THIS WEEK AT FAITH

March 12 - 26, 2023

No matter who you are
or where you are on life’s journey
you are welcome here.

FAITH UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

5992 Route 378

Center Valley, PA 18034

610.282.3939



Regular Office Hours:

Monday - Thursday 9 am - 4 pm

Friday - CLOSED


www.faithchurchucc.org


Facebook  Instagram  Youtube  

Parish Administrator Sandy David will be on vacation next week. There will be no email sent next Thursday, March 16th - this email includes information needed for the next 2 weeks.


The Church Office will be closed Monday, March 13th - Wednesday, March 15th. Pastor Bruce will be attending a Continuing Education Workshop Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday. He will return to the office on Thursday, March 16th. If you find yourself in need of pastoral care during this time please contact Rev. Teresa Martin at 717-654-4044.


Join us this Third Sunday in Lent

March 12, 2023

One Great Hour of Sharing

Joyful Noise

(Please hold onto to your loose change until the Children's Sermon. The children will be collecting your change in pans to make a JOYFUL NOISE)


Sunday School for all ages begins at 9 am.

Worship begins at 10:15 am.


(Click here to print bulletin)


Special Thanks to our Volunteers:

Kim Ritter, Head Usher

Wes & Heather Koser, Ushers

Donna Schudel-Barone, Lay Reader

Tony DiSanto, Financial Secretary

Talboos, Altar Flowers


To view our live streamed services at home go to YouTube


Deadline for Easter Flower orders is THIS SUNDAY March 12th.

Place your order form in the offering plate or Click here to place

your order online.


Upcoming Week....

  • Monday (3/13) Office Closed
  • Tuesday (3/14) Office Closed
  • Wednesday (3/15) Office Closed
  • Thursday (3/16) Bruce back in Office
  • Friday (3/17) Church Office Closed/ Pastor's Day Off
  • Saturday (3/18) 1-6 Hall Rental
  • Sunday (3/19) 9 am Sunday School; 10:15 am Worship;

SECOND WEEK


Join us the Fourth Sunday in Lent

March 19, 2023

One Great Hour of Sharing


Sunday School for all ages begins at 9 am.

Worship begins at 10:15 am.


(Click here to print bulletin)


Special Thanks to our Volunteers:

Kim Ritter, Head Usher

Tim & Sara Hovis, Ushers

Brenda Hovis, Lay Reader

Tony DiSanto, Financial Secretary

Russ & Iris Shelly, Altar Flowers


To view our live streamed services at home go to YouTube


A New Member Orientation is scheduled for Sunday, March 26th at 3 pm in the Memorial Room. We will receive new members on Palm Sunday, April 2nd. If interested please let Pastor Bruce know.


Second Week....

  • Monday (3/20) Sandy works away from office
  • Tuesday (3/21)
  • Wednesday (3/22)
  • Thursday (3/23) 7 pm Consistory Meeting
  • Friday (3/24) Church Office Closed/ Pastor's Day Off
  • Saturday (3/25)
  • Sunday (3/26) 9 am Sunday School; 10:15 am Worship;

3 pm New Member Orientation in Memorial Room

A LOOK AHEAD...


Palm Sunday, April 2nd

New Members Received

Lunch and Pie Sunday following Service


Maundy Thursday, April 6

7:30 Tenebrae Service


Good Friday Vigil, April 7

6 pm - 12 am

(watch for details)


Easter Sunday, April 9

8 am Outdoor Worship (Weather Permitting)

10:15 am Traditional Worship

Communion will be served at both.

 We hope you're enjoying our Lenten Program

SEEKING: honest questions for deeper faith


Here are the links you will need to take part in the program:

   

·      Daily MeditationsClick this link and bookmark it to access your Daily Devotional Cards online. Printed cards are available in the Narthex if you prefer a hard copy.

·      A Lenten Devotional BookletClick this link and bookmark it to access your Devotional Booklet. Printed Devotional Booklets are available in the Narthex if you prefer a hard copy.

 

A LOOK AHEAD TO EASTER WEEK...


Maundy Thursday, April 6

7:30 Service


Good Friday Vigil, April 7

6 pm - 12 am

(more details to follow)


Easter Sunday, April 9

8 am Outdoor Service (weather permitting)

10:15 am Traditional Service

Communion will be served at both services.

Click HERE to read the

March Issue of

FOCUS ON FAITH!

SAVE THE DATE!! TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE

If you would like to take part during worship as usher or lay reader, please email Joan Hassler .

ALTAR FLOWER SCHEDULE


Click above to see what dates are available to sponsor the altar flowers.

Open dates in April are the 16th & 30th.

If you see a date you would like to reserve, please call the church office at 610-282-3939 or email Sandy to let her know.

The cost is $40 for 2 arrangements that are yours to take with you following worship.


From our Sabbatical Conference Minister,

Rev. Dr. Becky Beckwith


Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and burden is light. 

-Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

 

Dear Friends,



Are you someone who looks backward or forward?  So many people look backward and speak of the past as the best of times. But many of us look back and cringe. 

 

A friend was recently speaking of a time in his life that he revisits frequently. It was a time when he made several bad choices that cost him dearly. He hurt people who he loved. He damaged relationships. My friend speaks of how he wished he knew then what he knows now. It is decades later, and he still questions himself.

 

What if he had taken more time to think through those bad choices. What if he had been kind instead of cruel. If only he had just stayed at home that day, decades ago, his life would have been so much better than it is today. 

 

My friend’s life has moved on in a positive direction. But he still looks back often, with regret, remorse for what could have been. He has never been able to forgive himself. My friend still carries the weight of his actions. 

 

We humans need to learn from our mistakes, seek forgiveness and move on. Many Christians like to give up something during Lent. What is the weight of the burdens you are still carrying around? What is the cost?  Maybe it is time to put the baggage down and move forward.

 

Blessings,

Becky

To find more devotionals, click on the logo above

I hope you will take the opportunity during the second week to look through the devotionals offered on this site and find one or two that really get you thinking! ~ Sandy

Lead Me Not!

by Chris Mereschuk 


No temptation has seized you that isn’t common for people. God won’t allow you to be tempted beyond your abilities. With the temptation, God will also supply a way out so that you will be able to endure it. – 1 Corinthians 10:13 (CEB, adapted)


Temptation Island was a fantastically terrible reality show several years back. Monogamous couples went to a tropical paradise to test the strength of their relationship when tempted by romantic dinners and lusty late night hot tub dates with irresistibly attractive female and male models. One TV reviewer said the show marked “a level of unprecedented sleaziness.”


And I watched every episode.


What couple in their right minds would tempt themselves like this? Imagine the conversations that led them to apply for the show: “It’ll be fun! We’re faithful! We’ll be famous!” Meanwhile in Hot Tub Cove…


Tempting, indeed. And certainly not uncommon temptations.


Personally, I don’t need to be on a manufactured reality show to struggle with temptation. Actual reality is my own personal temptation island. And I don’t think that’s uncommon.


How often we have prayed, “Lead me not into temptation,” yet we lead ourselves there? Temptation is all around. If we can’t remove or avoid it, we can name it and turn from it. Maybe the God-given way out, the way to endure it is to name it out loud to someone else (confess it!), then turn away (reject and repent!) and put some distance between yourself and temptation.


Maybe those couples on Temptation Island got it right in one small but important way: We do not have to face temptation alone.


Prayer

If you can’t help stop me from buying a plane ticket there, God, then please show me the way out of my own Temptation Island. Amen.

About the Author

Chris Mereschuk (he/him) is an Unsettled Pastor and the Founder of RevCJM, LLC, specializing in church vitality and Legacy consulting and coaching.

Is there someone in your life in need of PRAYER? Click here to fill out a prayer request form and Pastor Bruce will mention that person’s first name during worship. Please be sensitive to privacy. Permission to share from those involved must be granted before making a request.

ITEMS CURRENTLY NEEDED: 



CANNED FRUIT (NOT APPLESAUCE)

BAKED BEANS

CANNED PASTA

Let's remember our Friends, Members, Forget-Me-Nots and others as we go through the week. Keep each other in your thoughts and prayers and stay connected if possible.


MARCH


11 Tom Davis

12 Joan Demkee

12 Jennifer Amato

12 Tim Hovis

15 Dalton Biery

16 Joan Jones

23 Lisa Koch

24 Katie Y 

26 Andrew Miller

26 Thomas Miller

28 Barbara Strimple

30 Tom Herstine

31 Patricia Babos

 

A Special THANK YOU to all who continue to financially support our ministry as you are able. We'd like to remind you there are several ways you can do this:

  1. Mail your offering directly to the church
  2. Make an electronic donation through Tithe.ly on our website's Giving page
  3. Use your bank's Bill Pay service
IMPORTANT LINKS

MARCH FOCUS ON FAITH

(Archived Newsletters)


MEMBERS & FRIENDS DIRECTORY

(Updated February 2023)


Need to make changes, corrections, or additions to our Church Directory? Click HERE to let us know if your info is current or if we need to make

changes. Thanks in advance for taking the time to keep our

Church Directory up to date.


FAITH'S MISSION BOOKLET


PENN NORTHEAST CONFERENCE


UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST


Contact us via email or call the church office at 610.282.3939


Rev. Dr. Bruce C. Stevenson, Lead Pastor

Dennis J. Duda, Organist & Music Director

Sandy David, Parish Administrator

(click on names to send an email)