We want to hear your stories. Write them down and place them in the Offering Basket, or send them to christi.murrray@columbiacityumc.org.
LENTEN PRAYER STATIONS
Interactive prayer stations are a wonderful opportunity for people to reflect on how God calls us to live in love, act in love, and be love. The interactive prayer stations are meant to be intergenerational, focusing inward and outward.
On Sundays, prayer stations are available before and after church. Prayer stations are designed to:
Experience easily, with clear instructions at each station.
Pray for ourselves, family, church family, community, world.
Experience alone or with family/friend.
Experience one or more per visit.
We hope you will take the opportunity to experience prayer through the Prayer Stations during this season of Lent.
GRIEFSHARE STARTING SOON
Griefshare is a 13-week program designed to provide a safe and encouraging place to process the loss of a loved one. The next session is May 21-August 13 from 6-8 p.m. in the church library. Contact Debby Minier at 260-609-3317 or debbyminier@yahoo.com for more information. All are welcome.
PARTICIPATE IN 'CELEBRATION SIGHTINGS'
Practice your “notice muscle” by sharing good things that are happening in our community.
Place your “Celebration Sighting” in the box each week so they can be celebrated during service. A few Celebrations mentioned in church on Sunday,
Church camp - also, did you know that you don't have to be a member or attend our church to go to camp? If you know a young person who wants to attend camp there is some funding for this (the Gates Family Legacies).
Purdue won their first two games in March Madness.
Congratulations CCHS Academic Teams! They won the Conference Championship!
Ella Peppler, Top 10 overall finishes for both of her duets, and Judge's Award for her tap duet!
Want to take it to the next level? REACH OUT to those we lift up with encouragement or support.
'LOVE FIRST' OPPORTUNITIES
You have the opportunity to take a Communion packet to one of our shut-ins on Communion Sunday as we live out our vision to reach out to shut-ins with Love, first.
If you know someone who would like to receive communion who is unable to make it to church, please contact Tammy Taylor so she can add them to the April communion list.
Please pray for our confirmands, as they live out our vision to reach out passionately to youth and young people.
Our confirmands are Amaya Hedrick, Andy Fudge, Brenna Meyer, Ella Peppler, and Matthew Peppler.
ELC SUMMER CAMPS
Registration is open for Summer Day Camp for children kindergarten – 5th grade, and will run June 2 – August 8.
Camps focus on a different theme each week with a firm base of God’s great love. Registration forms are available on the church website.
March 23, 2025 - Love Moves Past Comparison Scripture: Luke 13:1-9; Luke 55:1-9
"Comparison is the thief of joy." Teddy Roosevelt
Do you compare things in your life to others? (Your home, your job, your friends...) Does it matter? Don't let that comparison steal your joy or your love for God.
In Luke 12:34, Jesus tells those gathered, "Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be."
How big was that sin? How far could I go to be as bad? Change your hearts and live. Don't play the comparison game by being smug, envious, feeling superior. Comparison leads to assumption. Who's to blame? This leads us away from God.
Luke 13:6-9 tells the parable of the fig tree. Perhaps this is a corrective parable? Could we be the owner who wants to cut down the unproductive fig tree? Or could we be the gardener who wants to attempt fixing the fig tree?
Resist comparison that leads to blame, rather lean in to trying to help one another change lives. Change hearts and lives and turn to compassion that would help not compare. Disaster, hard times and health concerns are not divine. How we love, choose to respond is a choice. Love sees the problem and works to solve and change the path. Love notices the burdens in people's lives. Love is willing to get to work. Love intercedes for our neighbors instead of blaming. Love gets to work making a difference interceding on behalf of God. There's always more to a person's story. Love seeks to go beyond, deeper into a relationship with a person. Love says let me help. Love brings JOY! Love lifts up! Love helps! Love encourages! March 16, 2025 - ELC Sunday - The Story of Jonah and the Whale Scripture: Jonah 1-3
BIG LOVE! OBEDIENCE!
God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and tell the people they needed to obey God. Jonah didn't want to go. Plus he didn't know how big God's love really was.
Jonah had 3 obstacles he encountered as he tried to get out of following God's call.
1. He got on a boat trying to hide and escape from God.
2. The boat encountered a big storm because of Jonah. Jonah told the sailors to throw him overboard because it was his fault.
3. Jonah was swallowed by a whale. While in the whale, Jonah prayed and apologized to God for not obeying.
Jonah then obeyed God and went to Nineveh where the people listened and also began to obey God. God had big love for Jonah. God loves us always. There is no hiding and running away from God. He gives us second chances.
No matter who you are and what's going on in your life, God loves YOU! March 9, 2025 - Loves Moves in the Wilderness Scripture: Luke 4:1-13
"Life keeps on life'ing!" Life keeps throwing life our way - good and bad, sad and happy, ill and healthy, as well as many others. Life doesn't pause for any of these and all other things. We are encouraged to offer LOVE as our Lenten practice. Why? When we focus on giving up something for Lent, we are focused on that thing (chocolate, coffee, Facebook, to name a few) and ourselves. But when we focus on LOVE, focus on God and others, that is a better focus of our energy - towards others rather than ourselves!
LOVE MOVES
In the wilderness the Holy Spirit led Jesus while he was being tempted and tested by the devil. This was an opportunity for Jesus to prepare for his ministry ahead.
We all face wilderness. Seasons of testing our spirit, our faith.
The Holy Spirit led Jesus rather than leaving him. He didn't face the wilderness alone. Neither will you.
Jesus focused on God not the enemy. So can you.
The voice in the wilderness was trying to mislead Jesus. Maybe you have heard a voice trying to do the same to you. Listen to the voice who leads, not tries to mislead. Focus not on fears and obstacles, but on faith and obedience.
The wilderness prepared Jesus to love God and others. It can prepare you too.
