Our congregation was founded 162 years ago this week. Today we continue our heritage of meeting the needs of our community, whatever they may be. 

Connect, grow, and serve with us. For the good of the city.

 

 

Every baptism is special, but it is a rare occasion to baptize infant cousins on the same day! What a joy it was on Sunday, March 12th to welcome Layla Orlena El Jazouli, daughter of Omar and Christina El Jazouli, and Rosalie Katherine Bure, daughter of Scott and Elizabeth Bure, into the family of Christ. You may recognize their mothers, who are sisters that grew up in this congregation. You may also know their grandparents, Donald Pekrul and Danny and Becky Downs, who are long-time members active in many areas of the church. We look forward to nurturing these children as a faith community, just as we did their mothers.

We were blessed to celebrate another exciting baptism last Sunday, March 19th. Our associate pastor, Shawn O'Trimble, and his wife, Teri, presented their twins, Luke Robert and Leia Grace O'Trimble, for baptism. Topeka District Superintendent Kay Scarbrough officiated the baptism with assistance from our Lead Pastor, Jeff Clinger. It is our joy to surround the O'Trimble twins with love and support as they begin their lives in the church.

Rev. Shawn and Teri O'Trimble with their children, Shawn Jr., Zara, Leia, and Luke.

We need your help to find our new Director of Children's Discipleship. Are you connected with an organization, like a parenting club or a PTO, where there might be someone who is looking for a job working with children? Maybe you know someone with a teaching degree who is looking for something outside of the classroom, or a stay-at-home mom or dad who is looking to go back to work. We invite you to send this link to our job posting to anyone who might be interested, share it on social media, and post it on community message boards for preschools, playgroups, and other organizations where you are a member. We trust that God will provide us with the right person, but we need your help to get the word out!

You may now order a shirt with our new church logo! Reliant Apparel, a downtown Topeka business, has designed T-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies, and jackets for our members to wear when we are out in the community. You may visit our Web Store at ReliantApparel.com to view the products and place your order, or visit the T-Shirt table in the Celebration Room on March 12, 19, & 26th. You must place your online order by March 31st. After that day, our web store will be taken down. All orders (web and in person) will be delivered to the church, and will be available for pick up on April 9th.

Many of our members have inquired about ordering new name tags with our logo, so they can wear them to "advertise" our church when they go to events out in the community and on Sunday mornings. Stay tuned for more information!

Cornerstone Family Schools' Spring Concert is on  Tuesday, March 28 at 7 p.m.  The theme of the message through music will be, "heaven as our home." Song selections will range from the beautiful more contemporary, Homeward Bound, to the rhythmic spiritual, Gonna Get to Heaven on the Judgement Day. The concert is free and open to the public. Dorothy Iliff directs the choirs.

If you would like to dedicate an Easter lily in honor or in memory of a loved one, fill out the order form at the front desk. Lilies are $10 each, and will be placed in the Chapel and Sanctuary on Easter, with the dedications listed in the bulletin insert. After this Sunday, you may pick up a form from the front desk. Order forms must be turned in by Sunday, April 2nd.

 

Last year our members enjoyed running and walking in downtown Topeka's Bridge 2 Bridge 5K. We encourage you to join in the fun and participate in this event with your fellow church members. Our new church T-shirts will be ready in time for the race, which is the morning of April 22nd, so we can represent our community spirit as a church family! As you make plans to participate, send a quick note to Marsha Oliver so we can coordinate a meeting spot to take a "team" photo and run/walk as a group (if you like). Register for the race, circle April 22nd on your calendar, and look forward to a fun morning downtown with your church family!

 

Save the date, April 29th, to enjoy a Potluck Dinner and a Movie with your church family. We'll present the feature documentary Patterns of Evidence: Exodus.

 

Phase 2 is sponsoring a night out at Topeka Civic Theatre for the Friday, May 5th dinner performance of  To Kill a Mockingbird . There are 24 tickets available at $54.03, or $52.39 for those 60 years and older. Phase 2 will provide popcorn as an intermission table snack. Get your reservations early for this popular American masterpiece. Email Tiwana to reserve your seat.

 

Stephen Ministry has purchased this helpful new book and put it in our church library. It is written in a warm, conversational style that covers the wide range of issues a cancer diagnosis brings. Check it out!

 

Phase 2 is inviting everyone to help spruce up the church grounds for the spring on Saturday, April 1st , 9 a.m.-12 p.m. with lunch following in the Celebration Room. You may email Tiwana or sign up on the Phase 2 board in the Celebration Room if you'd like to help out.

 

Carl Nuzman 

The Missions Team food collection focus for the month of March is grocery bags of needed items for Doorstep. You can still pick up a bag with a list of requested items at church. Please return your filled grocery bag by the end of the month. 

Next month, the Missions Team will collect protein bars for Topeka North Outreach. This collection will begin April 2nd.