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March, 2014

UPCOMING EVENTS

March 1—Empty Tomb

Work-a-thon

March 5—Ash Wednesday

Service at 7 pm

March 8—Prayer Partner

Breakfast

March 8—Trivia Night!

March 9—Mission Sunday

March 17-19—Pastor at

Conference

March 29—Worship Seminar

Volunteer Opportunity

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: With the Young Crowd 2 Church Updates 3 Mission Sunday Prayer Partners Breakfast Portrait Event Lenten Schedule Word on our Missionaries 4 Parish Nurse Worship Seminar 5 Elder’s Corner In Our Prayers 6 Celebrations Calendar 7 The Flavors of Friendship 8 Gifford Updates

Visit the calendar at www.friendshiplutheran.com

Pastor Brian Writes—

At the Cross

Our spiritual journey is not always an easy one. As we travel the long, difficult road that God is calling us to walk, we must bear a cross. That cross represents our death to our sinful desires and ways of life. But the way of the cross always leads to a resurrection and new life. When we think about the cross we must bear, we need to surrender to God so that we won’t give up or stumble beneath the weight. As God leads us to do His will instead of our own, we may wish there were some other way. We may feel fear, lack of confidence, deep anguish, and a host of other emotions that threaten to stop us in our tracks. Regardless of our feelings, we must not let them cause us to turn away from the path God sets before us. Jesus understands our fears and our struggles to persevere. He had similar emotions the night He was arrested. “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38). As He realized the enormity of the pain He would face, He wondered if there were some other way.

He struggled and prayed the same basic prayer three times, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want Your will, not mine” (Matt. 26:39). As we can see from the end of His prayer, however, Jesus accepted God’s plan as His own. The choices and decisions that await you in the days and weeks to come may test and challenge you. If events of the past have caused you to doubt or when uncertainty weaves its way into your thinking, then follow the same plan as your Savior. Rely on God rather than man. Trust not in your own ways but in God’s. Pray that His will become your own. We may be overwhelmed as we consider the cross we will have to bear on the way to a new life. But during such times of struggle, we can go to Jesus for encouragement and express our deepest emotions. As we cry out for help, we can be confident that we will be given the strength we need to do God’s will and hopefully make it our own.

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With the Young Crowd

Scrip sales will continue,

Check on Sundays to see what we have in inventory, but You may also order off the order form . We would like to keep shipping costs down, so if you would please order on Sundays, We can place the order Monday morning with the company and have your cards by Wednesday!

Please prayerfully consider becoming involved in the program to help sustain our youth programs. If you need an

order form, would like to place an order, or need more information, please contact the Church Office.

All proceeds from this fundraiser go towards the

youth programs.

Below is the letter from Molly.

Grace and peace be to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus! It has been a joy and a privilege to serve and worship alongside you and your families for the past year and a half. With-out a doubt, I have experienced growth in ministry and faith during my time here at Friendship. However, after prayer and thoughtful consideration, I believe that God is calling me to move on, and accept a call to Mount Calvary to serve as their Director of Christian Education. This was not an easy decision for me to make. It was with much prayer and many tears that I have come to this decision. The congregation has been so wonderful to me, and you will always hold a special place in my heart. One of the most difficult aspects of moving away is to say good-bye to so many friends that I have made. But, the greatest part of this faith that we share, is that this is not the end, and I will indeed see you again. You are, and will continue to be, in my prayers. Molly Marcis

Youth Nights are every Sunday night from 7-9,

all High School Youth are welcome and bring

friends! We’d love to see you all there!

BUDGET UPDATE (1/1—2/28/2014) Offerings (Year-to-date) $39,925.37 Expense (Year-to-date) $46,180.43

Saturday March 8th- 2nd Annual Trivia Night!- Begins at 6 pm-Gather your team together and bring your "A" game for a great time! More details to follow in bulletin.

Friday April 11th- Talent Show and Dessert Auction- Come join us for a night of talent and yummy treats! Contact Monica Pape if you or someone you know has a talent to share, or if you would like to donate a dessert to auction. Mark your calendars so you can attend! Sunday April 20th- Easter Breakfast- The Men of Friendship will be making Breakfast Easter for the congregation and guests, but they have graciously allowed the youth to have any profits from the donations given that morning. Youth will be helping serve drinks and clean up! Upcoming events TBA El Toro Night- we will pass out flyers to bring with you on a selected night for 20% of profits. 4th Annual Bowling Tournament, Car Wash! and we will be sell-ing some awesome food products.

Lastly! If you would like to or are able to donate towards the trip, it costs approx. $500 per person going, and each participant is asked to pay $200. If you would like to help sponsor an individual to help them pay their $200 or give towards the trip as a whole, we would be very grateful and your money will be go-ing to help make homes warmer, safer and drier in Appalachia:) If you got this far, thank you! We are so excited to be spreading God's love and being His hands and feet:)

Trina Wetzel and the ASP Group

DCE takes a Call to serve in Wisconsin It was in early January that Molly told Pastor Brian that she had received a call to be the DCE at another church. Molly followed accepted procedure that involved seeking, receiving, contemplat-ing and then either accepting or returning a call. Molly decided to accept it. That means that we will be forming a committee to re-appraise our situation and move forward in the direction we be-lieve God is leading us. Please pray for God’s guidance for FLCJ.

<——Remember This? It’s been 1 year since we built

the addition!

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CHURCHWIDE UPDATES

Mission Sunday

Church Portrait Event!

Mission Sunday will be on March 9th. This month we will feature coffee cakes or sweet breads. Please bring whatever is your specialty. Thank you so much for your donations last month--delicious!

Join us for our Prayer Partner Breakfast on Saturday, March 8 at 9am. Come reveal who your partner has been over the past year. Now is the time to get involved if you haven't been blessed by this ministry in the past. If you wish to participate in this program but cannot attend the breakfast, you must complete a form and submit it to Denise Pacey BEFORE March 8th.

ASH Wednesday-

March 5 at 7:00 pm. Lent Services—

March 12,19,26, April 2, 9 at 7:00 pm

Lenten Dinners will begin on Ash Wednesday, Mar. 5 at 5:45! We are trying a later start time this year. Please have food to the lower level by 5:30-5:40. There are several dinner options to choose from Including soup/salad, taco, sloppy joes, & fried chicken. Come enjoy good food and great fellowship then come to worship at 7 p.m. The youth will help set up and clean up. All proceeds will go to the Youth Group’s trip to ASP. Sign up sheets are located on the bulletin board in the narthex. If you have any questions, see Rich Gegg (621-4288) or Lisa Hellmer (586-7663).

About “Restored In Christ” The season of Lent is a time for us to face together the brokenness of our lives and our world, and then turn that brokenness over to Christ so that we can be restored by him through the cross. Each service in this stirring series focuses on a certain event in the Lenten story and takes a good, hard look at a broken element from that particular story. Coming to an understanding of how each of these broken elements leads to restoration in Christ is key to understanding what it ultimately means to live today as new creations in Christ.

Ash Wednesday “Broken Hearts Restored” • Joel 2:12-14 Our hearts are broken in sorrow over sin;

Christ restores our hearts through his forgiveness.

Week 1 “Broken Vessel Restored” • Mark 14:1-9

A broken vessel holds costly perfume; we are broken vessels restored when Christ pays the price for us on the cross.

Week 2

“Broken Trust Restored” • Matthew 26:14-25 Judas breaks his trust with Jesus by betraying him;

our broken trust is restored through the sacrifice of Christ.

Week 3 “Broken Bread Restored” • John 6:48-58

Bread is broken at the Last Supper; we are restored through the Bread of Life, Jesus.

Week 4

“Broken Promises Restored” • Matthew 26:69-75 Peter’s broken promises to never deny Jesus are restored

by the surpassing love of Christ.

Week 5 “Broken Justice Restored” • 2 Corinthians 5:20-21

A broken justice system put Jesus on the cross; we are restored when by his death we are declared not guilty.

We are excited to announce that we have requested the services of Life-touch Church Directories to prepare our Pictorial Family Album. It will contain color portraits of all the families, some candid pictures of our activities and updated addresses and phone num-bers. Have your friends and family join you. They are not obligated to be in our directory! Each family photographed will select a pose for the directory, and receive FREE:

An 8 x 10 Portrait or 9 Wallets A Church Directory

For your convenience, you will be able to view your portraits within minutes from having them taken. There is NO OBLIGATION , however, you will have the opportunity to order portraits. Please bring your credit card, cash or checkbook. If you are a generational family e.g. Grandparents, daughter, son-in-law, grandchildren, consider signing up together and having a generations picture taken along with your individual family pictures. You can also bring your musical instrument, sports paraphernalia, or a pet to reflect your personality in the photo. SIGN UP TWO CONVENIENT WAYS

Schedule an appointment online by going to

www.appt.lifetouch.com & get a $10 coupon on your reminder email

Sign up on Sundays at church starting on March 9.

Please sign up ASAP to lock in your preferred date. Plan to be here for about 1 hour. The photography sessions are here at the church on:

Apr 10 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm Apr 11 2:00 pm – 9:00 pm Apr 12 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Donate a food item, or cash for the pantry the day of your photo session, & you will receive a $5.00 off coupon (one per household) towards your portrait order. All active military, police, fire, and seniors 60 and over receive a 20% discount. Please join us and make this project a success!

Parish Nurse Notes

Reaching the Unreached Ministry Rodney & Malinda Hinrichs www.reachingtheunreached.org Missionaries: Pascal and Mary/Cote D’Ivoire Since its inception "Reaching the Unreached" has had three goals. 1. To plant churches in villages where there were no churches. 2. That these churches would have the opportunity to hear about and impact nations and tribes for Christ. 3. That family and friends would have an opportunity to sup-port missions and find when they get to heaven they will have a much greater reward than they thought. The only thing we can take with us to heaven is people. Our mission work has one purpose; to bring people to heaven who have not heard of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to be involved in this effort through our support of Pascal and Mary in the Ivory Coast. They are faithfully praying for, preaching the gospel to, and praising God for the people they reach. They serve in five villages and continue to ask us to pray that God would send them more people to disciple.

I hope that your families are praying together not only for health and safety for Pascal and Mary, but also that the Holy Spirit will guide and direct them so faith and life transformation will be birthed in those they reach. Isn't it exciting to think that we too will have an inheritance in heaven awaiting us through our involvement in prayer and support! Great news! The money given in excess of our commitment last year was forwarded to Pascal and Mary. This should enable them to complete their home. Hopefully they can move in soon and thus save the expensive rent cost. Thank you!

Word On Our Missionaries

6 Strategies for Slimming Down

Mindless munching and rushed eating are 2 of the many ways Americans sabotage weight loss efforts. Paying attention to what and how you eat can help you make better choices. 1. Don't skip meals-when you skip meals or reduce calories too drastically your metabolism slows and your body goes into starvation mode. Eating smaller portions of healthy foods more frequently throughout the day helps boost your metabo-lism and satisfy your appetite. Eating breakfast is important. 2. Chew slowly and enjoy!- Eating should be enjoyable not just something to complete as soon as possible. The mind and the body work together when eating. Not paying attention to your food can affect the digestive system causing gas and bloating. If you're preoccupied while eating you might miss the signal to your brain that tells you you're full. Remove the distractions, savor your food. 3. Eat for nutrition-It's important to keep healthy foods on hand that are easy to prepare such as lean meats, whole grains, fruits, fresh veggies, yogurt, nuts, and nut butters. Instead of mindlessly grabbing a donut or cookie, choose and apple or banana.

4. Control the late night snacking--Calories consumed late in the day usually don't get burned up as quickly as those consumed earlier because many people aren't as active at night Chose a cut-off time to stop eating. Choose foods easily digested and low in calories. Popcorn, fresh fruit, or low-fat cheese and whole grain crackers are good options. For portion control eat from a bowl instead of the box or bag. Stop eating completely at least one hour before bedtime so you won't be digesting all night. 5. Indulge a little--Have a little chocolate or one cookie. If you can't stop at one or two, then find a healthy substitute in-stead. Be honest with yourself about which foods lead to binging. 6. Make your own meals--When you cook at home, you know what you're getting and have better control over portion size as well as the amount of sugar, salt, and fat that goes into your food. May God bless your efforts.

Elder’s Corner

What would happen if everyone on your team -- everyone in your congregation -- really understood worship from a biblical perspec-tive? Not music. Worship.

· Do you think you might hear less, "I don't like that song,"

and more, "I love Jesus!"?

· Do you suppose there could be fewer negative comments

about musical styles, and more positive comments about the content of worship?

· Might there be fewer people looking at their watch or

checking their Facebook posts, and more people actively engaging with God during the worship?

For many churches, a scenario like this one would be like some-one switched on the light. So, the big question is, "How do you get that picture to become a reality?" WELL ….. We are VERY excited that Tom Kraeuter is presenting a worship seminar addressing the topic of genuine worship at YOUR church on March 29th from 9 am – noon. The non-discounted cost is $39 for one, $29 per person for a group of 4 or more and $19 for a spouse and/or youth. I will be collecting the registration forms for our church and will send them in as a group, therefore, the cost will only be $29. However, any member wishing to attend, Friendship will contribute $19 per each person registering. This makes the cost per family only $10 (if you register before March 18th) since the spouse and/or youth are only $19 and Friendship is paying that. We feel this strongly that this is such a wonderful opportunity that the church wants to help.

Make sure you register by March18th for the reduced rate and to guarantee a spot. There will be registration forms in the bulletin and a table in the Narthex before and after church starting on March 9. You can also print out a form on Tom Kraueter’s website. All you do is go to this link: http://training-resources.org/worship_seminar.html and click “Register for a Seminar”. Then, you will see the seminar in Champaign, IL and it will say Friendship Lutheran Church of Joy! You click on “Champaign, IL” and you will see that you can click on the mailbox to print out a form. You would just fill that out and send or bring it to Friendship. Do NOT register online since we are paying for a major part of the cost.

Additionally, there is a special add-on session from 1-3 pm for an additional $15 designed specifically for those involved in worship ministry. If you sign up for this, we are asking you to bring $5 to offset the price of lunch that we will provide between 12 –1 pm. We are hoping to have an overwhelming response to this event. If you want to go, PLEASE don’t wait too long. There are going to be a lot of advertisements going out to invite the public and other churches as well and it will fill up fast. Also, you want to register early to receive the reduced group pricing. Seminar Topics include: · Envisioning Worship · Is Worship Really a Lifestyle? · What are the Truly Biblical Motivations for Worshiping God? · The Too-Often Missing Element of Worship If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email or at 714-6259. Blessings to you, Monica Pape

“God is love. Whoever lives in love, lives in God and God in him”

(1 John 4:16). In March we will prepare ourselves during the Lenten season for Easter (our Salvation through the cross). This brings us closer to our God and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are then lead to Praise God, which leads to Prayer, and listening to the preaching of Gods Word. That is the order of our church service every Sunday -- Praise God, Pray for our salvation, Preaching giving assurance of Gods love for us. Now, can we live our daily lives in the same manor, Praise, Prayer, and Preaching? We all can start our day with Praise and thanksgiving to God followed by Prayers asking for God’s guidance throughout the day. Then, for preaching, we can listen to the word on radio or read the word or share God’s word with others throughout the day. Many times we will read a few verses from the Bible and then have an opportunity during the day to reflect on those words in our actions or in conversation with others.

The Lord’s command is to go and teach all nations. That includes our family, next-door neighbors and anyone else we meet. The simplest way to be God’s witness is to give God the glory saying “Praise the Lord” for all your accomplishments. Giving God the Glory shows your humility and you can experience the JOY of the Lord.

“Shout for Joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with Joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; We are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; Give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100).

Supplication (Requesting Something)

Thanksgiving

In Our Prayers

Celebrations

Prayers for Kim recovering from a concussion.

Prayers for Tara hospitalized with chronic pain and other health issues.

Please pray for Molly.

Prayers for Nancy and her family as her dad will soon be released to hospice due to liver failure.

Prayers for continued healing for baby Gideon and prayers for baby Penelope born with brain trauma.

Prayers for Hazel at the loss of her husband.

Prayers for Doyle’s friend, Jim, who has suffered cancer, asthma, and COPD.

Prayers to relieve Tracy’s pain as she recovers from jaw surgery.

Prayers of comfort for the family and friends of Rob-ert Mack, Jr. in the wake of his passing. May God welcome him to his new home in heaven.

Prayers for a neighbor who had eye surgery.

Continued prayers for Nancy, Denise, and Joel.

Prayers for peace and comfort for Brian & family, who works with Jeff & Jacquie as his mother, Betty, nears death.

Prayers for Jon who is selling his business and will be looking for a new occupation. Please pray for a successful sale and a smooth transition into a fami-ly friendly job.

Prayers for Monica’s mom who is battling cancer.

Continued prayers for Nancy, Denise, Joel, & Hazel.

Prayers for Christy’s stepfather, Bob, as he has mouth cancer and upcoming surgery. Prayers for peace, successful surgery, and quick healing. Also prayers that the cancer has not spread.

Prayers for Jeff for an upcoming cancer surgery.

Prayers of thanks for Marin who recovered from a recent hospitalization.

Thankfulness to God that Phillip was kept safe after an accident.

March Birthdays 3/1 Andrew Johnson 3/6 Kara Dennemann, Michelle Kaeding 3/8 Elizabeth Morris 3/13 Melissa Roesch, Peyton Hurliman 3/17 Gabe Luhrsen, Albert Morris 3/18 Molly Kloeppel, Dianna Anderson 3/22 Monica Pape, Davida Bluhm 3/24 Kailyn Dennemann 3/25 Dee Blaine 3/26 Tess Bailey 3/27 Jaque Bliss 3/28 Lisa Powell 3/30 Nathan Reitmeier 3/31 Kelly Dennemann

March Baptisms Ron Arends, Denise Pacey, Drew Levan, Vanessa Levan, Blanche Stoller, Natalie Dibbern, Reagan Fisher, Chad Pacey, Jillian Bliss, Brian Pape, Jonathon Fisher, Scott Johnson.

March Anniversaries 3/5 Jean & Roger Clapp 3/9 Greg & Amy Chandler 3/12 Rich & Joni Gegg 3/14 Garrett & Lona Oostdyk 3/28 Kim & Scott Johnson 3/31 Peggy & Paul Peterson 3/31 Ted & Judy Carico

1 8:00 Empty Tomb Work-a-thon

2 8:00 Traditional* 9:15 Sunday School 10:30 Non-Traditional ASP Fundraiser Forms Due 7:00 Youth Group (p.2)

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6:00 Elder’s Mtg.

5 5:45 Lenten Dinner 6:00Confirmation 7:00 Worship

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9:00 Adult Bible Study

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9:00 Prayer Part-ners Breakfast 4:00 Praise Team 6:00 Trivia Night

9 8:00 Traditional 9:15 Sunday School 10:30 NonTraditional* Mission Sunday! (p.3) Portrait Sign-ups Seminar Sign-ups 7:00 Youth Group (p.2)

10 11:30 Elizabeth Circle

11 6:00 Council Mtg.

12 5:45 Lenten Dinner 6:00Confirmation 7:00 Worship

13 9:00 Adult Bible Study

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15 10:00 Robert Hutchison Memorial Service 4:00 Praise Team

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8:00 Traditional* 9:15 Sunday School 10:30 NonTraditional Portrait Sign-ups Seminar Sign-ups 7:00 Youth Group

17

18

19 5:45 Lenten Dinner 6:00Confirmation 7:00 Worship

20 9:00 Adult Bible Study

21 22 4:00 Praise Team

23 8:00 Traditional 9:15 Sunday School 10:30 NonTraditional* Portrait Sign-ups Seminar Sign-ups 7:00 Youth Group

24 11:30 Elizabeth Circle

25 26 5:45 Lenten Dinner 7:00 Worship

27 9:00 Adult Bible Study

6:30 Prayer Shawl

28 29 Worship Seminar 9-Noon Breakout Sessions 1-3 4:00 Praise Team

30 8:00 Traditional* 9:15 Sunday School 10:30 NonTraditional* Portrait Sign-ups 7:00 Youth Group

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Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

* Bolded signifies communion will be offered at this service. 7

Pastor at Conference

8:00 a.m. Traditional Service

9:15 a.m. Sunday School & Bible Studies

10:30 a.m. Non-Traditional

Service

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Nursery & CCLC for children birth-third grade at 10:30 Service.

Holy Communion is offered on the

1st & 3rd Sundays at the 8:00 service and on the 2nd and 4th

Sundays at the 10:30 service . It is offered at both services if there is a

5th Sunday in a given month.

OUR MISSION:

To Joyfully connect people to

Christ and His family.

Tornado Victims—Gifford Updates

The Flavors of Friendship! Friendship Lutheran

Church of

3601 S. Duncan Rd. Champaign, IL 61822

217-355-0454

Pastoral Care Pastor Brian Pape

pastorbrian@friendshiplutheran.com

Staff

Cindy Furtney - Church Secretary office@friendshiplutheran.com

(Office hours 9:00-3:00)

Denise Pacey - Director of Music teacherlady.pacey@gmail.com

Visit us on the internet!

www.friendshiplutheran.com

We are still in the process of setting up a work day to go into Gifford to help the victims of the tornado. We made $1300 from the bake sale right after the storm and half the proceeds and money collected for Gifford from the Dinner Theater was $1600. We are working with a Committee called "Rebuild Gifford". This consists of St. Paul's Lutheran Church and Habitat For Humanity. They are partnering together and formulating a list of people who need assistance because they are not receiving any help from FEMA because they are under-insured. This is a long process and a lot of the work cannot be started until spring. We will keep you updated as soon as we know anything more solid and have a date to give you where Friendship can go into Gifford and SHINE God's love to those in need.

Cookbooks are coming! The Flavors of Friendship Cookbook is going to Print! Only 200 cookbooks have been ordered. They will make great gifts. (weddings, showers, for friends, special events, etc.) and will be sold in time for Easter and Mother’s Day! The price will be $10, and the proceeds will go in part towards the expenses for the youth ASP project and General Missions.