Obviously by now I have found my answers, I can even tell you what Maundy actually does mean, but in answering some of these questions, I have become more aware of the questions that I cannot answer, questions of eternal significance such as:

• How could a God love me so much that he would send His son to suffer and die?
• If sin is conquered by the Easter message, how does that affect my day to day life?

This last question really poses the most significant question for each of us.  If we do not live our lives as Easter people, if Christ’s death and resurrection do not cause us to make changes in both who and how we are, then we have to wonder, are we really getting the message?  Do we really understand the significance of Christ’s death and suffering on the cross?  Do we understand enough to lead a change life?

As we enter this month with Holy Week, culminating in Easter, let us rededicate ourselves to living as Easter people, with changed lives, celebrating the grace and love and forgiveness we know through our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ!

In Him,     Pastor Jon

P.S. Also, join with me in celebrating that for the first time since I started here in February of 2008, we are finally, fully staffed with permanent staff members!  Early in March, we welcomed Doug Walters as our Director of Christian Education, which brings our church staff to full strength after years of having either unfilled staff positions, or staff members serving on a temporary basis.  We are very excited about the ideas, enthusiasm and genuine care Doug has for the youth and young adults of our church and are excited about the direction his ministry will take us.

     At our congregational meeting last month, I mentioned that an annual goal I had for the church was to place more emphasis on spiritual growth. This was not just a random idea I had when I was attempting to find a goal that I could verbalize, this goal is actually the result of observations I have had over the last two years, and data from the survey on Congregational Life that we took in September of 2008, which we have been releasing over the last several months in this newsletter.
     If you look at the results of the survey that we look at this month (inside this newsletter), Spiritual growth was an area where we scored lower than both the average churches in the United States, and lower than the average Presbyterian Church. Clearly this is an area where we need to do some work!
     There are many ways that we can grow spiritually. We do have a number of Spiritual Growth group opportunities here at the church that you can be a part of, from Sunday morning and Wednesday night Studies, to the Prayer Chain, to Presbyterian Women Studies.
We also have resources available for your own private devotional activities. We have a wonderful Lenten Devotional that many of you helped to write which can be read upon waking, or before falling to sleep. We have a library with many books that can be checked out (and more being added). We have devotional magazines available in the Narthex and Calvin Hall that are available for you to keep. Pastor David and I also have books in our own libraries which we would be more than happy to lend out for you to use in your spiritual growth at home.
     The Christian Journey that we are on is a journey of constant reflection, learning, and growth. We each have opportunities to grow in our faith, whether that faith is one day old, or 100 years old. Together, let us worship our Lord, and learn more about what it means to be in relationship with such a loving God.

In Him, Pastor Jon

As I write this, there is a constant stream of media surrounding the relief efforts in Haiti.  A common question during times of tragedy is, “Where was God?” during this.  Our faith tells us that while God was not in the disaster; God was and continues to be present in the relief efforts occurring.  God is present in the hands treating the injured, preparing food for the hungry, and comforting the frightened.  God is present in the help being sent by individuals, organizations, and governments. 

God is present in way we, as His church, responds to emergencies and disasters regardless of the location:

• Across a body of water in a place like Haiti
• Across the country in New Orleans
• Across the state line in eastern Iowa during flooding
• Within our own state at the Hallam tornado
• Within our own city in the tornados of 1975 and 1913

There are many ways we as a church can be God’s presence during times of disaster and tragedy, ways we can show care and compassion to people who have had the world pulled out from under them. 

If you have a feeling of being pulled towards joining a team of compassionate responders during times of tragedy and disaster, please talk to Pastor David or myself.  We are currently beginning to look at coordinating some team training for people who are interested in this type of ministry.  The time to be trained for the next emergency is now, join us in preparing to help our neighbors during their times of trial.

                                                                       In Him,    Pastor Jon

Be Prepared – That’s the Boy Scout Motto.  As a Boy Scout, I was taught to be ready for whatever might come my way, Physically, Mentally, and Morally.  Well as Christians, we are expected to be prepared Spiritually for what might come our way, and the Season of Advent helps us to do that.

In Advent, we remember the birth and coming of Jesus Christ, born in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve, recalling the anticipation and waiting of God’s people around the time of the birth of Christ.  We identify this aspect of Advent most often through the use of the Nativity Scene at our homes and in our worship. 

At the same time, we are called to anticipate the time when He will come again.  We are called to be mindful, that while we remember what happened, that we anticipate what we know will happen, Christ’s triumphant return to this earth.

Anticipation of His return is often forgotten during this time, but we need to look forward during this time while we continue to look backwards at the wonderful birth that happened in Bethlehem.  Ours is a faith not just of celebrating the past but actively living for the future.

Come and join us this Advent as we celebrate what God has done, what God is now doing, and what God will be doing as we live our lives together in this community of the church.  I love this time of year, not because of the celebrations and candy, and presents, and good will, (although those are all fun!) but because of this merging of past, present and future in the body of Christ as we worship together.  Come and join us as we worship God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit this Advent season.

 In His Name,

                                                       Pastor Jon

Over the course of the next year or so, we will be sharing these results with you in a special section of this newsletter.  This is because there is such a wealth of information it would be very difficult to relay to the entire congregation effectively.  Luckily, the responses can be grouped into categories, beginning this month with “Building Spiritual Connections”, and over the next few months we will look at:

• Building Inside Connections
• Building Outside Connections
• Building Identity Connections

After this we will look at the information pertaining to 10 strengths of congregations which cover information on:

          Growing Spiritually                                        Meaningful Worship
          Participating in the Congregation                 Having a Sense of Belonging
          Caring for Young People                                Focusing on the Community
          Sharing Faith                                                   Welcoming New Worshipers
          Empowering Leadership                                 Looking to the Future

If you have any questions, or would like clarification on the survey, please talk to  Rev. Sloan, or Elder Mark Smith (chair of Church Life and Worship Committee).

 In His Name,

                                                       Pastor Jon

Isn’t it interesting, that through our schooling process, we have been conditioned to relax a bit during the summer?  Take a break, take a deep breath, slow down the pace a bit?  We are taught at an early age that summer is the time to have fun, to sleep-in, to go on vacation. 

I am so pleased that it isn’t that way in our church.  While we may decide to not have a committee meeting one month, our responsibility to worship our Lord is well founded, and noticed.  Every time that we gather together to worship, we are telling the world, that things are different in our lives, than in the life of the world around us.

The world may slow down, but life in the church continues, even thrives!  Our youth recently went on a Summer Mission Trip.  We had our first ever cooperative Vacation Bible School joining several other community churches to teach the children of our churches and communities about the Bible and our faith.  Many of you have helped at the Habitat for Humanity Build for the house this summer. 

The Session and Trustees have been discussing the need to replace our carpeting in the sanctuary and looking at several options and possibilities.  Our new Associate Pastor, Rev. David Paul, and his family have been settling in and meeting many of you.  Many of you have been joining us in a fellowship meal after church, and our Summer Worship attendance has been very good.  This is a very exciting time of year for our church!

Come and join us in the excitement at your church.  There are loads of opportunities here, which can draw us nearer together, and nearer to God.  Truly Good things are happening in our midst!

                                                                                                       In Him,  Pastor Jon

Summer is definitely upon us, and I would invite each of you who receive our newsletter to join us for refreshment and renewal as this hot summer saps the energy from you.  Come and be reenergized and strengthened this summer through:

•   Prayer
•   Worship
•   Bible Study
•   Christian Fellowship
•   Service

In Matthew 10:42 we read that Jesus says: “If anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple … he will certainly not lose his reward.”  Who are you encountering in your life, who desperately needs to have a refreshing cup of cool water as they face the heat of whatever situation they are in?

The ministries that our church participates in cannot succeed without you and the special gifts you have been given by God.  Join us this summer as we minister both to those inside and outside our walls, offering them a place of rest from their weary journey.  Come and be a part of what we are doing, and you will find your own life refreshed as well. 

There is an interesting side effect when you begin to minister to others.  The more you do to help someone, the more you learn and get out of it.  Come and find the refreshment offered only through Christ to those who worship and serve Him.

                                                                                            In His Name,   Pastor Jon

Earlier in May we elected Rev. David Paul to be our Associate Pastor.  He will be starting with us June 1^st and is excited to get to know the church and its members.  Incidentally, if anyone has a guest room available that David could stay in for June, until he closes on his new house, please let us know.

The Deacons just celebrated and had a very nice dinner for those members who have been with us for over 50 years.  The rich history that we have in these members just amazes me at times. What a blessing it is to join in community and worship with new members and 50 year members right next to each other!

Each Sunday after worship, members are going out to lunch for fellowship time.  This lunch group ranges from 8 to 35 people, and it is always a great time to get to know one another.  It is never the same group, and anyone is welcome to join.  We have gone to restaurants ranging from places like Noodles, Qdoba and Chipotle to Cracker Barrel, Burgerstar, and Red Lobster.  In each case the restaurant has worked with the church to help us out a little bit, but by far the best benefit has been the fellowship we have!

I have been hearing from various members who have been attending more frequently how wonderful it is for them to be back in church where they are sensing joy and a common mission once again. 

On Easter Sunday, I mentioned that we all are enriched when we can gather together and worship.  I also said that anytime someone is missing from our congregational worship we are diminished.  It is amazing what happens when you get a community of believers together and we worship the Lord..  If you have not been with us recently, please come by and see what things are like, you might be surprised!

                                                                                         In His Name,  Pastor Jon

As we continue on this Lenten journey, we can start to see the end in sight, that glorious Easter Sunday when we find the empty cross and empty tomb, the triumphant signs that we have reached the end of our Lenten journey. Yet, before we reach that end, there are several more stops we will make along the way. 

The first pause in our journey will be on Palm Sunday, April 5^th, when we remember Christ’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem with the singing of songs and waving of palm fronds.  This will also be the service when we this year’s Confirmation Class will be received by the church. 

Next, we will gather around the table as Christ and his disciples did so long ago, at the Maundy Thursday communion service on April 9^th at 7:00 p.m.  At this service we will remember the last supper that Jesus Christ and His disciples had together before His arrest and crucifixion. 

Then, on Good Friday, April 10^th, we will have a time of prayer, reflection, and guided meditation on the meaning of Christ’s death for each of us.  We will gather in the Chapel at 12:00 p.m. for this service.

All of these pauses lead us to Easter Sunday, April 12^th, when we will gather for worship at 10:30 a.m., celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Please come and join us as we celebrate and remember the life of our Lord, His death, and His resurrection when sin and death were conquered forever and ever.

In His Name,  

               Pastor Jon

Throughout Lent, we will worship each Wednesday evening at 6:30pm after our evening meal as we worship and focus our faith in the midst of our weekWe are using Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life, as a guide this year; it will take us through 40 days of devotions and thoughts about living a faith-based life.  Each Wednesday we will focus on a different part of the book, and I wanted to offer you a chart as a way to keep track of which day we are on and what the worship will center around on any given Wednesday.  On March 4^th, we have an opportunity to be led by three faith leaders as they discuss their faiths, then we will return to looking at The Purpose Driven Life:

•         March 4 – Tri-Faith Leadership Discussion – Day 8-14
•         March 11 – Purpose #2 – You Were Formed for God’s Family – Day 15-21
•         March 18 – Purpose #3 – You Were Created to Become Like Christ – Day 22-28
•         March 25 – Purpose #4 – You Were Shaped for Serving God – Day 29-35
•         April 1 – Purpose #5 – You Were Made for  a Mission – Day 36-40

      Would you join us, as a church, as we prepare ourselves during this Lenten journey for a closer walk with our Lord?

                                                                                    In His Name,   Pastor Jon