ridge this Sunday, March 17th from 3:30-6:30 p.m. for skiing or tubing. Ski or tube for $20, ski rentals $20. Don't worry about signing up; let Sara know if you'd like to carpool from church or we'll see you on the slopes!
Dress Rejoice in Flowers
Order your greenhouse-grown flowering plants:
  • Begonia
  • Cyclamen
  • Daisy Mum
  • Kalanchoe

Please submit your payment of $16 each with your order form and envelope provided at church by Sunday, March 24. Rejoice will not be ordering extra plants for display this year.

You may take your purchased plant(s) home following Easter morning worship services.
Good Soup and Fine Words
A soup supper is offered on Wednesday evenings in Lent, prior to the 7:00 p.m. Lenten worship service. For many, this shared meal together provides a greater opportunity to attend worship and also strengthens and expands relationships. Your gift of a pot of prepared soup will be appreciated. A signup sheet is located in the Fellowship Hall.

Please bring soups to the Rejoice kitchen prior to 5:30 p.m.

Call Mary Bergeron and Wally Westerberg at 320.558.6021 or Lori Lanes at 320.963.3492.
Lenten and Holy Week Schedule
March 20
5:30p Soup Supper - 7 th Graders
7:00p Worship (Hosts - 6 th Graders)
7:30p Confirmation & Faith Formation/Mentors
 
March 27
5:30p Soup Supper - 8 th Graders
7:00p Worship (Hosts - 7 th Graders)
7:30p Confirmation & Faith Formation/Mentors
April 3
5:30p Soup Supper - Mixed group
7:00p Worship (Hosts  - 8 th Graders)
7:30p Confirmation & Faith Formation/Mentors

April 10
5:30p Soup Supper - Faith Formation
7:00p Worship Hosts – Mixed Group
7:30p Confirmation & Faith Formation/Mentors
 
April 14 ~ Palm Sunday
8:30 Worship
10:30 Worship
 
April 18 ~ Maundy Thursday
7:00p Worship with Holy Communion
 
April 19 ~ Good Friday
7:00p Worship
 
Sunday April 21 ~ Easter
6:30a Sunrise Service with Holy Communion
8:30a Worship with Holy Communion
10:30a Worship with Holy Communion
What Do You Like to Sing?
Don’t forget to tell us about your favorite hymn.  Hymns (and their stories,) will be part of our Lenten series “Songs and Prayer”. So submit the name of your favorite hymn with a brief description of how/why this came to be. (If you would be willing to share the story in person that would be wonderful! If not, your brief description will be on the slide.)

Forms for sharing are on the table in the gathering area!
First Communion
Students in 3rd grade are invited to participate in First Communion instruction:
  • Sundays, March 17 and 24 
  • between services

First Communion will be celebrated during the 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, April 7. If you have an older child who would like to complete their First Communion, please visit with Pastor Marlene.
Social Concerns Team Meeting
Please join the conversation at the Social Concerns Committee meeting next week.
  • Tuesday, March 19
  • 6:00 p.m.
  • Good News Library

For questions or suggestions, call Susan Chwalek at 320.267.0320.
Improving Youth and Families by Doing
Do you like to plan events, activities, or fundraisers? We'd love to have you join the Youth & Family Committee! Please contact Jim Lanes at etbrew@yahoo.com or Sara Miller at sara@rejoicelutheranchurch.org if you are interested in joining the team!
Everyone’s a Winner at March Young@Heart Event
Let the games begin! We will get out the ball cage and BINGO cards and play grocery BINGO and best of all, it’s free!!
  • Thursday, March 21
  • 10:30 a.m. social time with cards, games and coffee
  • 12:00 Noon lunch with program to follow

Reservations are important, as it helps us to calculate how much food to make, and keep the cost down. Making your reservations is easy!

A $5 donation is appreciated and volunteer kitchen help and lunch servers are always appreciated.
Can We Do More than Pray?
Join others from many faith traditions seeking to do more than pray in a time when our neighbors both near and far are affected by injustice and violence. Sessions will be held
  • Sundays, March 24 and 31; April 7
  • 1-4:30 p.m.
  • Bethlehem Lutheran Church
  • 4310 County Rd 137, St Cloud

For speaker and registration information go to  bethlehemlutheran.org/more-than-pray .
Financial Pledge
Please return your commitment card. Those who contribute through the Simply Giving electronic deduction, please also fill out a commitment card. Several options make it easy:
  • Mail your card to Rejoice using the pre-addressed envelope you received
  • Place your card in the offering plate during church service
  • Drop your card off at church
Stretching Your Dollars
Don’t miss the video message this week from Stretch Armstrong to see how far the Clearwater-Clear Lake Food Shelf can stretch your dollars! Your support of the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign goes a long way toward ending hunger here at home. Thank you! 

Please leave your donation in the shopping cart in the back of the sanctuary or mark your offering envelope ‘Hunger Offering’. 
Community Prayers
I f you have a loved one or friend in need of prayer, fill out a   prayer request   or use one of the prayer concern requests located on the Interest table and in the sanctuary welcome pads. The star(*) in front of a name denotes a Rejoice member. This is a dynamic list. Requests will be printed for up to four weeks; call the church office at 320.558.6851 to extend listing. If a name of a friend or loved one has been omitted please resubmit the name and/or concern using one of the prayer concern forms found in the red Welcome Pads in the worship area. 
Receiving Treatment for Cancer:
Ann Czech (sister, Cindy Kirchoff)
Lynn Koop (friend, Duane & Darlene Johnson)
Cindy MacIntosh (friend, Linnea Lindquist)
Sandy Swanson (daughter-in-law, Dick Swanson)
Nancy Andreson (friend, Sharon Dupont)
Jodi Wipper Anderson (friend Mark Gohman)
Michelle Wrightson (cousin, Mary Wilson)
Janice Novak (Ron & Carolyn Stensby)
Kade Moore (Lori Lanes)
*Pete Lidberg
Others:
Dennis Kurth (friend, Duane & Darlene Johnson)
Ron Nelson (brother, Gladys Steiger)
Mike Steiger (son, Gladys Steiger)
*Malibu Ronneng
*Lee Monk
Paul Kinney
*Denny Severson
*Martha Johnson
*Bev Allen
Tom Ahrenholz (brother, Mark Ahrenholz)
*Jerry Jagadzinski
Tim Klein (neighbor, Duane & Darlene Johnson)
Carmen Schmoll (friend, Wally Westerberg & Mary Bergeron)
Steve Swanson (son, Dick Swanson)
*Bev Hugo
Esther Persen (mother, Jim Boucher)
*Alden Gjevre
Jody Nappa (sister, Chari Ahrenholz & John Gohman)
Deployed or Returning from Active Duty:
Troy Thomas (Mike Charboneau)
* Keith Sand
Jon Fisher (brother, Joe Fisher)
Rejoice Staff
Marlene Elmstrom Interim Pastor
Carol Eich Office Administrator
Sara Miller Youth & Family Coordinator
Nicole Heberling Music Coordinator
Mary Bergeron Office Assistant