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CHURCH NEWS, MARCH, 2009
CHURCH NEWS CONTENTS
Pastor's Study
March Worship Schedule
Parish Health Ministry
Lenten Program Schedule
Outreach
Congregational Life
RCWM
Seminarian Update
JOY
Display Showcase
Children, Youth, and Education
Kermit!
Stephen Ministry
Thank You's and Notes
November Calendar
From the
Pastor's Study....
Dear
Church family,
The season of Lent is often described as a “journey,” or a “pilgrimage
to Easter.” Lent, the 40 days
before Easter, is the time to journey within our own hearts and minds
to concentrate on self-reflection,
and self-examination. After we have looked at our own lives, we gain
enough insight to see just how
we are to walk with Jesus as a disciple. Our theme this Lent is
"Walking to . . . . Walking with . . . .
Walking through". We walk to Jerusalem and the Cross. Our faith is
challenged as we walk to
Jerusalem, and examine our hearts and minds. We also walk with Jesus of
Nazareth during this season.
Lent reminds us to get to know Jesus closer. Walk with Jesus at your
side, and feed on his wisdom,
his knowledge, his love. The story ends with us walking through the
events of Holy Week. We join
with Jesus in his walk through the grave, which takes us from our death
to our new life on Easter
Morning. I do hope you join us this Lenten season, especially this
lenten season, as we all struggle
with issues of our economy, job loss, and economic downturn. I find
that I am particularly
strengthened by the relationships of our church family, as we seek to
support one another through
these hard times.
Our March worship schedule is on the next page.. I look forward to
seeing you in worship!
In Christ's Service,
Rev. Keith W. Tamlyn, Pastor
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March 2009
WORSHIP SCHEDULE
March
9:15 and 11:00 Sunday Services
1 Lent I
Theme: Jesus in the wilderness/Communion
Scripture: Mark 1:
9-15
Meditation: "Jesus Confronts and Defeats; for us"
8 Lent II
Theme: Take up your Cross
Scripture: Mark 8: 31-38
Sermon: "The
Cross is NOT an Option"
15 Lent III
Theme: The way of the cross and the way of the world/A Sunday with
Daffodils
Scripture: I Corinthians 1: 18-25, John 2: 13-22
Sermon: "The Gap Between Our Ways, and God's Ways"
22 Lent IV
Theme: Christ is the light of the world, and yet we
"loved darkness rather than light."
Scripture: John 3: 14-21
Sermon: "We Who
Love the Night"
29 Lent V
Theme: God continues to reach out to us
Scripture: Jeremiah 31: 31-34
John
12: 20-33
Sermon: "Walking To.............."
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Parish
Health Ministry
Mary Lou Grott, R.N., Parish Nurse, 462-0810, Ext 105, Tues., Wed.,
Thurs.
CANCER PREVENTION AND EARLY DETECTION
I know how the very mention of the word “cancer” can make us feel more
worried,
uneasy and nervous. We all know friends and loved ones who have
suffered with
cancer in the past or may be battling it as I write this, and we are
all fully aware that
we, too, could develop this disease. Before we go any further, I want
to stress this
important hope-filled fact - there are several positive things we can
do to lower our
risk of developing cancer and to increase our chances of
detecting it early when it is
still very curable. I have been reading the wealth of information
on the American
Cancer Society’s (ACS) website in preparation for writing this article
for you, and the
brief summary that follows is just a sampling of the up-to-date
information found there.
I encourage each of you reading this to take the time to visit the
site, written in
easy-to-understand language and user-friendly categories, to learn as
much as you can
to safeguard your health. For those without computers and the internet,
I have printed
the 2009 ACS Cancer Detection/ Screening Guidelines, with copies
available for you
on the Parish Health Bulletin Board in the Gathering Area. Please call
if I can assist you
in obtaining more specific information on my office computer.
Cancer Prevention from the American Cancer Society - What you eat and
drink, how
you live, where you work...all these factors can affect your risk of
cancer:
• Tobacco and Cancer - Smoking
damages nearly every organ in the body, is linked to
at least 10 different cancers, and accounts for some 30% of all cancer
deaths and 87%
of lung cancer deaths. Yet 1 in 4 Americans still light up. If you or
someone you know
uses tobacco, go to this site to learn more and get help in quitting.
To kick the habit, it
takes motivation, dependable support, and sound strategies. There is
even an on-line web
support group that you can join. Stop into my office if I can help get
you started! I
quit 20 years ago, know how tough it can be, and also know anyone can
do it!!
• Sun Safety - Some
practical steps to protect you from skin cancer are: limit direct sun
exposure during midday (10am-4pm),cover up, wear a hat, use sunscreen
with a Sun
Protection Factor(SPF) of 15 or higher regularly and properly, wear
sunglasses that
block UV rays, and avoid tanning beds and sunlamps. Learn more about
the different
types of skin cancer and how to regularly check yourself for changes in
your skin.
• Food and Fitness - Eating
right, being active, and maintaining a healthy weight are
mportant ways to reduce your risk of cancer, in addition to preventing
heart disease
and diabetes. Changing our diets to include more fiber through whole
grains and nuts,
eating more fruits and vegetables and less animal/saturated fat, and
including a variety
of exercise in our daily lives are vital keys to overall wellness.
• Environmental and Occupational
Cancer Risks - Environmental factors can
include smoking, diet, sun exposure, and infectious diseases, as well
as chemicals and
radiation in our homes and workplaces. Learn more about these risks and
how you
can reduce them.
• Early Detection - The ACS
believes that early detection examinations and tests can
help save lives and reduce suffering from cancers of the breast, colon,
rectum, cervix,
prostate, testicles, mouth, and skin. In fact, if all Americans had
early detection testing
according to the ACS guidelines, the 5-year survival rate for people
with these cancers
would increase to about 95% !! We all need to follow these established
guidelines with care.
Last Parenting 101 Class is on Sunday, March 8, 9:15 a.m. in Room 7,
facilitated by Mary
and Ozzie Mantilla, entitled “Keeping Your Family Strong.”
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OUR 2009
LENTEN DINNERS AND PROGRAMS
MARCH 4 -- 11 -- 18 -- 25
Dinner at 6:00 p.m. -- Program at 6:45 p.m.
This year, we are offering a very interesting program on the great
religions of the World.
Our program is entitled, "A Brief Analysis of the Three Major
Monotheistic Religions" Our
guest speaker this year is an adjunct Professor at Marist College, Mr.
John McPhee. Mr. McPhee
has been with Marist since 1998. He has also taught at Manhattan
College and St. Peters College.
He is a former Catholic School Principal in two schools in Poughkeepsie.
John and his wife, Johanna, have three children and one grandchild on
the way. John is very
active with his children, especially in the Boy Scouts of America,
where he has been a Scout
Leader for 18 years.
We welcome John to New Hackensack Reformed Church, and look forward to
his Wednesday
evening programs. Please sign up in the Gathering area at church on
Sunday mornings, or call
the church office (462-0810).
March
4 "The Concept of God
in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam
11 "Different Practices in
Abrahamic Faith Traditions"
18 "Ethical Implications of
Abrahamic Faith Traditions"
25 "The Christian Response to each
of the Abrahamic Faith Traditions
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OUTREACH
A SUNDAY WITH DAFFODILS....
March 15th, 2009 - We will continue our Lenten journey and prepare our
hearts and
minds to grow ever closer to God and His purpose for us. Our sanctuary
will be filled with
beautiful blooming daffodils, representing the gifts of hope and
healing as we remember
loved ones who face cancer both now and in the past. The deadline for
ordering your
daffodils in honor or memory of someone special and in support of the
American Cancer
Society is Monday, March 9th. Please see the yellow insert
in the Church News for
more information.
Homeless Shelter Meal Program....
NHRC has adopted the fourth Sunday of the month to prepare meals for up
to sixty homeless folks. With the number
of groups at NHRC, the meals can be very easy to prepare. If you
are a member of a choir, music group, council,
committee, small group, Bible study, or youth group, please consider
adopting one of the months and having your
group work together to prepare a meal for the homeless shelter.
To reserve a month or if you have any questions
about the procedures, please contact Arra Mowry at 297-0612 or email at
psalm46amm@optononline.net. Thank
you for your consideration.
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CONGREGATIONAL
LIFE
PROPERTY COMMITTEE
Frank Darrow, Chair, 297-8307
NHRC will undertake a significant work project in 2009 to accomplish
repairs to our buildings. The
scope of work will include the bell tower and ceiling above the
sanctuary, windows in Fellowship Hall,
and exterior trim at the parsonage.
The first phase of the work is to remove all of the siding, trim,
windows and louvers at the bell tower.
While this phase is in progress, we will assess the condition of the
roof and structure of the bell tower.
If anything needs repair or replacement, it will be done at this
time. Once the roof and structure have
been repaired (if required) the exterior of the bell tower will be
finished with cementitious siding and
trim, vinyl windows, and aluminum louvers. All of the siding,
trim, windows and louvers will match the
style and be finished in colors to match the former materials.
Once the exterior work is completed, the
damaged corner bead in the ceiling of the sanctuary will be removed and
replaced with a flexible corner
bead. The work on the bell tower and ceiling is not expected to
interrupt normal Sunday use of the
sanctuary for service.
The second phase of the work is to replace all of the window surrounds
and sills on the exterior of the
building, except for the church, where needed. The existing
surrounds will be removed in their entirety
and replaced with a PVC or cementitious surround and sill, finished and
in the style of the former surrounds.
The third phase of the work is to replace the damaged exterior trim on
the parsonage. The existing trim
will be removed where needed and replaced with PVC or cementitious trim
to match the style and color
of the former trim.
A detailed drawing has been prepared for the bell tower work, with the
scope of work for the Fellowship
Hall windows, trim at the parsonage, and sanctuary ceiling outlined on
the drawing. The entire scope of
work has been reviewed with the Town of Wappinger building inspector
and a building permit will be
required for this work. Requests for bids from local contractors
will take place later this winter with
construction to commence during the spring.
NHRC has secured a loan from Ulster Savings Bank to pay off the higher
interest loan from Reformed
Church in America, and provide the financing for these necessary
repairs to our property.
If anyone has questions, please feel free to contact any member of the
Property Committee.
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R.C.W.M.
All women of our church and friends are invited to our Women’s Health
program, on Friday
evening, March 6, at 6:30 p.m. We are delighted that the Wellness
Committee has invited
Ann Bollman, F.N.P./P.A.-C, to answer many questions that women have on
current health issues.
The “Questions, Answers and More” format that she used last time she
joined us will be repeated.
You are invited to join us with your written questions on health
matters. She is an active Nurse
Practitioner at Fishkill Obstetrics and Gynecology, and is very
knowledgeable in the health field.
The program will help us all to be better informed.
We will start the evening with a quiche and salad supper prepared for
you by our Reformed
Church Women’s Ministries group. We will eat at 6:30, followed by our
program at 7:15.
Please see the sign-up sheet in the Gathering Area to let us know that
you are coming. A freewill
offering will be taken to cover the cost of our supper.
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Seminarian
Update
As I write this, it is January 31st and one month of the new year has
past. In some ways, the
month has seemed eternally long with the very frequent storms and
extreme cold we have had.
It makes me reflect that we are so blessed to be able to have warm
homes and warm hearts
and I thank God for this.
February 25th is Ash Wednesday——the beginning of Lent.
This first day of Lent reminds us (in the words of the Heidelberg
Catechism, question and answer #88)
that two things are involved in genuine repentance: "the dying of the
old self and the coming to life of
the new." The way to Easter is the way of the cross. "Do you not know
that all of us who have been
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?" (Romans 6:3).
New life with Christ involves
a daily surrendering of the old life.
In many ways, my seminary journey at New Brunswick Theological School,
has been a Lenten journey
and continues as a Lenten journey. My “old self” has died and I am
coming into my “new self”.
I returned to seminary in the fall, taking Biblical Hebrew and
Spiritual Formation. Biblical Hebrew has
been the most challenging, frustrating, and time-consuming class I have
taken thus far. I cannot begin
to tell you how many hours outside the classroom I spent each week
studying, translating, and memorizing.
God never said it was going to be easy, but what He did reveal to me is
that we are able to work through
our challenges when we allow Him to be by our side and on our inside.
He never left me during the
entire semester. I passed the both classes.
I just started the spring semester where I continue with Hebrew
Exegesis. I also continue to preach at
the Reformed Church of Beacon (Beacon, NY). Where I have been the past
2 ½ years.
Many of you ask me, how much longer do I have in seminary? It will be
at least another 2 ½ - 3 years
depending on many courses I take per semester. I am trying to discern
the path God has planned for
me; however, in the meantime, I am open to whatever God has in store
for me.
Please continue to pray for me and my seminary journey. At times, it
can be a very lonely journey and
your prayers sustain me and give me the hope that “I can do this.”
During Lent, my prayers for you at NHRC is that you will allow God to
work in your life, allow the
“old-self” to die and let the “new-self” emerge! New life with Christ
involves a daily surrendering of
the old life. The way to Easter is the way to the cross.
Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return, but the
steadfast love of the Lord endures forever.
Shalom,
Jan Fritzinger
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JOY
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DISPLAY
SHOWCASE
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CHILDREN,
YOUTH, and EDUCATION
Sue Kimmerle, Christian Education Director, ext. 104
Christian Education.... Sue Kimmerle, Director, 462-0810, ext. 104
Given the state of the economy, the lack of affordable housing, and
severe job losses, many
here in our own church family, it seemed appropriate that we look for a
Lenten mission for
our Sunday School children that would benefit our local community.
This year's Sunday School mission project for Lent will give the
children of our church family an
opportunity to help support and uplift homeless children right here in
our area. NHRC children
will be asked to collect change (pennies welcome!) throughout Lent. All
offerings collected will
go directly to fund activities for homeless children currently living
in shelters in our
community....children loving other children through change!
More information to follow in the Sunday bulletins and through your
child's Sunday School teachers.
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Greetings
from Kermit!
The days are getting longer now, and it looks like winter may be
calming down too. But even
though I’ve had a long wait for summer, it hasn’t been a boring time,
because I’ve really enjoyed
watching the 2009 Piggy Bank Bazaar preparations get underway.
They’re really moving along!!
Wednesday Morning Workshops for March will be held on the 4th, 11th,
18th, and 25th,
at 9:30 a.m. in Room 15. Lots of new, easy projects are planned
for the Workshops. During
March the team will be working on decorating a pine swag, bracelets
with floral beads, doggy
charm bracelets, memory wire rings, painting a wooden cutout, froggy
bulletin boards, decorating
sand dollars, flower arrangements, and tin hearts with rub-on stickers.
There are usually several
projects underway at once, so YOU are bound to find YOUR niche!!
The Workshops
produced 694 items last year, and this year we’re aiming for at least
that many. Young children
are always welcome, too!!
Some of the Wednesday Workshop Folks met with 20 Girl Scouts from
troops 202 and 10284.
The girls and their leaders learned about flower arranging, and made 28
beautiful arrangements
for Piggy Bank Bazaar. Mrs. Ray (my nice human friend who always loves
to work with young
people) tells me that it was a lot of fun, and that I should be sure to
give a Great Big Froggy
Thank You to the scouts and their leaders!
At the Annual Planning Meeting in February, it was decided that
donations for this year will be
distributed to the Youth Fellowships, Gems, the Baby Roll, camperships
to overnight Christian
camps, and for reducing the mortgage on the church building.
The Workers also spent time in February cleaning out and rearranging
the contents of Piggy’s
Closet, so there is room now for additional supplies. In
particular we need rick rack, floral foam,
floral moss, baskets, small and medium size vases or containers for
flower arrangements, basket
grass like Easter grass, beads, jewelry making supplies, mugs,
sandpaper, small birds, new
candles (all sizes), new nails, screws, hooks and washers, wool plaid
fabric, fleece fabric, felt,
yardsticks, rulers, Styrofoam balls and cones, craft wire, polyester
stuffing and batting, pom poms,
jingle bells, yarn, craft paints, buttons, and any miscellaneous craft
supplies. The Wednesday
Morning folks really enjoy the challenge of creating gifts from
everyone’s donations, and it certainly
helps keep expenses down!!
We need YOUR HELP to make sure we have a variety of crafts available
for April 26th,
Take-Home Kit Sunday. Please consider if YOU could become a designer of
some take home kits.
Each designer takes a craft idea, makes a sample of that craft, writes
the directions, and assemble
the materials needed to make more of the craft. Please call Mrs.
Ray (Carol, at 297-4830) and
volunteer!! She has lots of ideas and catalogs to help you.
That’s all the Piggy Bank news I have, so I’ll hop on down to the pond
and hope that the groundhog
was wrong about 6 more weeks of winter. I’ll see YOU at the
Workshops!
Yours in Love,
Kermit
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STEPHEN
MINISTRY
Stephen Ministers Commissioned....
Sunday, January 18, was a joyous occasion at NHRC as three members of
our congregation,
Christine Andrews, Jean Joyce and Arra Mowry, were commissioned as
Stephen Ministers.
This was the culmination of fifty hours of training and preparation for
this special ministry of
care and concern. Our Stephen Ministers have trained extensively
in such areas as dealing with
feelings (their own and others), crisis intervention, asserting oneself
with gentleness and firmness,
and many other topics dealing with specific aspects of helping people
who are experiencing
problems in their lives.
Following their commissioning, our Stephen Ministers will be carrying
out a very special ministry
in our congregation and our community. They will be working with
people who are experiencing
life crises such as illness, retirement, loss of jobs, loss of a loved
one, as well as many other
problems that all people have at different times in their lives.
If you believe that you could benefit from the love and care of a
Stephen Minister, discuss the
matter with our pastor or call Mary Lou Grott who serves as our Stephen
Minister Referral
Coordinator.
If you believed that this is a ministry that you would like to
participate in, our next class is scheduled
to begin in the fall. Call the office and speak to Hazel
Gregson. This may be the perfect opportunity
for you to expand upon your personal discipleship goal of serving.
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Thank You's
and Notes
To Our Church Family,
Many thanks for all the “TLC” we have received from NHRC. The
prayers, cards, phone calls,
food and rides have helped us over some rough spots. From David’s
pacemaker in November
to our twin ambulance rides on December 26, to Vassar Brothers
Hospital. WE are now home
and coping (sort of) with the change in our lives. Our special
thanks to Keith, Marie, Mary Lou,
Rod, Karen, the choir and the shepherd group.
God bless you all,
David and Beverly Bowen
ENJOY A FREE DIGITAL ISSUE OF THE
CHURCH HERALD!!!
The Church Herald, the magazine serving members of the Reformed Church
in America, is
available in a digital format. To enjoy a free digital issue,
send your e-mail address to the
Church Herald at herald@rca.org and we'll supply each e-mail address
with a unique link to
our next issue. This offer is available to all members of the
Reformed Church.
For more details, see the flyers at our Information Center.
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MARCH
CALENDAR
1,
Sunday
Communion/First Lent
8:00
a.m.
Adult Sunday School
9:15
a.m.
Worship, Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
10:30
a.m.
Cherub/Celebration Choirs
11:00
a.m.
Worship
5:15
p.m.
Confirmation Class
2, Monday
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00
p.m.
Klokken I
8:00
p.m.
Campanola Ringers
3, Tuesday
10:30 a.m.
Strength and Balance Exercixe
11:45 a.m.
JOY Committee
7:00
p.m.
Councils/Committees
4, Wednesday
6:45
a.m.
Men’s Christ_Care
9:30
a.m.
Piggy Bank Workshop
6:30
p.m.
Lenten Dinner/Program
7:00
p.m.
Boy Scout Troop 56
Stephen Ministry Supervision
5, Thursday
9:30
a.m.
Bible Study at the Hoyt’s
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
7:00
p.m.
CIA Youth Study at Meaney’s
7:15
p.m.
Senior Choir
6, Friday
10:30
a.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
6:30
p.m.
RCWM Wellness Dinner/Program
6:30
p.m.
“Bigger Game” Workshop
For Staff & Consistory
7, Saturday
9:30
a.m.
“Bigger Game” Workshop
For Staff & Consistory
8, Sunday
Daylight Savings Begins/Second Lent
8:00
a.m.
Adult Sunday School
9:15
a.m.
Worship, Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
Parenting 101 Class
10:30 a.m.
Cherub/Celebration Choirs
11:00 a.m.
Worship
12:15 p.m.
“Bigger Game” Workshop
For Staff & Consistory
5:15
p.m.
Confirmation Class
9, Monday
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00
p.m.
Klokken I
8:00
p.m.
Campanola Ringers
10, Tuesday
10:30 a.m.
Strength and
Balance Exercise
11, Wednesday
6:45
a.m.
Men’s Christ_Care
9:30
a.m.
Piggy Bank Workshop
6:30
p.m.
Lenten Dinner/Program
7:00
p.m.
Boy Scout Troop 56
12, Thursday
9:30
a.m.
Bible Study at the Hoyt’s
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
7:00
p.m.
CIA Youth at the Meaney’s
7:15
p.m.
Senior Choir
13, Friday
10:30 a.m.
Strength
and Balance Exercise
3:30 p.m.
April News Deadline
14, Saturday
9:00
a.m.
Confirmation Retreat
15, Sunday
Daffodil Sunday/Third Lent
8:00
a.m.
Adult Sunday School
9:15
a.m.
Worship, Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
10:30
a.m.
Cherub and Celebration Choirs
11:00 a.m.
Worship
16, Monday
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00
p.m.
Klokken I
8:00
p.m.
Campanola Ringers
17, Tuesday
St. Patrick’s Day
10:30 a.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
18, Wednesday
6:45
a.m.
Men’s Christ_Care
9:30
a.m.
Piggy Bank Workshop
6:30
p.m.
Lenten Dinner/Program
7:00
p.m.
Stephen Ministry Supervision
Boy Scout Troop 56
7:30
p.m.
Nursery School Board
19, Thursday
9:30
a.m.
Bible Study at the Hoyt’s
10:00 a.m.
Wellness
Committee
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
7:00 p.m
CIA Youth at the Meaney’s
7:15
p.m.
Senior Choir
20,
Friday
‚‚ Spring Begins ‚‚
9:30 a.m.
Collate March New
10:30 a.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
22, Sunday
Fourth Lent
8:00
a.m.
Adult Sunday School
9:15
a.m.
Worship, Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
10:00 a.m.
Blood Pressure Screening
10:30 a.m.
Cherub/Celebration Choirs
11:00 a.m.
Worship
5:15
p.m.
Confirmation Class
8:30
p.m.
Dutchess Homeless Shelter
23, Monday
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00
p.m.
Klokken I
8:00
p.m.
Campanola Ringers
24, Tuesday
10:30 a.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
7:00
p.m.
Consistory Meeting
25, Wednesday
6:45
a.m.
Men’s Christ‚Care
9:30
a.m.
Piggy Bank Workshop
6:30
p.m.
Lenten Dinner/Program
7:00
p.m.
Boy Scout Troop 56
26, Thursday
9:30
a.m.
Bible Study at the Hoyt’s
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
7:00
p.m
CIA Youth at the Meaney’s
7:15
p.m.
Senior Choir
27, Friday
10:30 a.m.
Strength and Balance
Exercise
29, Sunday
Fifth Lent
8:00
a.m.
Adult Sunday School
9:15
a.m.
Worship, Sunday School
Jr. and Sr. High
10:30 a.m.
Cherub/Celebration Choirs
11:00 a.m.
Worship
5:15
p.m.
Confirmation Class
30, Monday
4:45
p.m.
Strength and Balance Exercise
6:00
p.m.
Klokken I
8:00
p.m.
Campanola Ringers
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Last updated 02/28/2009