April 15th Update
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Messiah,
Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!
These words remind us that Easter is a season, not just a Sunday. For fifty days the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ - remembering not only the events of that resurrection Sunday, but also that Jesus is our Good Shepherd; that He continues to teach us in His Word, as He taught the disciples in the Upper Room; that when He ascended into heaven He promised to send the Holy Spirit to create and sustain faith in us through that Word and the Sacraments.
The faith we receive and grow in through the Divine Service and the study of God's Word resonates throughout our life together at Messiah. Please join us for upcoming worship, education, outreach, fellowship and service opportunities during the coming weeks - and invite a friend!
WORSHIP AND CLASS SCHEDULE
Our regular Sunday schedule:
Divine Service at 10:00 am.
Bible Class at 9:00 am.
Sunday School for children PreK and up after worship, starting about 11:15 am.
Livestreams of our Sunday services can be found at:
Our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/messiahgr
The most recent livestreamed service is viewable on our website's front page, www.messiahgr.org
CARES (Caring, Active, Reaching, Encouraging Sisters in Christ) continues through April on Wednesdays at 9:45 am, discussing the book Come and Be Filled: Feasting with Jesus in His Word by Kristopher R. Whitby. Click here for a sample.
Our joint Ascension Day Divine Service with St. Peter's Lutheran Church in Rockford will be held Thursday, May 14th at 7:00 pm at Messiah. A potluck dinner with ham as the main course will be served at 6:00 pm that evening in the fellowship hall.
WHAT'S NEW & NEXT
Our April newsletter is online; click here to view or download a copy! Paper copies are available at the Welcome Center. We post the newsletter (including monthly calendars) and our weekly announcements online at www.messiahgr.org; calendars are also online separately at www.messiahgr.org/calendar. Be sure to check these sources regularly for updates on the events listed below and more!
Preschool Yard Signs are now available for you to display in your neighborhood; sign them out at the Welcome Center.
Our annual Garage Sale will be held Friday, April 17th from 5:00 – 8:00 pm & Saturday, April 18th from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm.
Adult Easter Egg Hunt Sunday, April 19 at 11:15 am. For this fun fellowship event, we’ll search indoors for eggs filled with play money; mystery prize bags will be awarded to everyone! It's not too late to sign up for this event at the Welcome Center!
Lutheran Women's Missionary League Spring Rally at St. Peter's, Big Rapids Saturday, April 25th from 9:30 am – 1:00 pm. Contact Linda Blain for details.
Prayer Pal Spring Gathering Sunday, April 26th at 6:00 pm in the fellowship hall. Contact Deb Krueger for details.
NEW! Spring Clean Up Day on Saturday, May 2nd from 8:00 am until 12:00 noon, sponsored by the Board of Trustees. Contact Carol Mushong for details.
Grand Rapids Civic Theater Outing Sunday, May 3rd at 2:00 pm. Sign up at the Welcome Center by this Sunday, April 19th to see a new version of the classic mystery Dial M for Murder. Contact Sherry Troutwine with questions.
NEW! Fraud Prevention Seminar Saturday, May 16th from 9:00 to 11:30 am, sponsored by the Board of Outreach. This valuable discussion will be led by an FBI Agent. Contact Kim Black for details.
NEW! Spiritual Growth Seminar - “The Holy Spirit and Spiritual Growth,” presented by Dr. Leopoldo Sanchez of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, on Saturday, May 30th. Sign-up details coming very soon!
CHRIST HAS ARISEN, ALLELUIA!
Our April Hymn of the Month found its way to Lutheran Service Book from the African country of Tanzania. Native Lutheran pastor Bernard Kyamanywa wrote the original Swahili text to a traditional church tune; in the 1960s it was translated into English by American missionary and professor Howard Olson. The dynamic combination of words and melody praises God for Christ’s victory over death as it tells the story of the first Easter morning. We hope you're enjoying singing it and learning it by heart this month; you can listen to it below!