Prairie Avenue Christian Church www.prairieavenuechristianchurch.org To be learning, loving, and serving disciples of Christ from the depths of our being to the ends of the earth.  A Stephen Ministry & Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Congregation

Worship Each Week & Daily Prayer

Attending weekly gives you the opportunity to re-center your life, give God honor and glory, and remember what is really important in life.

Did you miss a sermon or can't remember the good statement made by Pastor Jason recently? You can access the complete library of sermons at our Prairie Avenue YouTube(TM) Channel Reclaiming Our Call: Purpose & Possibility Romans 8:31-39 Sunday, March 20, 2022 March 20, 2022 Traditional Worship March 20, 2022 Modern Worship

Our purpose is to love Jesus and to do something with it. But what does that something look like? How do others see Christ in the world? The historical Jesus has been gone a while, but can be caught when his followers are doing life through loving neighbors as God already loves them. But what if the neighbors are difficult to love? Even worse, what if they are estranged from the church, now declaring contrary teachings, and have chosen to leave (but not to stop meddling) with their former friends? That's what 1 John is trying to address. It's thought to be a letter, but it really is an essay or sermon (only 5 chapters long). A group of believers has left, abandoning the Apostle's teachings (this may be a few decades after the last living disciple has died) and questioning Jesus' humanity. There are two core beliefs the writer (could be several "Johns") expresses: God is light and God is Love. The message of salvation requires two things: living as Jesus lived and loving as Jesus loved. Then you will have light (eternal) and love (everlasting). Only when we share the love with one another will anyone really see and recognize God among them. That is a powerful vision to see! Attend Worship Online: Pastor Jason has encouraged an "A grade" of 90% worship attendance (missing less the 5 Sundays in a year). You can keep up your attendance by joining worship online through our Facebook premiere or our worship online page on the website. Join us in person or online... it will count!

This Week's Prayer Calendar Congregations: Illinois Street Lewiston & Ipava Christian Church, Mackinaw Christian Church, United Church of Wayland, MI Global Ministries: Morocco

Pray with Morocco, March 27, 2022 - Global Ministries Lectionary Selection: Luke 15: 1-3, 11b-32 Prayers for Morocco Heavenly Father, Creator of us all, As we are praying for and elevating our family of the Protestant Church in Morocco (Église Évangélique au Maroc - EEAM in French), we would ...... Read more www.globalministries.org

Grow in Faith through listening, paying attention, and reading 5 verses a day

Take a class, as you make friends and grow to know what learning, loving, and serving God and neighbor means in everyday life.

Morning Devotion Each weekday (Monday - Friday), Pastor Jason shares a brief 4-7 minute scripture reading, reflection, response, and prayer. The associated devotion is posted to Prairie Avenue's Facebook page. You may also access it on the church website: prairieavenuechristianchurch.org/daily-devotional. It is posted around 8:20 to 8:30 each morning.

Use Your Gifts by sharing five acts of love and kindness each week

Serve God and neighbor by using your gifts and talents both inside and outside the walls of the church. Each of us have spiritual gifts and natural abilities to use to serve others and glorify God.

Week of Compassion: Willing to Respond Registry Opens We are excited to be part of the launch of a new tool for networking congregations for disaster preparedness and response: Willing to Respond ! As a registry of willing congregations and a library of... Read more www.weekofcompassion.org

Give Regularly through five acts of generosity each month

Giving regularly not only supports the work of the church, but also is your way of giving God priority in your life. What we love is where we will spend first. When we are able to give, it always deepens our faith in loving and serving God.

WEEK OF COMPASSION UPDATE And now these three remain: faith, hope, and Love.  But the greatest of these is Love 1 Cor. 13:13 Thank you for your generosity in giving to the relief, refuge and development ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)! Pastor Jason challenged regular contributors to make a special offering with a 90% participation rate. There are 16 regular contributors to Prairie Avenue, and we are thankful to 11 (69%) who have already responded! We need an additional 3 to join in participating in whatever amount and size of the gift. To date, we have received $324.27 Our Giving Goal is $600.

Donate to Week of Compassion

MOVE-IN STARTER KITS: Items are needed for those individuals and families transitioning from homelessness to housing. The Macon County Continuum of Care is accepting items at Northeast Community Fund (NECF) and distributing them to agencies serving those moving into housing. cleaning supplies paper products bath towels kitchen towels sheets/blankets/pillows plates/glasses/silverware kitchen utensils pots/pans

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHELTER NEEDS: Disposable 3 ply face masks for clients, washable face masks, vinyl gloves (medium, large, xl), Clorox wipes, aerosol disinfectant spray, paper towel rolls, baby wipes, disposable diapers, pull-ups, new bath towels, new nightshirts-women's, all sizes, new sweatsuits, unisex, all sizes, African-American hair care products, hair grease, hairbrushes-natural & nylon bristles, conditioner, body wash, deodorant (women), disposable cups, plates & eating utensils, plastic (not disposable) drinking cups

DOES YOUR BANK/FINANCIAL INSTITUTION PROVIDE BILL PAY SERVICES? If so, you can make sure your tithe/gift/offering arrives whether you are able to attend or not! Often when someone is absent, their offering is also. Or you left it on the table while coming to church! You can set up Prairie Avenue Christian Church as a "bill" (we are not, of course) and schedule timely checks to be mailed at no cost to our address. Many members have taken advantage of our online giving portal, but it also charges fees each time! Avoid the service charges and fees by setting us up as a regular payment through your bank/financial institution. Without fail, your support will arrive. Set your "payment" plan today.

Thank You for your generosity!

Sunday, April 10 and 17, 2022 Your gift to the Easter offering reveals God's enduring love in the world through: Developing Disciples Forming new faith communities Spirit care for those in prison Connection with ministry partners around the world Serving God's people in need The Easter Offering supports these general ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ): Center for Faith and Giving Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries (Obra Hispana) Communication Ministries Christian Unity and Interfaith Ministry Disciples of Christ Historical Society Disciples Home Missions Disciples Women Division of Overseas Ministries (Global Ministries) Higher Education and Leadership Ministries National Benevolent Association National Convocation New Church Ministry North American Pacific / Asian Disciples Office of the General Minister and President Treasury Services

General Fund Donations given to the Prairie Avenue Christian Church General Fund support the year-round ministries of the church. Your generous support keeps our building, staff, and operations working for the mission of the church. The mission of Prairie... Read more www.continuetogive.com

Fundraising Project - reFresh Capital Campaign Announced at the State of the Church address on June 30, 2015, the reFresh capital campaign has two improvement/update priorities: updating HVAC equipment and internet/network accessibility. Read more www.continuetogive.com

For instructions in registering your Kroger Rewards Card, Click Here. The Organization code for Prairie Avenue Christian Church is: BY235. Kroger Community Rewards Program News $29.12 was raised by 12 households who have linked their Kroger customer reward cards to support Prairie Avenue Christian Church. The quarterly contribution is for shopping at Kroger during October - December 2021 Joining to support the ministries of Prairie Avenue Christian Church is FREE. Any transactions moving forward using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you. Kroger donates annually to participating organizations based on your percentage of spending as it relates to the total spending associated with all participating Kroger Community Rewards organizations.

Get Your Disciples Apparel and Gear Here! Get your Disciples polos, hats, and hoodies in a variety of colors. Order by the 15th to be included in this month's production! 10% of the proceeds benefits the Disciples Mission Fund! Read more store.disciples.org

"When you shop for items or gifts at smile.amazon.com/ch/37-6056944, AmazonSmile will donate a portion of your eligible purchases to Prairie Avenue Christian Church at no cost to you!"

Prairie Avenue Christian Church is a listed charity with the Smile.Amazon program. Please use smile.amazon.com, and choose Prairie Avenue Christian Church for your generous support. We received a $7.56 donation from the AmazonSmile Foundation as a result of AmazonSmile program activity between July 1 and September 30, 2021.

Share Your Faith by inviting 5 people to church this year

The God you worship is always revealed through your words and actions. Awkward conversations (i.e. "Are you saved?") are not necessary when your words and actions reveal the God you seek to learn, love, and serve.

In Other News

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