Theme for 2023: Faith Forward – The Year of Extraordinary Faith!
“Earth Day is celebrated on April 22 annually. The day was born out of a massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California and carried forward today by the Earth Day Network. Earth day was created to help bring awareness and support for environmental protection around the world.” Excerpted from: Calendardate.com.
Saturday is Earth Day! Earth Day is one of those special recognition days that doesn’t get a lot of special recognition. For many folks it’s just another day. They don’t feel any real connection with the Earth. But Adam was given clear instructions about the Earth:
The Lord God put the man in the Garden of Eden
to take care of it and to look after it.
Genesis 2:15, CEV
This instruction has remained in effect even in 2023. We are to be good caretakers; good stewards of what God has created.
I recently heard about divers who discovered a new fish species at the bottom of the ocean. Who knew? God did! He created them. Humans are still discovering, mining the depths of God’s good Earth. It’s no telling what will be found. And we will marvel at each new discovery. And perhaps God will smile as we marvel at what He created so long ago.
This planet Earth is worth taking care of. And each of us has a part to play. Reduce, reuse, recycle, monitor your emissions and energy usage, plant a garden, and pick up trash along the way. Do something. After all, this is the only Earth we’ve got!
Join us for worship this Sunday, as we continue to celebrate the season of Eastertide with the message: Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, Rev. Rocky Marlowe preaching. You can worship in-person or you can also join us online at 10:00am. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org.
HeGetsUs is off to a great start! Join us every Wednesday thru May 24 as we talk about the thought-provoking videos that you may have seen as commercials on TV and during the Super Bowl. This will be more of a discussion format, as opposed to a Bible study with books. It’s open to everyone, member or not, anyone who wants to get to know the One who gets us, even when we don’t get ourselves! If you’d like to have a bite to eat, dinner (potluck style) is at 5:45pm and the group goes from 6:30-7:30pm. Lea Doyel is the facilitator.
State of the Church will be held on Saturday, April 29 from 10:00a – 11:00a. Get the latest church updates, and hear some of the latest news from our conference, including our upcoming Annual Conference right here in St. Charles and how you can attend, what it means to disaffiliate and why some churches have and have not gone that route, and who is the former GT staff person who will now be a District Superintendent!
Leadership Board Meetings are open to members. The meetings are held on the 4th Mondays at 6:30pm in Room 121. The next one will be Monday, April 24.
Senior Fellowship The 1st gathering of our seasoned saints went well. Great ideas were shared, and it’s still in the beginning phase, so we need more folks to come on out and share in the planning. The next one will be on Tuesday, May 2, at 11:00 am. See you there!
Celebrating Amee! Last Sunday we announced that our Dir. of Mission and Outreach, Amee Colvin, has accepted a new position! Her last day as a staff person (but still a member!) will be April 30, which is a Sunday. So yes, we will celebrate her that day, during worship, but also with a dresser build for Home Sweet Home! What better way to honor her missional heart than to do something for others! So, help us celebrate Amee and bless her on her next venture!
Stay in the Know! Don’t forget to pick up your monthly church calendar, this month’s Memory Verse Card, and the printed newsletter at the Welcome Center or the Coffee Station. To see the calendar online here’s the link: Church Calendar. Just our way of helping you to stay in the know!
Birthday Sunday is this Sunday! Enjoy a bite of cake and fellowship after church. And don’t forget there will be Bridge Bread for purchase!
The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it, 2 for He has founded it on the seas and established it on the rivers.
Psalm 24:1-2
Blessings,
Pastor Linda