Pastor Darcy
In the Resurrection story in the Gospel of Luke, it was the women,
Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them who first went to the tomb and found it empty. They were perplexed, then terrified and then they remembered that Jesus had told them that "the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified and on the third day rise again." So, on their way back from the tomb they began to tell the story of all that they had seen, heard and experienced to the other disciples. At first these disciples thought that the story the women told was an idle tale.
The good news is that the story did not end because the women became afraid to share the story because their first experience of storytelling was met with skepticism. While the initial reaction of the disciples was that it was an idle tale, this story reminds us that sometimes the opening of hearts, minds, and eyes is a process and it is important to keep telling the story.
Stories teach and encourage us. Biblical stories connect us with God and our neighbors. We, too, are called to be storytellers of the Good News, that Christ is Risen in our daily lives. Yet sometimes we are not sure of the story, the Biblical references or how to share what God's love means in our lives. Sometimes we are afraid to tell others because we feel that we will be rejected. The education series during the Easter Season will focus on "Diving into storytelling" and will be opportunities connect with God and with each other as we practice storytelling in a variety of ways. No previous experience is required - come and experience the joy of listening to and sharing stories!
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Stay connected to LCOC by:
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May Meeting: May 11th at 9 am
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As spring flies by and we get ready for summer with children looking forward to vacation and plans being made for time together with family, it can be a time of joy and also of stress. Personally, during this time of year, I start longing for the beach. My favorite time at the beach is at night. The sea is usually very calm, and sitting in a chair looking up at the starry sky is always very peaceful. I have had many conversations with God on beaches on evenings just like that. I know that you all have such favorite places to find quiet time with our Lord.
In addition to making time for prayer and meditation, as Christians we also need to put our faith into action. So as the summer season approaches and many of us travel to different parts of America and beyond, be sure to put your faith into action and share it. You may never know whose life could be changed or influenced.
In closing, I know you all join me in wishing Susie Rush all the best as she opens the door to new adventures in her life. Susie will be missed, but will always be in our hearts.
Take a moment to hear the words of our Lord from John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
Yours In Christ,
Randy
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GATHER
to worship God and fellowship with the community
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Prayer Breakfast
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Men's Prayer Breakfast
Striving each week to look to the past, present and future watching and waiting for the return of our savior.
The next Prayer breakfast is scheduled for May 11th.
Please join us.
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LCOC Prayer Garden
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Community Prayer Group
The LCOC community prayer group meets the seco
nd
Saturday of each month from 7:30 am to 9 am in the Work Room. We share prayers of concern and numerous praises along with a strong cup of coffee. We offer this time to the community and congregation to join us for prayer, openly or privately. We will meet again on September 8th at 7:30 am.
Matt. 21:13 - My house will be called a house of prayer,.....
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Worship Committee
Thank You!
The Worship Committee would like to thank those involved with the presentations of the Lenten Drama: Fay Yentsch, Brian Richard, Alexa White, Mike Riley, Tom Pennington, Les Burroughs, Kurt Hoffman, Harriet Richard, Jo Ann Rudy, Henry Milam and Phil Overholt.
Thank you to the participants in the Palm Sunday Telling of the Passion Story: Wilbur Snyder, Mike Riley, Mel Bellinger, Les Burroughs, Roger Rudy, Randy Beattie, Jon Schilder, Tom Pennington, Troy Sweatman, Doug Strack, Brian Richard and David Zamora.
LCOC will begin their summer schedule of
one Sunday service at 10:00 a.m. beginning May 26.
The next meeting of the Worship Committee is Saturday, May 18, 9:00 a.m. in the LCOC work room. Everyone is invited to attend. We look forward to receiving new ideas to provide meaningful worship experiences.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR:
JUNE 2ND AT 10:00 AM
BISHOP GRAHAM PREACHING
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GROW
in our relationship with God through prayer, Bible Study, and service
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ADULT EDUCATION
April 28:
Diving Into Storytelling: FaithTalk
May 5: Diving Into Storytelling: Stories in ACTSion
May 12: Diving Into Storytelling: Life-Giving Water
May 19: Diving Into Storytelling: Life-Giving Wat
er
Mark your calendars for May 8th -7-9 pm
to attend an interfaith Iftar a the Dar al Noor Islamic Community Center
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Take a look at our web site
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BIBLE STUDY
TUESDAYS AT 10:00 AM
THE GOSPEL OF LUKE
God's Good News of Radical Grace
This year most of the Gospel readings on Sundays will be from the Gospel of Luke.
All are welcome to come and explore
the Gospel of Luke!
No previous experience required!
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Education
You are invited to come and grow in faith
through the Sunday learning opportunities
for all ages at 9:45 am!
Bring your friends and neighbors!
On Maundy Thursday, Bailey Z. and Lauren P. received their first communion. Many thanks to Jean Zamora for preparing these young people for this next step in their faith journey. The youth also baked the bread for this service.
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Youth Group
Seniors will receive quilts May 19th
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GIVE
of our resources, time, and talents in response to
God's extravagant generosity towards us
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Stewardship
We thank God for a successful Rise Against Hunger (RAH) event through which the church and the community helped feed almost 34,000 people across the globe.
As we celebrate 50 years of service to the community, we must pray for God's guidance as we continue to serve the community now and in the future. Part of the service calls for new ways to minister to the community and the world. If you have a passion for video or sound, please consider sharing your talent with the technology team at LCOC.
We are offering Financial Peace University (FPU) classes at the church for a nine-week session. The FPU classes meet once a week starting on September 15th 2019 till
November 10th 2019 from 3 pm to 4:30 pm at the church premises. You can sign up for the classes online via the following link:
https://fpu.com/1088550
On June 9th we will have Yvonne Lembo from the Synod to share how we can be better stewards and live more generously workshop. This workshop will be combined with a luncheon hosted with the help of a Thrivent Action Team.
Please continue to share your gifts and talents as the Spirit leads in the variety of ministries provided through LCOC. Thank you also for your generosity in your financial commitment and consider using the Vanco option which can be accessed online at:
if you haven't already done so. Please consider becoming a Thrivent member as well and if you already are a member and use Thrivent products, make use of the Action Team funds that are available to help fund LCOC's ministry.
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Mark Your Calendars:
June 9th: lunch and legacy giving workshop with Yvonne Lembo, ELCA Regional Gift Planner
Financial Peace University is coming back:
Sundays from 3-4:30 - Sept 15 - Nov 10
Register here
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Additional Ways to Give:
Giving when you shop online through:
Vanco online giving:
Thrivent: Benefit Members are eligible for two action teams/year which provides $250 of seed money for various projects. Associate Members are eligible for one action team/year.
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GO
forth to serve others and share the story of God's love for all
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Evangelism
We all were blessed by the Holy Week services as we remembered our Lord's last days, his death paying for our sins, and the glory and promise of eternal life ensured by his resurrection. Many took advantage of the opportunity to invite friends and neighbors to experience Easter joy with us and it was wonderful to see new faces and faces we had not seen in a while at these meaningful services. Thanks to the worship team, choir, and hospitality team for all their efforts and to all who helped in so many ways.
The day before Easter was also a blessing as God led many of the neighborhood children and their parents, we had invited to join us to attend a fun-filled morning at Breakfast with the Easter Bunny. Thanks to Thrivent Financial and the many members (under the great leadership of Jo Ann Rudy) who pitched in, our neighbors received a warm welcome, a hearty breakfast, got delicious treats, enjoyed time in the craft room AND the Easter Bunny did indeed stop by LCOC to greet everyone! Funny thing though, during the time the Easter Bunny was there, Roger Rudy was mysteriously
absent. Hmmmmm.
There will be many more opportunities to invite others and share God's love and grace with them as we move closer and closer to our June 2nd. 50th Anniversary Celebration and beyond that with the New Connections Campaign, moving us into the future, expanding our service and ministry.
Be sure to RSVP for the anniversary luncheon and submit your ticket monies so that we can get an accurate count and make sure that all preparations are covered. You may send an email to
celebrating50@lcocdalecity.org or let Harriet, Patti, or Marlies know you will be attending. Ticket monies should be earmarked as such and noted as anniversary luncheon. Donations for the anniversary are welcome as well to help with the needed items as well as furthering our missions.
Are you still struggling with how to approach others to share your faith and invite them to join in fellowship and worship? Then take advantage of the education series-Diving into Storytelling- which began April 28th as we learn how to use personal stories and experiences of God's work and love in our lives to share with others. This real "faith talk" may touch others in ways we see or in ways we may never know.
In closing I would like to share the words of the psalmist from Psalm 66:16: "Come and hear, all you who fear God; let me tell you what he has done for me."
Blessings to you as you Gather-Grow-Give- and Go,
Patti
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Prayer Opportunities
Prayer Chain Ministry:
Please send an email to prayerchain@lcocdalecity.org
or call the Prayer Chain Lead at 571-210-1979
Free Ceaseless Prayer App:
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Save the date:
Mission trip to North Carolina
for Hurricane Florence Relief
July 7-13, 2019
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Mark your calendar for 2019
LCOC 50th anniversary celebrations
June 2nd - Worship Celebration/lunch - Bishop Graham guest preacher
Nov 24th - Moving forward in Mission Celebration Brunch
Stay tuned for more details and for ways to be involved in the planning for this special year!
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Birthdays
03 Wilbur S
04 Jessica R
11 Scarlett C
19 Joshua M
22 Alexandra M
22 Rebecca S
24 Nina K
27 Walter T
31 Brian W
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Anniversaries
03 Kathryn & Joey B
10 Wilbur & Gretchen S
14 Rebecca & Kenneth S
29 Betty & David J
30 Mickie
K & Mike R
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Baptism Anniversaries
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02 Brielle W
06 Meredith L
16 Marie H
21 Rachel R
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Homebound Members
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Ruth J.
Jean J.
Mary S.
Virginia S.
Linda S.
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Members in the Military
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Tyler R
Tom M
Ryan L
Samuel B
Xavier D
Please remember to keep our service members and their families in your prayers as they serve our country. If you have someone to add to this list, please contact the office.
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Flower Calendar
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The altar flowers for this month are given to the glory of God and contributed by:
May 5
The Rosenquist family celebrating Jessica's 17th birthday.
May 12
Diane DeGroot in honor of her mother Dorothy Harbold and
Fay Yentsch in memory of her Mother.
May 19
The Rudy family in memory of Lee Smith, Jo Ann's Mother and
in Memory of John and Charles Rudy.
May 26
The Burrough's family in recognition of Les and Karen's Father's birthdays
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OPPORTUNITIES TO USE OUR GIFTS
AT LCOC AND BEYOND
We are fortunate to be able to use our gifts that God has provided us through a variety of ways.
When we choose to give our time, energy and talents to serve others, we are taking part in God's work to share the love of Christ and give God glory. With God working in us and through us, we can make a difference!
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We begin our Third Annual Food Drive for ACTS on May 1st. Our Quest is to provide ACTS with 5,000 pounds of food during the month of May. There is always less food in the summer, but the need is greater because the children (from Neabsco School and other areas) who were getting a free breakfast and lunch at school will be coming to ACTS for their food since they are on break. Shopper's Management has agreed to allow us to solicit food from their customers on May 11th from 9-1. Please pick up a shopping list in the entryway, and/or join us at Shoppers on the 11th. Let's continue the LCOC extravagant generosity!
Thank you all so very much,
Roger Rudy
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2019 Ministry at LCOC
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Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
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Breakfast with the Easter Bunny
On Saturday, April 20, 2019, we opened our doors to our community and welcomed approximately 140-150 people to Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, Craft Activities, and Egg Hunt. Twenty-two Action Team Members were involved in making this fourth annual event a huge success. Lots of shopping for and planning went into this special morning.
The week of the event, members of our Action Team set up and decorated the Upstairs Fellowship Hall (UFH) and the Activity Room (AR) to make them look pretty and inviting for all attending, especially the children. Action Team Members also stuffed bags with candy that was donated by LCOC Members, along with coupons for free items from one of the local McDonald's and from the nearby 7-11. The team also wrapped cutlery for the breakfast.
The next morning we all arrived early to prepare pancakes and sausage; get ready for all the wonderful craft activities; and plan for and hide the eggs for two separate hunts (Preschool - 2nd Grade; and 3rd through 5th Grades). Action Team Members handed out raffle tickets for a variety of prizes. Action Team Members served the breakfast and drinks to our guests. Action Team members hid eggs and managed the two hunts. Action Team Members assisted children in having fun in the Activity Room coloring, making crafts, etc. prior to and after the hunts. The Easter Bunny was outdoors and indoors making sure all of our guests felt special.
After the activities (breakfast, crafts, hunt), everyone came back into the UFH for the prize awards and drawings. (One large gold and one large silver egg (for each hunt) were hidden for special prizes for the "finders". Special gifts were handed out for the most eggs found at each hunt also.) The Easter Bunny handed out each prize (large chocolate bunnies, baskets filled with Easter goodies, a large bunny that sings "You Are My Sunshine", a Cute Chicken that sang and laid eggs, and lots of special candies and other goodies) as the numbers were drawn and the winners came forward. This year, we also gave a large basket filled with Easter items of a large variety to one of the parents that attended.
Two Action Team Members videoed and/or took pictures of much of the event. Everyone was thanked for coming and wished a blessed Easter. As our guests left, each child received a bag of Easter candy which members of our LCOC congregation purchased and brought in prior to the event.
After cleaning up the UFH and AR, the Action Team had lunch together, celebrating a wonderful opportunity to live and give generously. We are thankful for Thrivent Financial, the LCOC Congregation, Community Businesses, and our great Action Team (Mel and DeLoris Bellinger, Pastor Darcy, Patti Beattie, Randy Beattie, Lorelei Ditton, Eileen Eicher, Heather Gimmi, Darla Ferris, Debbie Hamilton, Pierce Johnson, Donna Mitchel, Liela Onorato, Daniel Owusu, Laurie Poff, Jennifer Rice, Brian Richard, Roger Rudy, Jo Ann Rudy, Wilbur Snyder, Georgiann Thompson, and Diane Westen.
The Breakfast with the Easter Bunny, Craft Activities, and Egg Hunt, was filled with love as we were able to do
"God's Work, Our Hands".
A special thanks
to all of our LCOC family members who provided candy for the children who attended the "Breakfast with the Easter Bunny Event". Your thoughtfulness never ceases to amaze me and I thank and praise God that you continue to "LIVE GENEROUSLY"!
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OTLWB Book Club
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The next book club meeting is May 13th at 12:30 pm
If you would like more information,
please see Sandy S. or Diane D.
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Church Spring Cleaning
Dates have been set
to spruce up the Church before the 50th Anniversary. The dates are
Thursday May 23rd, Friday May 24th, and Saturday May 25th with core cleaning hours for each day from 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Arrive early, stay late, choose a day-just bring the clean! Sign-up sheets will be placed in the Narthex after Easter.
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Office Hours:
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Monday - Friday
9:00 am - 2:00 pm
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