Colonial Heights Presbyterian Church is a congregation that 

values a diversity of belief. Whether you're full of faith or full of doubt, 

you'll find people who have been there and accept you for where you are.

We welcome all people to worship, pray, eat, seek spiritual answers, and enjoy life within this community of faith. All are welcome!

A big part of our walk through the Christian faith involves what we choose to be passionate about. Being passionate about the wrong things can easily bring tepidity and stagnation to our faith. There is nothing worse than chasing after fruit only to find it stale or spoiled. When it comes to my passion of church work, it is likewise easy to slide into the temptation to be passionate about the wrong things. Playing a numbers game and chasing after ideal programming as a metric of success blocks me from truly seeing the growth and development of our children's faith.

But being passionate about the right things makes all the difference. When we are passionate about making space in our Sanctuary for our children to experience joy and fun, all while growing their faith, we truly become a family of faith. And being a faith family means caring about the pace we all walk together, from the youngest to the oldest. It means making sure that there is a place set at the table for all of God's children. And it is my deepest hope that this past Sunday served to show you that CHPC is doing wonderful work within the lives of our youngest members. Our Children's Ministry is a healthy, blossoming garden. It requires care to tend and I am so grateful that this church prioritizes joining in with our whole hearts on this work.

When it comes to putting kids in the fore-front, you invite a certain amount of disruption. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for allowing space for a little disruption. Thank you for inviting a little chaos to be part of our time of worship this past Sunday. It means more than I can put into words.

With love and gratitude,

-Tyler Paulsen, DCE

Like when Jesus turns his face towards Jerusalem, so we turn our hearts and minds to the season of Lent. Over the next forty days, our church family walks with Christ through the Gospel of Luke with a new sermon series about the parables Jesus told. What lessons are there for us to learn or relearn in these familiar stories? Let us set our eyes upon the cross of Easter in the same manner that Jesus set his sights upon his return to God's Holy City.

Sunday's Scripture:

Psalm 15, NRSV

Luke 9:51-62, NRSV

Sermon Title:

"Go and Do Likewise"

All are welcome to join us on Sunday nights for four weeks during Lent for our Pop Up Suppers & Bible Study Series! Our time together will begin with fellowship and sharing a meal in the gym at 5:00 pm. Please note that March 23 and April 6 are pot lucks, so bring your favorite dish to share with our church family! Children will then split off to enjoy a time of music, a lesson, and some fun while the adults and youth have their own bible study from 5:30-6:30 pm. This year, we will be studying the story of Joshua as the Israelites come into the Promised Land, so come excited and ready to learn!

Get ready for a new Lenten spiritual practice this spring as members of CHPC exercise their hearts, minds, and souls each Saturday during Lent! All are welcome to participate in this yoga class offered at 2:00 pm starting on March 8 at Vidya Yoga & Fitness in downtown Kingsport. This sixty minute instructor-lead, "warm" class will be paired with positive music and scripture readings to help participants lean into the reflective side of Lent. Speak with David or Tony to learn more and sign up today!

CHPC hosts a March Madness Ping-Pong Tournament throughout this upcoming Lenten season! The sign up sheet to participate is in the Church Office hallway. You can sign up for either the singles or doubles tournament by March 9 to be included in the bracket. The games will begin on Sunday, March 16. You will have a week to schedule and play your game with your opponent. Contact Tyler or David if you have any questions.

Thanks again to all those from CHPC who joined in on the good work taking place on the Holston Habitat for Humanity Faith Build! If you want to see more pictures from our week of building, follow this link to the Holston Habitat for Humanity Facebook page here!

While our week to serve has come and gone, but that does not mean it is too late to contribute to this ongoing project. We will still be accepting donations until this Sunday, March 9. Please reach out to Sarah Johnson for any questions about donating.

Don't forget Daylight Saving Time begins in the early hours of this Sunday morning, March 9. Worship is at 10:00 am, be sure not to be late!

Sunday School Classes continue after worship at 11:15 am. The Disciples Class meets in room 218 and the Remnant Class meets in room 221. Please reach out to David directly if you would like to participate in either class or desire to discuss joining a small group.

The Children's Choir practices this Sunday after worship in the choir room. All children ages 3-11 are welcome to come, sing, and play! Please contact either Emily Broadhead or Carolyn Barry with any questions.

The Youth Group has regular Sunday evening bible study from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. Dinner is always included and there are still plenty of available slots to provide dinner for these gatherings. Please contact Tyler or click here if you wish to participate or support this important ministry of our church family!

The Wednesday Afternoon Bible Study continues each week at 3:00 pm in the parlor. All are welcome to participate in this lively discussion of upcoming scripture passages from the Revised Common Lectionary. Please contact Lisa Pecorini if you would like to participate.

The CHPC Easter Memorial Gifts program is for those who wish to give a memorial gift to honor or remember those special people who have been a part of our life. You may choose to give an Easter Lily that will be used to decorate the church or a monetary contribution to our Renovation Fund. Lilies are $12 and forms are available on the information table in the narthex. Any monetary contributions to the Renovation Fund should be given by Monday, March 31.

CHPC's Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held at 9:00 am on Easter Sunday, April 20. This will include treat bags for the kids and finger foods for the entire church. Help is needed to make this tradition possible. The Congregation is encouraged to bring both sweet and savory items to share so we have a great balance for everyone to enjoy! Coffee and donuts will also be provided. Please sign up to bring your favorite Easter Snack in the Narthex. We appreciate your help in making this an egg-cellent time for all!

CHPC partners with Marsh Regional Blood Center to sponsor a Blood Drive in the Church Parking on Sunday, April 13 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm. Appointments for the Drive can be scheduled by speaking with Mary in the church office. Please be aware that you are not able to participate in this drive if you have given blood between February 16 and April 13. Please contact Mike Strickler if you have any questions.

Save the Date for CHPC's Annual Churchwide Retreat at Holston Camp and Retreat Center the weekend of May 2-4. Please contact the church office if you already know you're interested in participating in this fun annual tradition of our church family.

Mark your calendar now for the next CHPC Garage Sale on May 30 & 31. Donations may be dropped starting May 24. Monies raised will support replacing kitchen equipment. Speak with Doris or Randall Fields to learn more or to go ahead and sign up to help.

The Women's Ministry heads to Montreat later this year for the annual Women's Connection Conference from August 8-10. The cost is $247.00 and our friends at First Presbyterian Church Kingsport graciously allow us to stay free with them for the weekend. You must register online (do so as a commuter, we do not need rooms) and then please let Lisa Pecorini know that you have registered to go. Learn more about this great event here from Montreat's website and register here. It's going to be a wonderful weekend of fellowship and worship!  

All items for the weekly online newsletter should be emailed to Mary at office@chpres.org by the end of the day Tuesday.

Prayer Requests 

Emily Bowman, Joyce Callahan, Ramona Gothard, Barbara Holt,

Beverly Shelton, Boyd Holder, Bethany Thompson, Bonnie Cole,

Julius Maikis, Charles Gibson, Jonathan and Brenda Hutchins,

Family of Lisa Mahon, Family of Ginny Snow, Tina Whiteaker

(Teresa Stricker's sister), Family of Donna Whitson,

Family of Carolyn Sade (Bill Sade's sister)

Health Care/ Assisted Living Facilities

Sue Fortney, Charles and Linda Gibson, Wayne & Millie Pruett