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Sundays at 10am.
From Pastor Jeff’s Desk
YET THIS I CALL TO MIND…
I looked at my calendar today and was shocked to realize that we are just one day away from May 2021! I could not believe how fast things seem to be going these days, and I was taken by a sense of feeling consumed…
Consumed by the calendar….
Consumed by the tasks…
Consumed by the hurry, the news, the phone, the texts, the plans, the sorrow, the fear, the unknown…
And then, by God’s providence, the words of Lamentations 3:21-24 came across my desk yet again (this chapter has been continuously popping up lately).
“Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is enough for me; therefore I will wait for him.’”
Most days when I wake up, I put my feet on the floor and place my palms face up on my knees. I say, “Thank you, Lord, for this new day. Thank you for restoring me while I slept, and thank you, that you go before me today.”
In this way, I feel I “call to mind” our God’s enduring faithfulness. Prayer is a foundational aspect of our life together as a church, and as individuals. In its most basic form, prayer is about "calling to mind" the presence of the Lord. I want to encourage you to find ways to call his faithfulness to mind each day.
In this way, we are not consumed by the demands on our time and life, but instead, centered on He who is “enough.”
Hang in there, my beloved!
This Week’s text
Acts 4:5-14
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
75th Anniversary of GEECC
Our church is creating a custom cookbook, to commemorate 75 years, featuring favorite recipes from our members! Please submit your favorite recipes so you can be represented in our cookbook. You can submit online or bring hardcopies into the office. Please submit by June 30th! Find all info about the church cook book HERE.
We are also asking you to upload pictures and stories that you have from over the years at GEECC. You may upload these things HERE or bring them into the office.
We are excited to start celebrating with you!
Sunday Morning Children’s Ministries
We look forward to welcoming you and spending part of your Sunday morning with your children! Our children’s check-in desk opens at 9:45 am and we currently offer three different classes: Nursery (birth to young 2s), Preschool (2s through preK); and Elementary (Grades K-5). For visitors or those who have not yet returned to in-person attendance, please consider pre-registering at https://rsvp.church/r/PVqdCJjl. (This helps us with supply planning and speeds up the check in process.)
Preschoolers Jump for Excitement Because God’s Way Is Perfect!
Have you ever thought about how many decisions you make in a day? According to some reports, the average adult makes up to 35,000 choices per day. Wow! Some choices are easy – wearing the red shirt or eating the apple instead of the banana. Then, there are the not so easy decisions. What do we do when the decision is hard, and we are struggling to know which way to go? We believe the first step to making wise choices is trusting that God’s way is perfect. Our prayer is that we can help make many of the 35,000 choices a day our preschoolers will b making one day a whole lot easier. They will know to jump, jump, and go God’s way, because God’s way is perfect! This month’s stories begin with “In the Garden” and the Creation Story from Genesis 1:31, 2:8-3:24. Our toddlers will spend the whole month in the garden while our preschoolers will have a new story each week. All month, we will be encouraging the little ones to memorize “God’s way is perfect,” from 2 Samuel 22 :31 NIrV. What a great truth: God’s way is perfect. We will begin in the Garden of Eden. This is when God introduces us to Himself and His perfect plan. We will explore how perfect everything was from the flowers and the food that grew to the amazing animals that Adam was tasked to name. God has a way of doing things, and it works out best for us when we choose to trust that God’s way is perfect.
K5 Sunday and Club 5/6 Students Focus on Running with Commitment
We spend this month with a 5K: Run the Race theme. What that really means is we are getting the kids to think about commitment, which we are defining as making a plan and putting it into practice. Growing in faith is not something that happen by merely cramming more information about the Bible into a child’s brain. All of that knowledge in their head means nothing if we don’t help kids experience what that knowledge can do in their hearts. To fully experience faith, we want kids to practice their faith. And that takes commitment. God keeps all His promises and puts His plans into action. Because God has followed through on those plans, we get the chance to be with God forever. We reflect god’s commitment to us when we can make a plan and stick to it. This month, we’ll help kids discover that one of the best plans they can make is to commit to an ongoing relationship with Jesus Christ. This month’s memory verse is: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV. Commit to practicing faith by reading God’s Word, praying to Him consistently, talking about Him with friends, and living out that faith every day. We will kick off the month with something Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25: So run in a way that will get you the prize. All who take part in the games train hard, (NIrV). Paul used running in a race as a way to talk about our relationship with God. A growing relationship with God isn’t something that happens overnight; we need to practice it. The verse sets up the rest of the month for how we can practice our faith. The Bottom Line for this week: Keep practicing what matters most. What matters most? We think it’s a growing relationship with Jesus. When it comes to getting things done, more often than not, you need a plan. The same is true in your relationship with Jesus. We hope kids learn some practical steps to make a plan to prioritize growing an everyday faith in Jesus. We will be asking the kids How does practice help you? Share with your child(ren) how you practice for your job, your sport, your hobby, and especially let them know how you practice and develop your faith in Jesus Christ in your everyday experiences.
Movie in the field (7-9pm)
Bring your blankets and pillows, pick a spot in the field, and settle in for a movie night.
Hi League: May 14
Jr League: May 21
Confirmation Sunday—May 23
Mark your calendars to support our students who are being confirmed!
Parent gathering—May 24 | 7pm
We will meet to discuss some exciting things coming up that you won’t want to miss. We will be talking about summer plans, a vision for the fall and some proposed changes, and UNITE 2022. UNITE is the Covenant’s huge summer youth conference that happens every 3 years (formally known as CHIC). Getting our students there takes lots of planning and fundraising ahead of time that requires the participation of all students who plan on going as well as their parents.