Volume 4 Issue 1 Winter 2015 LARGO COMMUNITY CHURCH LCC CONNECTIONS THE CHURCH OF FRIENDSHIP AND JOY T
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Table of Contents
LCC Connec on Introduc on
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Pastor’s Message
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Silver Lining Ministry
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Small Group Moment
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UPCOMING LCC EVENTS MARK YOUR CALENDAR Youth —
Ul mate Love Oﬀering
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Scout’s Honor
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LCC Dance Ministry
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Puzzle
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Sunday Morning Worship
12
What do they do in Sunday
School
12
Help Your Neighbor Ministry
13
Women’s Fellowship
14
Women’s Bible Study
16
Wednesday Morning
Bible Study
17
Love in The Sanctuary
Sunday School
Christmas program
18
Men’s Fellowship
20
LCC Troop Outreach
22
LCC Ministry List
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March 1—God’s Princesses 2Too Mother/Daughter Tea 7—Silver Lining Ministry “What’s Happening” Brunch 15—Life on Mission Campaign Ends 29—Palm Sunday 29—George P. Hicks Educa onal Gi Fund Applica ons Due April 3—Good Friday Service 5—Easter Sunday 11—Health Fair May 7—Na onal Day of Prayer 10—Mother’s Day 2 T
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Pastor H. Jack Morris
Executive Minister
Dwayne B. Hooper, Sr.
Ministry Coordinator
Becky Rice
Editors/Writers
Julyette Berry
Candice Blair
Lyvita Brooks
Angela Carter
Lynnette Easter
Clarke Hooper
Kim Logan
Craig Muckle
Daphne Pryor
Rodney Sutton
Jacqueline Wenger
Bill Wilson
Design/Layout
Jasmine Andrews
Angela Carter
Shirley Christian
Daphne Pryor
Rodney Sutton
Photography
Yolanda Muckle
Don Short
General Support
Joy Andrews
Tracey Franklin
Sabra Lloyd
Electronic Media
Tammy Gross
Contact us at:
[email protected]
Gree ngs Church Family! Just think about this: “We are so blessed by the gi s from Your hand, we just can’t understand why You’ve loved us so much. We are so blessed, we just can’t find a way or the words that can say, Thank You Lord for Your touch. When we’re empty You fill us ‘ l we overflow, when we’re hungry You feed us and cause us to know. We are so blessed, take what we have to bring: Take it all, everything, Lord, we love You so much.” How Wonderful is our God – how Awesome is His Grace???!!! Our Lord has blessed this ministry to be able to bring you another issue of the LCC Magazine. The theme is “The Ul mate Love Sacrifice” in honor of the “Love Month” (February) and the ul mate sacrifice made by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We shall never forget; we will forever honor His sacrifice. We pray that you are blessed as you take in each of the ar cles – they all focus on good news from LCC ministries and how they are furthering the Gospel and fellowshipping with one another to God’s delight. Be sure to check out ar cles from the Girl Scouts, Wednesday Morning Bible Study and Troop Outreach. We also have our cornerstone ar cles from the Youth, Small Groups, Women’s Fellowship and Men’s Fellowship. And the issue would not be complete without a puzzle to invigorate the brain. Finally, we are grateful for the sacrifice and love expressed by our LCC Magazine Ministry in preparing this winter 2015 issue. This group is AWESOME, if I do say so myself. (smile) For this par cular issue, a new role of “Book Boss” was created in order to spread responsibili es between ministry members. Daphne Pryor agreed to perform in this role, and what blessing she has been. Hallelujah! Angela Carter led the layout team and graced us with this incredible look and flow. To all of our ministry members, hats oﬀ to you for your wonderful work and dedicated eﬀorts that do not go unno ced. As always, we praise God for the blessing of a wonderful Pastor, Pastor Morris; dedicated Execu ve Minister, Dwayne Hooper; and marvelous Ministers Mazza and Hill – we truly value your support. Be Blessed, Becky Rice LCC Magazine Ministry Coordinator 3 THE ULTIMATE LOVE OFFERING
Dear Worshipper,
The Largo Community Church is wonderfully blessed with the most
conscious Christian people—people who love God, love one another, love
serving God with their gifts and talents. You have only to read the following
articles they have written to understand what I mean.
The articles in this LCC Connection will bless and inspire you. Please
read each one of them. They are written and sent forth with love and prayer.
The Largo Community Church has transitioned into the New Year with
much anticipation and enthusiasm. I am excited and thankful how God is
leading the church and entrusting us with all these various ministries. The
year 2015 is going to be a great year because we have a GREAT God.
Love and prayers,
Pastor Jack Morris
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“They will s ll bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green.”
Psalm 92:14 NLV
The Silver Lining Ministry is designed to engage our Seniors by promo ng exci ng spiritual and enthusias c programs focusing on worship, discipleship and fellowship. Thus far its included various ac vi es and informa on seminars covering health and wellness, legal assistance, social security benefits, Medicare/Medicaid and a variety of social events to keep the senior alert, engaged, ac ve, and involved. T S
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(Not pictured—Joyce Gray, Terri Robinson, Linda Howard, and David Harding)
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In the gospel of John 15:13 we read "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down ones life for ones friends." This is the ul mate love oﬀering Jesus expressed to us when he went to the cross and took our sins upon himself. He died and was resurrected on the third day in order to give us the opportunity to personally experience the forgiveness of sins and a life in heaven for all eternity. Once we come to know Jesus as our personal Savior it is then our privilege and responsibility be a witness to those who do not know him. On February 8th. we, as a church, will begin a six session small group study series en tled "LIFE ON MISSION." We will be taught the biblical principles of living our lives, by Dr. Tim Harlow, in such a way that others will experience the love of Jesus and have the opportunity to know Him as their Lord and Savior. If you would like to find out more about obtaining materials for this series or are considering joining or star ng a small group contact Minister Phil Mazza at 301‐906‐0979. Blessings, Phil Mazza M
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On December 31st, New Years Eve, the LCC youth held it’s annual teen lock‐in. Teens from all over gathered to stay up all night, play lots of games, and have lots of fun! But the lock‐in is about more than just fun; it is a way to share the truth with the young people and to encourage them to walk into the next step in their rela onship with Christ. There is nothing like seeing our youth gathered together and their lives being changed. This year's theme "Made Alive" encouraged the teens to step out and truly live life deliberately, understanding that Christ was put to death so that we may live. With the beau ful love of the Father, He reached out to us in our sin and rebellion and being rich in mercy He made us alive with Christ. What a sweet thing to know. New to the lock‐in this year was a "Silent Disco." The teens were challenged to wear their headphones so only they could hear their music, which made dancing feel like you were actually at your very own party. We had lots of wonderful help from volunteers who willingly served the Lord by serving the teens. One of my favorite events about the lock‐in actually happened right before it started. One L
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of the young adults scheduled to share their tes mony with the youth came to me and said "Marchelle, I believe that you asking me to do this a total God thing and I am excited, but I know that I am not "there yet" in my walk with the Lord. I am hoping that this will encourage me to step up." I was so proud of my brother in the Lord and the other young adults who came to help. We also had a special young lady speak during the lock‐in and it was a beau ful thing as the girls got together to talk about our Father’s love. The maker, creator of the universe calls us Daughters! Amazing!! Every Friday night the Largo Community Church hosts its youth night called “Ignite”. It includes a bible study, games, and snacks for everyone. We have studied the book of John and spent the month of November thanking God for our missionaries. The students picked a country and for the en re month they regularly prayed for that country and for those who are serving the Lord there. I o en hear the students say how they are s ll praying for their chosen country. We have also looked at what it means to share the good news with people and how we can share Christ with our friends, and spent me looking at Paul. Currently we are taking a look at how we can make a diﬀerence in the world today. The Lord is doing great things! The Father is working and so we work along side Him. The greatest thing of all is that each of us gets to have a rela onship with the God of the Universe, and at Largo Community Church our desire for the youth is for 6 them to grow and experience the beauty of a life lived with and for Christ. It's all about rela onship and so many new rela onships are forming. In my conversa ons with the youth I find that there is a desperate need for them to know that they are loved. But OH what beau ful love was shown over 2,000 years ago on the cross. And that sacrificial love STILL means just as much today! ‐ Judy Cox and Marchelle Huggins 7 S
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The Girl Scouts of the USA, dedicated to helping build girls of courage, confidence, and character, provides girls with ways to learn new skills, par ci‐
pate in a variety of ac vi es and service projects, and build las ng friendships. Girl Scouts have been ac ve at Largo Community Church (LCC) for over 15 years. It all started with one Daisy (5‐7 years old) and one Brownie (8‐9 years old) level troops. Eventually the program grew to support girls through the Cade e (12‐13 years old) and Senior/Ambassador (14‐18 years old) lev‐
els. Today, LCC is home to five Girl Scout troops with a total of eleven leaders, most of whom have been involved with troop leadership for over five years. There are 85 scouts at LCC; parents are en‐
couraged to join Girl Scouts with their daughters, so the total is close to 110 members, and the Scouts are always looking for others to join! When asked how the Girls Scouts embody this is‐
sue’s theme of “The Ul mate Love Oﬀering”, troops organizer Beverly Taylor notes, “Girls are reminded to love and respect themselves and others. We recite the Girl Scout Law and Promise at each mee ng, reminding us how we are to live for God, country, ourselves, fellow Girl Scout sisters, and the world.” Scouts also send cards to the troops, par cipated in feeding program to hunger, volunteered at SHARE warehouse, CAPITAL Area Food Bank, and many other loca ons. the orphanage. The boxes arrived in Zambia just before Christmas. Mrs. Taylor adds, “We are so blessed to have the support of Largo Community Church. While most of the girls and their families do not a end LCC, some have become involved in other church ministries through this associa on.” For more informa on on LCC’s Girl Scouts, please contact Beverly Taylor [email protected] or Joy Andrews at [email protected] ‐ Candice Blair Most recently, the teen troop further personified “The Ul mate Love Oﬀering” during a project for a Zambian orphanage called God Our Help Ministries. In a tre‐
mendous spirit and outpouring of love, the scouts collected clothes, school sup‐
plies, toys, books, and candy to ship to 8 P
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, The Dance Ministry’s mission statement is to honor, praise and worship our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In addi on, it provides a means of spreading God’s word, works and spiritual nourishment through melody, technique and movement. The Ministry also reaches out to heighten the spiritual development and fellowship of the members of Largo Community Church and surrounding communi es, reaching one more for Jesus through dance. The theme for this issue, The Ul mate Love
Oﬀering is embodied in the dance ministry’s ability to dance before God as an experience of both revela on and response; an intense and pivotal expression of love, praise, prayer, thanksgiving, mystery, fear and even anger. Scripture records Miriam’s dance of thanksgiving before the Israelites a er God parted the Red Sea and they walked across on dry land (Exodus 15:20‐
21). Miriam took a tambourine and led the women as they played their tambourines and danced. The Bible also records King David’s dance before the Lord while moving the Ark to Jerusalem. “And David danced before the Lord with all his might, wearing a priestly garment.” (II Sam. 6:14) The Psalms, wri en to accompany acts of worship in the temple, oﬀer many examples of dance and liturgical : L
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movement. To dance was to praise God with the fullest expression of joy. To kneel and bow down was to show reverence and obedience. The Dance Ministry has a long and rich history at the church. In 1996, Shirley Chris an joined the church. She a ended the New Membership class and indicated that she teaches tap dance. A vision appeared to Pastor Morris that a Dance Ministry be formed at the church. Pastor Morris asked Shirley about star ng the dance ministry. Shirley talked to her daughter about it and her daughter replied “why do you think God has given you these talents?” On February 2, 1998, the Dance Ministry was established. In December 1998, Shirley taught three youths a Christmas dance which they ministered to the song, “Who Would Imagine a King” sung by Whitney Houston. During this me Shirley began to work with the Youth Minister Director to have the youth dance. Then the ladies of the church, like Marlena and Jenna Po , Darlene Kilgore and Susan Haynes‐Brown joined the Dance Ministry. The dancers started by ministering during the oﬀertory por on of the Sunday morning service. Soon the Dance Ministry began to minister as a regular part of the Sunday morning service. A favorite song that was performed was “We Shall Behold Him” by Vicki Winans. Shirley was the Dance Ministry Director and Darlene Kilgore joined her later. Leading the Dance Ministry was a joint eﬀort and they were co‐leaders in choreography, song 9 selec on, and performance style. By 2003, there were about thirty children, ages five to twelve, about eight teenagers and there were also about ten adult ladies at this me. The Dance Ministry now had a regular place in the service, ministering the third Sunday of every month. The dancers were split between children and adult ladies. By 2005, the children were growing up and moving on to other opportuni es within the Youth Group. In 2007, Shirley transi oned the leadership role to Darlene who took over as Director of the Dance Ministry. Up un l 2012, there were no men in the Dance Ministry. Darlene had a vision for men to become a part of the dance ministry. With permission from Pastor Morris, Darlene organized a Dance Concert with approximately eight men from Mount Nebo church coming to LCC to minister. As a result, Ja Franklin, Marvin Rice, and Joel Dixon joined the LCC Dance Ministry. In the summer 2012, the men ministered their debut dance “Alpha and Omega” by Israel Houghton & New Breed. It’s wonderful to see the men dancing before the Lord, unashamed and bold in their expressions of praise and worship. Darlene says that the liturgical dance is “an extension of the Pastor’s sermon.” Gray, and Dorothy McCann formed the newest group within the dance ministry. They ministered to “Clean Hands” by DeLeon. Their ministry was graceful, pure and calming. It was joyous to see the congrega on warmly receive their worship. Today, the Dance Ministry has 52 dance ministers and has performed several Christmas concerts and Anniversary concerts in recent years at the church. They con nue to expand their repertoire of music, dance movements, and styles of praise and worship. Susan is looking into the possibility of a Dance Ministry workshop in the spring to help advance the skills and experience of the dancers. Susan says that the dancers are con nuing to learn and grow as they minister in dance. We are so blessed to have a Pastor that had a vision to bless the Lord and his congrega on through dance. Let us con nue to support the Dance Ministry with our hearty response and help them li up the name of Jesus! In 2014, there were changes to the Dance Ministry leadership. In August 2014, Susan Haynes‐Brown volunteered to be the new Dance Ministry director. Susan has been dancing since 1998 and only took a short break to have her son in 2002. Susan’s sister Judy Cox, connected her and Shirley together and the rest is history. In the early years, Susan felt dancing was a great way to be more involved in the church. Susan felt closer to God as she started listening to the words of the songs that she danced too as opposed to the beat of the music. In 2015, Venera Busby, Joyce ‐ Julye e Berry 10 The Ul mate Love Sacrifice‐ God gave His Son for YOU! By Lyvita Brooks S
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BLOOD CROSS CRUCIFIED DISCIPLINE DOING RIGHT FASTING FORGIVENESS GIVING GOSPEL HOLY COMMUNION INTERCESSION JESUS CHRIST OBEDIENCE PERSECUTE PRAYER PROMISES PURPOSE REDEMPTION SALVATION SELF-DENIAL SUFFERS SURRENDER THORN Answers found on page 23 11 T
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To me, praise is our ac ve response to what we know that God has done and is doing for us in our lives and in the world through His Son, Jesus Christ – the Ul mate Love Oﬀering, and the person of the Holy Spirit. God’s power and His presence is always brought to bear in whatever circumstance we face, when we exalt Him with our praise (Psalm 22:3). W
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? For about 25 years, I have been teaching the 9 a.m. adult Sunday school class at LCC. Now I have a fellow teacher and we can take turns! Herman Hines and I alternate as needed! He is also re red and he travels more o en than I do. On his trips he o en goes to visit newborn grandchildren in Dallas, whereas my trips—having sold my airplane—now tend to be visits to Capitol Hill or Richmond. Webster’s New World Dic onary gives this as one of the defini ons for the verb “to praise” = “to laud the glory of God, as in song.” So singing songs of Praise is not a passing fancy to me, but an aﬀair of the heart. I believe it is one of the most fundamental and necessary factors in a life of faith. The Bible says, “If a man will not praise God, the very stones will …” (Luke 19:40). Yet on any given Sunday we o en share the teaching privilege. We share our wisdom and experience with each of our students. They are indeed a special class: "matured" adults! Some mes I think they give us more learning than we give to them. In our par cular adult class at 9 a.m., we use the excellent David C. Cook material. New material comes four mes a year with one copy for each student. There is a teacher's edi on for both Herman and me. The teacher’s edi on contains I believe God should be praised by His people at all more detail from the Bible, as well as authorita ve mes and in all circumstances. But the most natural comments by scholars who have spent most of their lives studying the Bible. forum for praising God is in the congrega on, at worship. Psalm 149:1 says, “Sing to the Lord a new Would you expect our class members to speak up as song, and His praises in the congrega on of the we discuss each lesson? Let me assure you: they faithful.” sure do! Herman and I have never tried to muﬄe their expression of views, regardless of our own Par cipa ng in singing praises to God in worship convic ons. That's the way we all grow into a real, gives us the opportunity to minister to each other. las ng faith. To share with those who understand our delight in the wonder of knowing the living God, and to be If you haven't been to visit any of our adult Sunday strengthened by each other in the love we share for school classes, stop by soon. You will be welcomed by everyone. Of course, you should s ll a end the our Risen Savior. So let’s always make use of our worship service, which includes the sermon, the lips in glorifying Him with our songs of praise! songs of worship, fellowship, and praise for Jesus, the Ul mate Love Oﬀering. You won't regret the extra me spent in the Lord's house! ‐ Bob Hill M
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Another example of serving and giving love was when Jackie Mapp and twenty‐
five other Chris ans collected clothing and food cer ficates, donated by Help Your Neighbor, and went to the homeless in the inner city and personally Love is an ac on, and I see this strange phenomenon distributed the gi s. My manifested over and over by the people of the Largo heart was deeply moved when I was told that about half of the twenty‐five people were teenagers who Community Church. These people have personally went to Washington D.C. to present the experienced the love of God that shines homeless with these gi s. forth from their hearts and is now manifes ng itself in acts of kindness and love. “Ul mate” – The greatest and most extreme love oﬀering was when God gave Jesus to redeem us. Not an angel of the highest nobility such as Gabriel or Michael, or some other archangel, but Jesus. God’s love reached the farthest extreme in the giving of his Son, Jesus. Our Savior loved us so much that He volunteered to take our sin and punishment that we might be forgiven and become children of God. I constantly witness these acts of love from each department of ministry in the church. I will only men on one department due to the lack of space and me: Help your Neighbor! A family’s house burned, leaving them with no place to live at Christmas me. Ophelia Williams, their neighbor, immediately responded to their misfortune by contac ng the church for our assistance. Our people responded generously, a check from the Help Your Neighbor ministry was wri en and Ophelia presented it to them. I thank God for a loving congrega on who reaches out to others with the love of Jesus. In Christ’s love and grace, Pastor Morris “Let us not love with words or tongue but with ac ons and in truth.” I John 3:18
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Our Women’s Fellowship corridor for all to see the beautiful expression of the gifts oﬀered to our Lord Director, Claretha Hill, shared during the and Savior Jesus Christ September breakfast that through the women of the Largo Community Church. the theme for the Women’s Fellowship For the October 2014 (WF) Ministry is “Let Us Breakfast meeting, Linda Be Heard and Seen Dixon (the God‐inspired Serving Our King in 2015”. sister of Joel and Beverley Our beloved Ettastine Dixon) graced us with her Williams introduced and message on the WF theme. refreshed our memory She shared that as women of God we should be on the theme during the the voice of hope, the light of the world and the September 2014 WF salt of the earth. As we become all three of Breakfast meeting. We these, we must recognize that others will be were renewed and looking at us, listening to us and watching our revived as we received character which should exhibit the fruit of the the stirring message Spirit. We shall be more Christ‐like as we share from our sister the good news. We should be light that draws Ettastine. The focal all men to Jesus Christ who ushers us into the scripture for her presence of the Father. We have to work on message was 1 Peter 4:10 ourselves so that we do not become taste‐less. ‐ Each of you should use whatever gift you have We are to walk in love. John 15 teaches us that received to serve others, as faithful stewards of He is the Vine and we are the branches that are God’s grace in its various forms. The Greek constantly being pruned to bear good fruit. We word for various forms means ‘of many colors ’. should always speak in truth and in love, but our She shared that God desires for us to use our actions matter most and will leave the most gifts to produce a beautiful pattern. In serving, significant impression on those around us. we grow in God continually by loving Him and Linda truly touched us with her expression of others. To close her message, Ettastine asked the Gospel. the women to use paper cut‐outs in various The lovely Nanci Young and beautiful daughter patterns and colors to list their main gift and Briana blessed us with the message: “Our how we use it to serve others. Those patterns Gratitude Testimony” for the November 2014 were then placed on a poster board to form a Breakfast meeting. Nanci shared that this beautiful pattern. It is displayed in the church 14 message was intended to chronicle the constant attack of the enemy in her life over the years with the battle against breast cancer. Even though this disease has surfaced over and over again, each time she moved to a better place in her spiritual journey. She learned to lean on the Word of God with no doubt. She expressed to the ladies that the Word is something you can live on where there is nothing else. Through this journey she was able to wake up in the morning and say “Thank You Father for breath”. She truly learned gratitude – gratefulness for love and the Word of God. Briana shared how God touched and changed her life through her mother’s experience. She expressed gratefulness for the growth of her and her brother as a result of the breast cancer battle. She is in a diﬀerent place with God – with faith that is stronger than it has ever been and a closeness with her family that may not have been realized without the struggle. Praise God! In December, the Women’s Fellowship ministry sponsored a Toys and Clothes Drive for Erlinda Reyes’ Philippines mission. WF ministry Donation. The members are Jelene Lee, Nanci Young, Emily Porter, Becky Rice, Eva Rice, Rose Moore and Crystal Moore. We packed 6 large boxes – Praise the Lord! Lady Harriet Edmonson, one of our new LCC members, brought the message in January 2015: Values and Life Skills (VALS) for Women. She based her message on Psalm 139 and reminded us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. Her message was intended to build self‐esteem and facilitate everyone recognizing their gifts and the beauty that God has already placed in each one of us. She focused on 4 points: 1 – You are Beautiful; 2 – Identify Negative Issues That Will Hinder Your Progress; 3 – Learn to Love Yourself No Matter What or Who is Trying to Push You Down; and 4 – Learn to Cope. Sister Harriet provided a packet chock full of practical, rich information with details to support each of the 4 points. As she shared information from the packet, women nodded, laughed, highlighted passages and regularly thought and said ‘Amen’ to this practical life information. members worked together to assist with sorting and packaging for the Philippines God is truly blessing the women of the Largo Community Church. We continue to worship Jesus Christ, the Risen Savior, as our Ultimate Love Oﬀering. ‐ Becky Rice 15 W
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We would like to invite all of our “Sisters in Christ” who a end Largo Community Church (whether members or visitors) to join us for our weekly Women’s Bible Study Group. We meet in Classroom 103 next to the Sunday school oﬃce every Tuesday between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. By a ending this Bible Study you will enjoy growing in the knowledge of God’s Word and how to apply it to our individual lives no ma er what level of spiritual maturity we have reached. It does not ma er whether a person has been saved for 1 year or for 10 years. Even if you’ve not yet made a decision to receive Jesus Christ as Savior, you will be welcomed to this class by a group of loving and Godly women who love people and God’s Word; women who are always excited for the opportuni es to learn more about the Word, through the anointed teaching of our Facilitator, Mrs. Marie Wilde and through our own individual par cipa on in the learning process and ac vi es. There are so many exci ng, interac ve and interes ng ways in which we learn God’s Word from our teacher and from each other. We honor and appreciate our Pastor H. Jack Morris and LCC’s awesome Ministerial staﬀ for the work they do and for allowing us the venue in which we can grow into spiritually mature women of God. The following are some facts about our class: S
Our weekly Bible studies are always scripturally based. We support teachers in Hai by making yearly contribu ons to pay their salaries. We do an annual retreat in Leesburg, VA which lasts 3 days and 2 nights. During the retreat we have an all night prayer vigil. We partner in pairs and each pair prays for 30 minutes throughout the night. We also have spiritual workshops featuring arts, cra s as well as praise and worship led by par cipants in our weekly Tuesday night Bible Study group. We packed food boxes and gi s for the homeless for Christmas last December. We also met at our Facilitator, Mrs. Marie Wilde’s home for a celebra on of Christmas. At that me we prayed, ate delicious food and instead of the usual gi exchange to each other, we brought and wrapped gi s which were delivered to the homeless for Christmas. We would like to thank Ms. Jackie Mapp and all of the other volunteers from our group for their par cipa on and for spearheading this project. 16 So please feel welcome to join us at any me, we would love to make you a part of our growing circle of Friendship, Godly Wisdom and Fruit Bearing Love as we honor Jesus who is the Ul mate Love Oﬀering. ‐ Harriet Edmonson W
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The Wednesday Morning Bible study ended 2014 with a study of the three epistles of John followed by its annual potluck Christmas celebra on. This last event of the year, with delicious food, games, gi s and fellowship, all in the spirit of The Church of Friendship and Joy, “Where Christ is Honored and People are Loved” con nued our many years of growing in rela onship and in the Word. The focus of the Wednesday Morning Bible Study ministry is to study the Bible, God’s Word. Our objec ve is to obtain knowledge of God; and understand the biblical principles revealed in His Word by the Holy Spirit. The purpose is to strengthen our rela onship with Christ Jesus, become equipped to share the gospel, and live a life pleasing to God. The goal and prayer is for each of us to be more like Christ in our daily living. Love is our mo o. And this month’s theme for LCC Connec on, the church’s magazine is “The Ul mate Love Oﬀering”. God gave the ul mate love oﬀering. Romans 5:8 says…”while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”; John 3:16 tells us “God showed His love and gave His only bego en Son”. We are truly thankful for God’s gi of love and His forgiveness of our sins. In prayer and in conversa on we acknowledge our thankfulness; and pray for those who have not responded. God gave the ul mate love oﬀering. What is our ul mate love oﬀering? Scripture gives many examples. In the gospel of Luke, Jesus spoke of the widow who gave her two mites in comparison to the men who gave from their abundance. In the gospel of John, Jesus said if you love me feed my sheep. ‐ Sylvia Smith 17 S
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A love oﬀering was definitely displayed in the sanctuary on December 14th. Thanks to Minister Dwayne Hooper, who directed the Sunday school play. This par cular Sunday school Christmas program was filled with both popular Christmas songs and joyous Christmas carols that we all know and love. Each Sunday school class was assigned specific tradi onal and non‐tradi onal songs to perform. The songs ranged from All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth to Silent Night. Selec ons were accompanied by LCC’s very own air band, with an air band cameo by Minister Hooper who played the drums, Evere Deanes who played the lead guitar, Don Short on the piano and a perfectly matched Judy Cox who lip sync Vanessa William’s version of Angels We Have Heard on High. Each song was introduced by our high school student narrators, including yours truly who gave wi y, unknown facts about that specific song. The program this year was not the tradi onal Christmas pageant but was a celebra on of the love of Jesus Christ and His birth. It was truly a fun filled birthday party, with laughs, worship and reflec ons on how wonderful it is that our Savior was born. The program lasted approximately one hour and featured each of the Sunday school classes including adult Sunday school class. It was a special night... the church was full of children and adults who were dressed in their best Christmas clothes and ugly Christmas sweaters! The bells jingled, the carols caroled, and we were graciously reminded of our precious gi that is the most important gi not seen under the tree during Christmas me. Following the program, Minute Events Caterer sponsored a recep on for everyone in a endance. 18 The banquet hall was filled with desserts and various delicious foods such as easy tacos. Let's not forget the birthday cake! Li le did the congrega on know that the Jesus cake which was used in the program was actually a prop; some thought it was the same cake later consumed by a endees that evening. The Sanctuary Sunday School program was quite a success. ‐ Clarke Hooper 19 M
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The retreat is the annual culmina ng event for the Men’s Fellowship Ministry at Largo Community Church (LCC). Many of the men talked about having a Mountain Top High for weeks following the retreat. This year the discussion was an abbreviated study from the Tony Evans’ Kingdom Agenda study which explores every area of life and empowers you to live your life according to God’s agenda. The study normally takes six weeks to complete. When thinking about the theme for this issue, the Ul mate Love Oﬀering, I am reminded that we are a part of the Kingdom of God and the ul mate love oﬀering was God sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to be our example of how to live the kingdom life. As a follow‐up the men had a Small Group study using the materials from the retreat. In addi on, there was a special study for the young adults on A Tac cal Guide to Manhood. This special study was a follow‐up study from the Young Men’s Conference held earlier in the year. The men a ending the retreat are assigned to tribes, like the Tribes of Israel. There are 10 tribes for the retreat. The original purpose of the tribes was to func on as a small group for session discussions and to compete in The Iron Man Compe on. Because of the natural compe veness of men in general, we established an Iron Man Compe on to help diversify the ac vi es of the retreat. This compe on consists of five events that the tribes compete in to determine a winner. 20 register early an early bird incen ve has been added. If a man registers and pays at least 50% of the tui on in advance his retreat cost will be reduced to $155.This special promo on ends on Easter Sunday. Those registering during the early bird period will remain with their current tribes. This year we will have a guest speaker, Todd Gongwer author of the book Lead for God’s Sake. We will be announcing more details about the retreat at upcoming Men’s Breakfasts. We look Those five events include Bid Whist, Three on forward to having all the men of LCC par cipate Three Basketball, Corn‐hole, Madden (i.e., a video football game) and the Sword (bible) Drill. in both the Retreat and the Men’s Breakfasts during the coming year. The Sword Drill is the one event in which everyone can par cipate. In the Sword Drill the compe tors stand with their bibles in their hand ‐ Al Haynes Jr. by their sides. When the Game Master calls out a bible verse, the quickest man to find the verse will advance to the next round. The final round of the Sword Drill is a bible quiz. The men are given two books in the bible to study during the year, one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. This year’s study books were the Book of Exodus and the Book of Mark. The compe on in this round was ultra‐
intense, showing how much the men really studied the materials. Once again, the Iron Man Compe on came down to the Sword Drill. The Iron Man Compe on Champion is the Tribe of Gad (now three‐ mes running). They have earned the right to be first in line at all Men’s Fellowship Breakfasts, which is held on the third Saturday of the month in the LCC Banquet Hall from 08:00 – 09:30 am. The 2015 Retreat will be held at Skycro Conference Center again. It is scheduled to be held from November 5–7, 2015. The cost of the retreat is $175.00. To encourage men to 21 T
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Front row le to right: Sherrita Cooper Porter, Gwen Graves, Inez Sadler, Bonnie Thoma, Julia Malson
Back row le to right: Dorothy Billups, Leslie Harding, Linda Howard, Alice Ross, Ruth Ford
Not pictured: Winnie McQueen, Judy Cox, John Thoma, Nora Jackson, Eva Co en, Trudy Hawkins
The Largo Community Church Troop Outreach Ministry provides dinner every fourth Thursday to the military families who are staying at the Fisher House, located at Joint Base Andrews, while their loved ones receive cri cal medical care at nearby military facili es. Fisher House is part of the Fisher House Founda on, which was founded by Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher a er they learned of the need for temporary lodging facili es for families at major military medical centers. Fisher House provides free lodging in a homelike atmosphere . The houses include private bedrooms and baths, a common kitchen, laundry facili es, a warm dining room and an invi ng living room. The mission of the Largo Community Church Troop Outreach Ministry is to assist in the comfort and well
‐being of our service members and their families. By providing meals, the hope is to ease the anxiety of the aﬀected families, along with perhaps reducing some of their out‐of‐ pocket expenses. The ministry generally provides enough food for the Thursday evening meal and snacks for the next day. The ministry chooses a theme for the meal and its members contribute home‐cooked dishes to complete the meal. A group of three to four members take the food to Andrews and prepare it for serving. A er blessing the food, it is served buﬀet style. Ministry members join the families in their meal and fellowship with them, which has become a wonderful opportunity to get to know and appreciate the service members and the sacrifice being made on behalf of our country, along with showing a personal interest in them. This has proven to be is a rewarding experience for its members and the families receiving the meals are always very apprecia ve. 22 Last November, the ministry responded to a request from Linda Howard’s niece , who is a member of the United States Air Force 386th ELRS Troop in Kuwait. With Linda’s help, the ministry gathered dona ons of clothing, Christmas cards, stamps, candies, cookies, and toiletries from the church. The response was so overwhelming that there were enough dona ons for Linda’s niece to share with a neighboring unit. The ministry hopes to do con nue the holiday eﬀort again this year, but is also interested in finding other ways to reach out to our troops. Anyone who wishes to be join this ministry can contact Inez Sadler at 301‐249‐6938 or Julia Malson at 301‐336‐4710. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others
will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 11:25
‐ Inez Sadler SOLUTION: S
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(Over,Down,Direction)
BLOOD(1,7,N) CROSS(3,10,S) CRUCIFIED(6,11,E) DISCIPLINE(4,12,E) DOING RIGHT(15,13,W) FASTING(12,7,W) FORGIVENESS(15,11,N) GIVING(1,9,S) GOSPEL(15,15,W) HOLY COMMUNION(1,8,E) INTERCESSION(5,3,S) JESUS CHRIST(14,10,W) OBEDIENCE(9,15,W) PERSECUTE(9,2,W) PRAYER(12,1,SW) PROMISES(6,6,E) PURPOSE(2,12,N) REDEMPTION(11,5,W) SALVATION(6,14,E) SELF-DENIAL(4,9,E) SUFFERS(1,1,E) SURRENDER(14,9,N) THORN(13,5,NW) 23 MINISTRY NAME MINISTRY LEADER PHONE NUMBER E‐MAIL ADDRESS Ministry Description Sunday Morning Worship [email protected] Sanctuary
Dwayne Hooper
301‐249‐2255
Jack Morris Lay Leaders
Dwayne Hooper
301‐249‐2255
Adult Membership Corin Morris 301‐249‐2255 Randy Pike
301‐395‐6677
Beverly Taylor 240‐432‐2797 Baptism Bob Hill 301‐249‐5954 [email protected] Class and Water Baptism Women's Bible Study Marie Wilde 301‐262‐2363 N/A Weekly Bible Study Class for Women Coordinates Order of Sunday Worship Service [email protected] Coordinates Lay Leaders for weekly Worship Services Christian Education N/A Class for Prospective Church Members (Adult) [email protected] Class for Prospective Church Members under 18 Youth Membership [email protected] Linda Qualls
301‐459‐5638
301‐499‐9746 [email protected] jacquel‐
[email protected] Class on Discovering your Spiritual Gifts Jackie Wenger Small Groups Phillip Mazza 301‐906‐0979 [email protected] Various Small Groups Meet for Bible Study and Fellowship (held in home or Church). Men's Bible Study Frank Qualls 301‐459‐5638 [email protected] Weekly Bible Study Class for Men Wednesday Morning Sylvia Smith 301‐350‐0287 [email protected] Weekly Bible Study Class [email protected] Weekly Bible Study and Fellowship for Elemen‐
tary Students Spiritual Gifts The Olympians Sharon Barnes 240‐423‐3206 James Jackson
301‐249‐2255 ext. 112
(7‐12 yrs. old) [email protected]
John Lawlah
Sunday School Pre‐K thru 12th Grade Beverly Taylor
Cynthia Tilghman‐Lee
[email protected] [email protected] 240‐432‐2797
443‐924‐0595
Sunday Morning Class and Worship for LCC Youth [email protected] 301‐204‐7393 Adult ‐ 9am Bill Wilson 301‐925‐7689 [email protected] Sunday Morning Bible Study for Adults [email protected] 301‐780‐6503
Glenda Baines
[email protected] 301‐390‐1739
Adult ‐ 11am Sunday Morning Bible Study for Adults Reggie Gwira
301‐502‐6577
David and Leslie Harding [email protected] 410‐854‐1680 [email protected] Susan Haynes‐Brown
301‐385‐9777
[email protected]
Cynthia Tilghman‐Lee 301‐204‐7393 [email protected] Nursery Sunday Morning Child Care for Infants (younger than 18 months) Marriage Marital/Pre‐Marital 301‐855‐9973
Dwayne & Patricia Hooper
Classes
Knollis & Grace Gordon [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 410‐414‐5142
301‐218‐0633 Class for Engaged and Married Couples (required to be married in LCC) 24 Hospitality First‐time Visitors Everett & Lisa Deanes 301‐218‐4467 [email protected] Greeters and Information Desk James and Dorothy McCann 301‐262‐4060 James McCann
301‐262‐4060
N/A
Everett and Lisa Deanes 301‐218‐4467 [email protected] Parking Lot Sharperson Johnson 301‐574‐0775 [email protected] Wedding Coordinator Patricia Britt‐Johnson 301‐574‐0775 [email protected] Provides refreshments and fellowship for First Time Visitors [email protected] Greets worshipers in the Narthex and Provides assistance at the Information Desk Building and Grounds Maintains buildings and grounds upkeep and appearance Manages traﬃc control in parking lots Assists with on‐site wedding logistics and sched‐
uling Doug Hinkley
301‐805‐9186
Ushers
John King
Herman Hines
301‐801‐3689
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Assists with entry, exit, seating, and greeting of worshipers and visitors 301‐249‐5618 301‐806‐9608
Sherrita Cooper‐Porter
Event Planning [email protected] Coordinates rental process for the LCC Banquet Hall 301‐325‐4376
Tammy Gross Security Morris Lewis [email protected] 202‐320‐0778 [email protected] Maintains building security systems and policies N/A Supports families with funeral and repast plan‐
ning [email protected] thebar‐
[email protected] Visits and serves communion to members at home/hospital 301‐249‐5954 [email protected] Coordinates Women’s Fellowship gifts to moth‐
ers of newborns 301‐350‐5242 N/A Manages kitchen facilities Bereavement
301‐350‐5242
(Repast)
Wanda Simms 301‐249‐5954
Sick and Shut‐in Bob Hill and Phil Mazza Newborns Claretha Hill Kitchen Wanda Simms 301‐906‐0979 301‐860‐1604
Church Beautification Renita Strachan Decorates sanctuary 202‐262‐2954 Care Team Knollis Gordon [email protected] 301‐218‐0633 [email protected] The purpose is to help mentors help new mem‐
bers feel special as they begin to get acclimated to the church. [email protected] Manages sanctuary sound system and produces sermons on audio CD [email protected] Manages sanctuary video cameras and equip‐
ment [email protected] Prepares and presents sanctuary audio/visual material Media Audio Jerome Brown Visual Ja Franklin 301‐641‐0850 202‐487‐1757
301‐805‐8826 Sunday Morning
301‐249‐2255
Tammy Gross Presentation 301‐574‐2808 [email protected] Magazine Becky Rice 301‐412‐2756 [email protected] Writes, edits, produces, and prints LCC magazine. [email protected] Change Point Broadcast Pastor Morris Website Tammy Gross 301‐249‐2255 [email protected] Produces and delivers Change Point message to radio/TV broadcasts and print media [email protected] Keeps LCC website updated and accurate [email protected] Manages inventory of Christian books, maga‐
zines, and audio/visual material in LCC Library. Manage the loan of materials to LCC members. Greet visitors to LCC Library. 301‐249‐2255
301‐574‐2808 Library
Ophelia Williams
301‐249‐7846
240‐461‐9334 25 Church Bulletin
Tammy Gross
301‐249‐2255
301‐574‐2808 Photography
Don Short
Men's Fellowship
Dwayne Hooper
301‐249‐2255
Women's Fellowship Claretha Hill 301‐249‐5954 Silver Lining David and Leslie Harding 202‐617‐7963 [email protected] Produces and prints weekly church bulletin, announcements, and order of Worship service [email protected] Captures active photos of various church activi‐
ties. Fellowship [email protected] Plans and organizes fellowship activities for men (e.g., retreat, sports, breakfast, etc.) 301‐502‐6577
410‐854‐1680 [email protected] Plans and organizes fellowship activities for women (e.g., retreat, sports, breakfast, etc.) [email protected] Plans and organizes fellowship activities for senior (50+) adults [email protected] [email protected],
301‐204‐7393
Youth Ministry Jamie Coles & Judy Cox [email protected] 301‐390‐3707 443‐924‐0595
[email protected] [email protected]
Dr. Cynthia Tilghman‐Lee & Dr. Kevin Lee 443‐924‐0596 Faith Marshall 202‐413‐7130 [email protected] Praise and Worship Bob Hill 301‐249‐5954 [email protected] Sanctuary Choir Faith Marshall 202‐413‐7130 [email protected] Men’s Fellowship Singers Al Haynes and Eric Williams God’s Princesses Music 240‐581‐3354
[email protected] Praise and Worship Plans and organizes monthly fellowship and education activities for girls 8‐12 years old Selects musical selections for Worship service and special events conducted by choir and special guests Leads participants in praise and worship songs during Worship service Adult choir performs during Worship service and special events [email protected],
Men’s choir performs during worship service 301‐741‐3656 301‐390‐3707
[email protected] [email protected] Judy Cox
Voice of Praise Plans and organizes fellowship activities for youth and teens [email protected]
Larry Crider 301‐802‐1470 Youth and teen choir performs during worship service [email protected] [email protected] Kids of the Kingdom Dance Judy Cox Elementary age choir performs during Worship service 301‐390‐3707 301‐385‐9777
[email protected] [email protected]
Susan Haynes‐Brown Drama Sylvia Smith 301‐350‐0287 [email protected] Spirit and Life Praise Team Faith Marshall 202‐413‐7130 [email protected] Ministers through dance and movement during Worship service Ministers during Worship service through dra‐
matic reading, skits, etc. Ministers during Worship service through praise songs Missions and Outreach Change Point Pastor Morris 301‐249‐2255 [email protected] Help Your Neighbor Pastor Morris 301‐249‐2255 [email protected] Reginald Washington
240‐604‐5826
Pastor Morris 301‐249‐2255 [email protected] Gospel outreach mission to local prisons Prison Outreach Overseas Missions Military Outreach National and international missionary ministry reaching out to the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ Outreach mission providing service (e.g., cloth‐
ing, food, etc.) to the local community Inez Sadler 301‐249‐6938 [email protected] [email protected] Provides meals for families of hospitalized mili‐
tary personnel 26 Boy/Cub Scouts Herman Hines 301‐249‐5618 [email protected] Boy Scouts Ben Taylor 301‐297‐5724 [email protected] Ghana Echols
Cub Scouts [email protected] Gwen Graves Local Boy Scouts of America troops hosted at LCC. Provides a program for boys that builds character, trains them in the responsibilities of participating citizenship, and develops personal fitness [email protected] Girl Scouts Beverly Taylor 240‐432‐2797 [email protected] Girl Scout Troops hosted at LCC. Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. After School Program Beverley Dixon 301‐249‐1935 [email protected] After school child care and tutoring in a Christian environment Grief Share Glenda Baines 301‐780‐6503 [email protected] Biblical based grief recovery support group that helps provide healing for the hurt of losing a loved one. Financial Peace University Knollis Gordon 301‐218‐0633 [email protected] Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University Course based upon Scripture. Couse for individuals and families. Prayer and Counseling [email protected]
Counseling
Pastor Morris
301‐249‐2255
Minister Bob Hill 301‐858‐1843 Prayer Counselors Glenda Baines 301‐780‐6503 First Thursday Prayer and Fasting Bob and Claretha Hill
301‐249‐5954
Intercessory Prayer Claretha Hill 301‐249‐5954 [email protected] Intercessory prayer circle that prays for individual prayer requests Moms in Prayer Lea Hines 301‐249‐5618 [email protected] Mothers group who prays for children and schools Individual and family Christian counseling. [email protected] [email protected] Provides Intercessory prayer partners during Worship services [email protected] Intercessory prayer and fasting group that meets on the first Thursday of each month Health and Fitness Health Dr. Gina Pervall 301‐390‐8799 [email protected] Provides physical and mental health and well‐
being outreach and educational activities to LCC and the community Fitness Marcus Shellman 301‐980‐6022 [email protected] Fitness exercise program Aerobics/Zumba Oni Celestine [email protected] Instructor‐led aerobics and Zumba Classes Softball Ed Chapelle 301‐464‐9488 [email protected] Co‐ed softball team Basketball Ronald Hill 301‐356‐5257 [email protected] Men’s basketball team Sports THURSDAY, MAY 7, 2015 7 A.M.-8 P.M.
27 Largo Community Church is a non‐denomina onal congrega on that is completely owned and supported by the membership. This is truly a people’s church. In 1972, the Lord placed a burden on First Lady Corin Morris’ and Pastor H. Jack Morris’ hearts to start a new non‐denomina onal, Bible‐teaching, Christ—centered in the burgeoning Largo area of Prince George’s County. The Church from its incep on has been a non‐denomina onal, evangelical fellowship. It is supported totally by the thes and oﬀering of its communicants. For the first five years, we worshiped in the mul ‐purpose room of the Largo Senior High School. Today the church owns 55 acres of land, a chapel, a 700‐seat sanctuary and most recently, a large 40,085 square foot Chris an educa on building and banquet hall. God has abundantly blessed this ministry! Come Worship the Lord at “The Church of Friendship and Joy – Where Christ is Honored and People are Loved!” 1701 Enterprise Road Mitchellville, MD 20721 Oﬃce: 301‐249‐2255 † Fax: 301‐249‐4392 Email: [email protected] † Website: www.largocc.org Sunday Worship Main Sanctuary 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Young Adult Contemporary Worship Educa on Wing—Sunday 11 a.m. Sunday School Nursery thru Adults 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Bible Study Men’s Tuesday Night Study 7 p.m. Women’s Tuesday Night Study 7 p.m. Olympians (Youth Ages 3‐11) Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Naviga ng Our Way (Teens) Friday 7 p.m. Small Group Studies throughout the week ‐ Consult church lis ng Library Located in Educa on Wing Contact Church Oﬃce for hours LIVE BROADCAST! (Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 a.m.) WWW.LARGOCC.ORG Change Point Television! Channel 9, WUSA (CBS) Sunday ‐ 6 a.m. ION‐TV: Comcast Channel 16 Saturday – 9 a.m. Verizon FiOS Channel 13 Saturday ‐ 9:00 a.m 28