“Come and See”

Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.  John 1:45-46

The excitement is building.  The services have all been planned.  The Easter Lilies have been ordered.  The palm branches are on their way.  The special decorations are ready to be placed.  The busiest and most exciting week in the church is about to begin!

Starting this coming Sunday we will begin Holy Week – a week where we remember the journey Christ took as he entered the Holy City of Jerusalem, proclaimed the truths of God, was embraced and rejected, dined with his friends, prayed for strength, was betrayed, and died.  Then we will gather again the following Sunday to see the amazing conclusion to a dramatic week and the exciting beginning of a new world for all of us.

With the celebration of Holy Week and Easter come the excitement of celebrating with friends and family – gathering for meals, wearing new outfits, and welcoming both the season of spring and the new life we find in Christ.  Easter Sunday is always one of the busiest days of the year at a church, and is typically the most attended Sunday of the year.  People who wouldn’t darken the doorstep of a church any other day are willing to attend on Easter, if for no other reason than because it is part of what you do on Easter.  And this provides a great opportunity. 

Our Church Administrative Board is reading a book together called Meet the Goodpeople.  This book is about ways regular people can engage in personal evangelism.  In the second chapter, the author – Rev. Roger Ross, shares the following eye-opening statistic: “82 percent of pre-Christian people (those who are not regularly involved in a church) would be ‘very likely’ or ‘somewhat likely’ to attend church if they were invited by someone they trusted.”  Not only this, but people are even more likely to accept an invitation to attend church on a day such as Christmas Eve or Easter.  This tells us an invitation this week to worship is likely to be not only received well, but accepted. 

Many people get nervous about the idea of inviting someone to church.  It feels risky, deeply personal, and rather uncomfortable.  But it doesn’t have to be.  In the Gospel of John, we see a story of Philip inviting his friend Nathanael to meet this new friend of his named Jesus.  Philip had recently met Jesus and knew he was someone special.  Rather than just being excited about Jesus for himself, he decided to share it with another.  At first, Nathanael was skeptical – those from Nazareth had a bad reputation (not unlike some churches have with some people).  Rather than going into a well-rehearsed sales pitch or making a point-by-point case for why he was right, Philip simply told Nathanael to come and see for himself. 

This is what I invite you to consider doing.  This week, as you are having conversations with those you know well – not the stranger on the street, but your friends, relatives, co-workers,  and neighbors –simply invite them to come and see for themselves this great thing you have found.  Even if they are skeptical about the church or have had bad experiences at a church in the past, invite them to come and see for themselves.  This is one of the two weeks a year people are the most receptive to the invitation.  I encourage you to consider who God might be calling you to invite this week to “Come and See!”

Blessings, Chris

A Few (More) Words on Finances

In the nearly two years I’ve been here, anytime discussions have turned to church finances, I have been informed by those who’ve been around awhile that “this congregation responds when called upon.”  (I’ve heard this about every congregation I’ve been a part of, and it is typically a little overstated.)  One of the things I’ve learned is, even when this is true, it is important to be very judicious about when to make this ask.

Two weeks ago, it became clear we were going to have trouble paying our bills as a result of rising utility costs, and the right time for the ask was upon us.  Again, I was reminded by folks that this congregation always responds to a need.  And respond you have!  I cannot express how overwhelmed I am by your generous response to this appeal for additional funds!  This past Sunday’s offering was double what we typically receive on a first Sunday of the month (which is typically our largest offering each month).  These additional gifts have given us the breathing room to comfortably pay all our bills without wondering how to make the ends meet.  It is my hope that as the temperatures warm this spring, our use of natural gas will be reduced and help lower the high expense of heating.  I ask you to prayerfully consider maintaining an increased level of giving for the foreseeable future, just as our family has committed to doing, as well. 

Again, thank you for your continued generosity and support of Nelson Memorial in our pursuit of the mission God has given us. 

Mission

To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Vision

Nelson Memorial UMC seeks to be a place where all God’s broken, hurting, and imperfect children discover wholeness and community while experiencing the warm and welcoming love of Jesus Christ.  We seek to connect with one another to grow in our knowledge and love of God, to encourage each person to live out their unique calling to serve God, and to make a difference in the Boonville community and throughout the world.

Priorities

Developing and Nurturing Faith in Children and Youth

Fostering Growth and Community in Worship and Small Groups

Provide Opportunities to Serve God in Boonville and Beyond

Worship This Week

This Sunday we conclude our message series for the season of Lent titled “Dear Heavenly Father.”  This series is focused on the spiritual practice of prayer and seeks to provide some practical tools for increasing your practice of prayer.  This week our message is titled “Pray With” and will focus on the scripture in the book of James, chapter 5, verses 13 through 16.

Is anyone among you in trouble?  Let them pray.  Is anyone happy?  Let them sing songs of praise.  Is anyone among you sick?  Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up.  If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.  Therefore confess you sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.  The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Our 8:00 service will begin with the song Start Right Here by Casting Crowns. The 10:20 service will begin with our Praise Band leading us in the song Shout to the North.  Our other songs for the morning include Holy is the Lord, O Jesus, I Have Promised, and The Summons. 

Virtual Worship Information

In addition to in-person worship, each Sunday we will live-stream our 10:20 worship service. The service can be viewed on our Facebook Page.  The service will start at approximately 10:20 with our gathering song.  Additionally, we post a recording of our message each week to our website by early Sunday afternoon.  We are excited to be able to extend our worship services in these ways.

Announcements

Holy Week Services

Palm Sunday Dinner – The Education Team will be hosting a carry-in dinner on Palm Sunday, April 10 after the morning worship services.  There will be an Easter egg hunt on the church lawn (weather permitting).    Each child will receive a bag of candy after the hunt when they return the empty plastic eggs.  This hunt will be followed by a dinner in the Fellowship Hall, sponsored by the Education Team, which will provide the meat for the dinner.  To ensure a variety of dishes, families are invited to bring the following dishes to share:

     Family names A to F              Salads

     Family names G to L              Potatoes/Potato Casserole

     Family names M to S             Vegetables

     Family names T to Z              Desert        

Easter Cards for Elders & Friends – This year again we are asking the congregation to mail out Easter cards or other greeting cards with your own personal Easter greeting.  The addresses for the names listed below will be located on the refreshment table or on the counter next to the front entrances.       

Florence Banion, Jack Bell, Frances Bradley, Virginia Brownfield, Mary Margaret Browning, Ada Gingrich, Ann Hartmann, Margaret Hopkins, Phillis Otis, Bart Riley, Carol Schenck, Leona Schmidt, Helen Taylor, John Tincher, Hessie Watts,  and Dorothy Whitten.

We know all the recipients will experience a special Easter blessing because of the thoughtfulness of all those who participate in this endeavor.  Thank you for remembering these special people.

Blood Drive – Our next Red Cross Blood Drive is scheduled for Monday, April 25 from 2:00 pm – 6:00 pm in our Fellowship Hall. Giving blood is a meaningful and important way to help be a part of the healing process for others. To make an appointment to participate, please click here.

Church Summer Camps – With summer right around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about church camp.  There are lots of options and opportunities for church camp available, too many to print.  Please contact Pastor Chris or Melissa Baker for information on camp and scholarship opportunities.

Baby Grace Sort and Size – There will be a Sort & Size on April 7th and April 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 at the Annex.  Due to the large amount of donations more volunteers are needed.  Thank you.

Events this week:

Saturday, April 9: Methodist Men, 8:30 am, Lounge

Sunday, April 10: Palm Sunday, Dinner following 10:20 worship service

Monday, April 11: TOPS, 9:30 am, Foundations Classroom

Al-Anon, 8:00 pm, Church Lounge

Tuesday, April 12: NAMI, 6:30 pm, Foundations Classroom

Boonslick Ministerial Alliance Community Holy Week Service, 6:30 pm, Christ Episcopal

Choir Rehearsal, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary

Wednesday, April 13: Women’s Bible Study, 10:15 am, Church Lounge

Al Anon, Noon, Church Lounge

Thursday, April 14: Baby Grace Size & Sort, 1:00 pm, Church Annex

Maundy Thursday Worship Service, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary

Friday, April 15: Good Friday Worship Service, 7:00 pm, Sanctuary

Al-Anon, 7:00 pm, Lounge

Saturday, April 16: 4-H Club, 8:30 am, Fellowship Hall

Sunday, April 17: Easter Sunday

Closing Words of Wisdom:

Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord’s Prayer is about.”
― N.T. Wright