Sunday, May 2: THIS SUNDAY!

"In the Most Ordinary of Places"

James S. Stewart, in his marvelous book, Heralds of God, says, "No one's soul can be satisfied indefinitely with the pathetic shell of a materialistic philosophy. It begins to starve for something better than such poor earthly stuff. Sooner or later, the famine grips it. It grows homesick. It wants to fling its windows open toward Jerusalem. It cries aloud for the God who is its home."

The faith we proclaim each Sunday is that Resurrection is a reality and that Christ's living presence continues within us, within the church, and even within the world. We live that Easter faith by prayer to God and service with God, awareness of Christ and action for Christ. And with the example of such dedication, even those who live in the most ordinary of places may yet believe and enlist.

Happiness is not an accident -- it's a choice. You were meant to live a life free from worry, shame, and resentment. But it won't happen just by chance. In our 10:15 a.m. worship this Sunday, May 2, we begin a brand new series called "The Habits of Happiness." We will take a look at some principles from the Bible that will help us learn to be joyful no matter what comes our way. There are some habits you can adopt that will keep you free to choose happiness and joy in your life. There will be sessions for Imagine Nation Youth and Imagine Kids as well. Join us this Sunday in person on the beautiful Charlotte campus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary or online on the Imagine Church Facebook page.

Mother's Day, May 9  -- Moms will receive an individual gift and a flower during our in-person worship at Gordon-Conwell at 10:15 a.m. on Mother's Day. This year there will also be a way to honor the memory of our mothers in heaven. Bruce will also give part 2 of our new series, "The Habits of Happiness."

Presentation of Church Building Plans, May 16 -- The plans for Imagine Church's new permanent facility will be unveiled during our 10:15 a.m. morning worship for both in-person worshipers and those worshiping online. For most of our church family, this will be their first look at what we will begin building later this year.

Honoring Our 2021 Graduates, May 23 -- We are blessed to have a significant group of high school and college graduates, and we will honor them with a gift and our recognition during our morning worship on this special day. Bruce will present part 3 of "The Habits of Happiness" during our worship.

If you have a 2021 high school or college graduate who is part of our Imagine Church family, please email the following pieces of information to Kari DiDonato, our Church Administrator, at [email protected]:

Gregory Roberts to Bring Message on May 30 -- Our Minister to Children and Families will bring the message in a family-oriented worship experience for Imagine Kids as well as adults on this particular Sunday.

Pool Party & Cookout for Servant Leaders, June 5 -- Steve and Ginny Chole have invited members of the church staff, Leadership Team, music team, A/V team, spouses and children, to their lovely home for a pool party and cookout on Saturday, June 5, beginning at 4:00 p.m. More information will be sent to the individuals in these groups!

Bruce will conclude "The Habits of Happiness" on June 6 -- He will be skipping around a little since the presentation of building plans will preempt the sermon on May 16, and Gregory will be preaching on May 30, so Bruce will conclude his May sermon series a few days late on Sunday, June 6.

Out of our desire to protect your personal information and to keep your contributions secure, we are making a change in the offering envelopes we use at our in-person worship on Sunday mornings. No longer will we ask you to write your credit card information on the front of the envelopes; instead, you will notice elsewhere in this newsletter as well as in other announcements that you are now asked to go to Imagine Church/Lake Wylie on the Planning Center app and record your card information once. Then you will be free to make a contribution on the app (or even by text) anytime day or night -- not just on Sunday! If you need help, Jim Gilkeson, our Treasurer, will be happy to help you. You can reach him at: [email protected].

And, whether you're worshiping with us in person or from home, you to catch all of Gregory's pre-recorded weekly messages for Imagine Kids and their families on our Imagine Church Facebook page on Sundays at 9:45 a.m. This Sunday's message is titled "So, Now What?" And, in case you missed it, here is this past Sunday's message, "Too Good To Be True?", brought to you by Gregory, Elijah, and Lilly.

Gregory Roberts | 704-502-3107 | [email protected]

Parents of the Class of 2021, please email the following to Kari DiDonato at [email protected]:

That’s why it’s wise to build your thinking and the foundation for your faith on something solid, God’s word. God’s word doesn’t change. It doesn’t adjust based on the opinions of others. It’s been true from the beginning, and it’s still true today.

Get push notifications on your smartphone by going to the following link(s): rmd.at/imagineyg

Sign-up to receive text notifications by texting @imagineyg to the number 81010.

Tim Gunn | 803-322-1113 | [email protected]

There are so many opportunities that exist for our church to be the hands and feet of Jesus by helping others through various means of service right here in our community and around the world. If you have a heart for missions, you are invited to join the Missions Team or simply support its initiatives. For more information about the Missions Team, please email Kari DiDonato at her Imagine Church email: [email protected]  

So, we need you to don your aprons, grab a spatula, and start baking some yummy "Jesus cookies". There are two options for turning in your bagged cookies by the May 16 deadline:

Baking and Packaging Tips and Guidelines:

MAIL: Cash or check donations can be mailed directly to our church office at:

WORSHIP: Cash or check donations can be placed in one of the collection baskets at our Sunday in-person worships at GCTS.

ONLINE: Use this link to access our Church Center online giving platform:

MOBILE: Make a donation from your smart phone using the mobile Church Center app. Search for Imagine Church in Lake Wylie to create your account:

Or, text the amount of your offering (ex: $123) to 84321.

RECURRING: Make a recurring donation using Church Center:

Join the Ladies Life Group on Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. at Gordon-Conwell in Room 127. The group is continuing with their study of 1 Peter, and you are invited to take a journey with this group over the next several months as they delve in to these additional books of the Bible:

We continue to pray for Meredith Martone who continues to recover from injuries sustained in an automobile accident, Hank Freitag (brother of Bonita Nugent) with good reports in his cancer treatment, and Jerry Brownlee (father of Lydia Smith) who is recovering at home from heart-related issues. 

If you are wanting your name added to our birthday list, simply send us a quick email at [email protected]. We want to celebrate with you!

We believe the goal of church is not to make people more religious but to help people fall more in love with God and therefore become more fully human. We come together as a community to support one another, learn together, and challenge each other. That's Imagine Church!