Dear Brothers and Sisters at Messiah,
As we continue our Holy Week journey, looking to Easter Sunday and beyond, we hope that these reminders of upcoming opportunities for worship, education, fellowship and service will be helpful for you!.
HOLY WEEK SERVICES AND EVENTS
Our Holy Week schedule is as follows:
Maundy Thursday, March 28th – Divine Service at 7:00 pm (also livestreamed).
Good Friday, March 29th – Chief Service at 11:00 am; Service of Darkness (Tenebrae) at 7:00 pm. (The 7:00 pm service will be livestreamed.)
Saturday, March 30th - Family Easter Egg Hunt at 10:00 am, followed by a Preschool Open House at 11:00 am. We do have a backup plan for the Egg Hunt in case of inclement weather.
Easter Sunday, March 31st -- Divine Services will be held at 7:30 and 10:00 am. (The 10:00 am service will be livestreamed.) Our annual Easter Breakfast will be held in the Fellowship Hall between services. There will be no Bible Class on Easter Sunday.
WEEKLY WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
Throughout April, we'll continue with one Divine Service held at 10:00 am on Sundays, with Bible Class beforehand at 9:00 am. Services are scheduled to be livestreamed at www.youtube.com/messiahgr
Our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/messiahgr
The most recent service is viewable on our website's front page, www.messiahgr.org
Bulletins formatted for use with our livestream are available for downloading and/or printing at home. These are posted at least two days before each service at www.messiahgr.org/worship-resources.
Readings and hymns for each service are also listed in the informational note found on the same web pages as our livestreams.
In addition to Sunday Bible Class, Dan Bohlinger and Pastor Hoese will lead a LifeLight study of James and Jude, beginning Wednesday, April 3rd at 6:00 pm; sign up at the Welcome Center. Click here to learn more about this class.
APRIL NEWSLETTER PLUS WHAT'S NEW & NEXT
Our April newsletter is now online! Click here to preview or download it in its entirety. Paper copies of the newsletter are available for members and guests at the Welcome Center. We also post the newsletter (including monthly calendars) online at www.messiahgr.org/news; calendars are also online separately at www.messiahgr.org/calendar
Check the newsletter and our weekly announcements for details on these and other events:
Lutheran Women's Missionary League Rapid Waters Zone Rally Saturday, April 13th, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm at Messiah. Erin Mackenzie, missionary to Latin American and Caribbean countries, will be the guest speaker. Sign up at the Welcome Center or contact Linda Blain for details.
NEW! Parent Enrichment Night for church and preschool families on Thursday, April 18th at 6:00 pm. Pizza, playtime and a presentation by Pastor Eric on God's Gift of Prayer. Everyone is welcome!
NEW! Spring Clean-Up Day Saturday, April 20th from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon, sponsored by the Board of Trustees.
NEW! Faith, Family and Our Future, Saturday, April 20th from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm at Saint Matthew's Lutheran Church in Cascade Township. This convocation of the Grand Rapids LCMS Circuits will feature Rev. Gary Zieroth speaking on "Spiritual Warfare and Mental Illness," plus breakout sessions of interest to single people, couples and parents. Click here for more information and free online registration (the registration deadline is Wednesday, April 10th).
Urdu Worship Service Saturday, April 20th at 5:00 pm. Led by Pastor Afzal Masih, this service will be held in the fellowship hall, with a Pakistani meal following. Urdu services are held on the third Saturday of each month; Messiah members and friends are welcome to attend!
NEW! Prayer Pals Gathering Sunday, April 21st at 6:00 pm. Contact Deb Krueger for information regarding this biannual women's event.
Rick Krueger, Parish Assistant
FROM PASTOR ERIC (from the April newsletter):
Because Christ is risen, all that is good, true, and beautiful, all those who have gone before us in the faith, and all those who will come after, all of creation, from a single blade of grass, to the most distant asteroid hurling through space, all will be part of the new heaven and earth. A creation restored, a creation freed from death, a creation full of life that never ends, a creation gathered around its Savior.
And if this is true, then what could we possibly suffer, lose, or endure that would ever matter more than this gospel? Every sin forgiven, every disease healed, every word of anger forgotten, every fear overcome, every loss restored, every doubt answered, every hope fulfilled in Christ. Even death itself is now transformed for us, from a destination full of fear and uncertainty, to a place of rest, of peace, a place to wait for Christ’s triumphal call. Alleluia! Christ is risen! Go ahead and answer. And since He is risen, so shall we, amen.
Pastor Eric
