March eBridge 2015 WE SPRING AHEAD THIS WEEKEND! SET YOUR CLOCKS! In Like a Lion Yippie! March is finally here and hopefully it will continue to get nicer and nicer then go out like a lamb. March is also time to get your green on! Not just for that little holiday on the 17th but for the SPARTANS during March Madness! Go Green! I love this time of year because there is so much to do! Our women's retreat is tomorrow, March 8, the Soup Kitchen is March 12, the book club meets March 14, The Picture Directory Make-up Photo Session is March 17, the FORE! Golf group gets together March 21, we welcome new members March 22, our From Pastor Dave "The Ten Commandments-Rules or Promise?" The theme for this for this week's sermon... People who have turned away from God and the church often perceive involvement in religion as a life that is wrapped up in fulfilling rules and regulations. If these people were asked why they feel this way, they would probably say, "Life is so filled with rules and regulations that the last thing I need is one more rule to follow, or one more regulation that not only tells me what to do, but appears to drain all the fun out of my life." People who usually feel like this usually point to the Ten Commandments to make their case: "This is exactly what we mean, more rules and regulations." Looking at the Ten Commandments in this way makes them very negative-rules that limit what we can do and take away our freedom. From God's perspective, Easter Egg Hunt is March 28, and our Lenten midweek services, preceded by the Soup and Salad suppers, go through March 25. Wow! There are a lot of ways to get involved! Details about all of those things can be found below. however, the Ten Commandments are meant not for lifelimiting but life-giving. Sealed in the blood of God's Son, Jesus, we can see the Ten Commandments as a gift-a never-ending promise! We'll explore this further this Sunday. Oh, by the way, remember to turn your clocks AHEAD one hour before you go to bed Saturday night. Daylight Savings Tim begins at 2:00am Sunday morning! We also have quite a few birthdays to celebrate in March but oddly, I don't have one anniversary listed in my database for this month. Strange. See you in church (one hour earlier!). Pastor Dave I won't go on and on because there is a lot more to read in this edition of the eBridge and it's been proven that these days our attention spans are shorter and shorter... Oh look! A butterfly! Blessings, Mardy There is no Telling What We Might Hear In a little devotion book called, Listening to Your Life, Frederick Buechner, noted author and Presbyterian minister, has written, "When a minister reads out of the Bible, I am sure that at least nine times out of ten the people who happen to be listening at all hear not what is really being read but only what they expect to hear read. And I think that what most people expect to hear read from the Bible is an edifying story, an uplifting thought, a moral lesson-something elevating, obvious, and boring. So that is exactly what very often they do hear. Only that is too bad because if you really listen-and maybe you have to forget that it is the Bible being read and a minister who is reading it-there is no telling what you might hear." Sometimes it really is difficult to truly listen to the words of the scriptures, especially when the stories are very familiar. I, too, find my mind wandering off sometimes, assuming I know the point of the story and tuning out. But Buechner has an important point, that if we really listen, "there is no telling what we might hear." As we continue this month in our Lenten journey, I urge you to truly listen and read for yourselves the powerful Biblical stories of Christ's passion, his experiences in the last days before the crucifixion. Read again and hear again the familiar and surprising accounts from Matthew chapters 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, and John 18-21. These are the stories of the preparations made by Jesus and his disciples for his death and resurrection. They are stories we can never know too well. And in this season of Lent, as we prepare ourselves for Easter, they are the words that will deepen our faith and understanding...and maybe even surprise us! Peace-Pastor Dave Soup & Salad Suppers Each Wednesday in March, our Midweek Services will be preceded by our traditional "Soup and Salad" suppers in Heinrichs Hall. These suppers begin promptly at 6 PM. A sign-up sheet will be posted each week in the Narthex. Please bring yourself, your family, your neighbors ... this is God's open plan for Christ Lutheran Church! John Babbitts and his crew will be preparing hearty and delicious soups and other goodies. March 11, the soup will be Manfred Pyrlik's Lentil Soup and John Babbitts' Meatball Tortellini. Please feel free to bring a salad, side, bread or dessert to share. Second Annual Easter Egg Hunt Sign up for your photo session here. One day only, March 17! Celebrating March Birthdays We are happy to announce that we will host our second annual Easter Egg Hunt this year on Saturday, March 28 . In preparation for the fun, we need to collect and fill hundreds of plastic Easter eggs for the children. Please donate wrapped candy to fill our plastic Easter eggs and bring the candy to our Lenten suppers and/or Sunday mornings! You will find empty plastic eggs on the table and we ask you to fill them with hard candy, chocolates etc. Like last year, our preschool, our CLC kids, and our neighbors will be invited to hunt the eggs. We will need hundreds of filled eggs. You can help and have fun doing so! PLEASE PARTICIPATE! 3/1: Ray Stickel 3/4: Judy Morton 3/5: Carol Lader 3/7: L.A. Sands 3/17: Phyllis Novosad 3/18: Anne Ellis 3/19 Philip Peter 3/23: Robin Peter 3/25: Kathy Johnson 3/27: Judy Johnson 3/30: Nick Gosdin & Allison Taylor 3/31: Silke Pyrlik If your information is incorrect or not included, please email the Church Office at [email protected] with any corrections. Quick Links for You: Church Homepage Church Calendar Facebook Page Member news Congratulations to Joe and Mary Jo Etter upon the birth of their new grandson, Patrick John O'Donnell, born February 25 to Mike and Caroline O'Donnell in Arkansas. Blessings to Joe, Mary Jo, Mike, and Caroline as they have been entrusted to care and raise this new child of God. Congratulations to DJ Murray who set six state records at the S.C. Masters Yards State Swimming Championships Feb. 20 through 22 in North Myrtle Beach. You can read the whole article by the Island Packet here. Lenten Schedule "THE PARABLES OF LENT" Midweek Lenten Theme "He spoke to them in parables," the Bible tells us of Jesus. The parables of Jesus speak to us of core components of this sacred season as we reflect on Jesus' suffering, death and resurrection for us. We will be looking at some of the most well-known and beloved parables of Scripture and relate the events described there to the events of Lent we experience-repentance, forgiveness, sacrifice and everlasting love-helping us to apply the "God" messages of these stories to the story of our life in Christ. Here are the messages for each week: Week 3, March 11 - The Good Samaritan. A man beaten on the road gets help from an unlikely traveler. We who are often beaten down along the road of life encounter the healing of Christ through the cross. Week 4, March 18 - The Workers in the Vineyard. All workers in a vineyard are given the same pay from the master, no matter how long they have labored. All who have been called by the Master are blessed by the same reward in Christ. Week 5, March 25 - The Prodigal Son. A wayward son returns to the forgiving embrace of his father, who welcomes him home. We who have strayed return again and again to the embrace of our Father, through the sacrifice of his Son. With Gratitude A HUGE THANK YOU to Tyler Smith and Sandcastle Construction for expanding the 2 year old/ nursery playground. It is beautiful! The children are so thrilled to be able to run and play! Another HUGE THANK YOU goes to David Waronsky and Randy Jeffcoat Builders for our terrific new sandbox. The preschool has big plans for the new playground space and can't wait for the weather to warm up. Birdies for Charity The preschool has kicked off its Birdies for Charity fundraiser. Last year with the generous support of our congregation an d parents, it was the most successful fundraiser in our history! We hope to surpass this year's goal as well. It only takes a penny! Pledge forms will be in the narthex. They can be turned in to the office, preschool or you can pledge on line at: http://www.heritageclassicfoundation.com/donate-now/ (Be sure to designate Christ Lutheran Preschool as your charity choice) 2015-2016 School Year Registration Early registration is now open for friends and family of Christ Lutheran Preschool for the next school year. CLP enjoyed a full house of children eager to learn this year and spots are limited for next year. If you know of anyone with children of preschool age and would like to know more about our state accredited program, have them contact Nancy Conder at 843-7856570. Hurry! Spaces are filling up quickly! Mission Activities When God left the Building Review by the CHRISTIAN POST: "... this movie can be a vital conversation starter for churches. It should be required viewing in Christian churches. Because it will bring things out in the open." Seventy-seven people attended the showing of the documentary, half of them were visitors to our church and "snow birds". And yes, even though it was a long Sunday for all of us, the need for conversation after the movie was evident! We had a great discussion and especially our visitors were grateful to us for showing the film and were eager to bring the information to their home churches. They agreed with the "Christian Post" review - This film should be required viewing in Christian Churches! St. James Baptist Church Soup Kitchen Every second Thursday of the month, we support the St. James Baptist Church soup kitchen by providing desserts and helping with distribution. Our next opportunity to serve is March 12. Who will bake? Prefered treats include brownies and cookies (packed in individual bags, because most lunches will be "take-out"). We were also asked if we would be able to provide some fresh fruit (best options are apples, oranges, bananas). Whenever the kitchen has fruit (usually not a lot), the fruit always goes FIRST! There seems to be great desire to have something fresh! We are also looking for people willing to help pack the lunch boxes from 9:30 to 10-ish and distribute the meals around noon. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Silke at [email protected] first to see what is currently needed and how you can serve. We welcome our newest volunteers, Charles and Carol Lader and Dianne Hillyer! Thank you! Family Promise Christ Lutheran Church supports All Saints Episcopal Church with Family Promise. They have a well-developed program to serve their guests with meals, shelter and loving care. We need volunteers to cook a meal or be an overnight guest at the church. The specific weeks are Feb. 15-22, 2015; April 19-26, 2015; Aug. 23-30, 2015; and Oct. 11-18, 2015. Please call Alan Coyne, Christ Lutheran's coordinator for Family Promise, for more details. His office number is 843-682-8106; Cell is 843-290-2124; Home is 843-681-9747. Email is [email protected]. Backpack Buddies Christ Lutheran Church provides healthy meals to children at our local elementary school over the weekends, during the school year, by sending home food in backpacks. We are looking for volunteers to help in the following roles: Packing food into the bags to take to the school (our next packing date at CLC is Thursday, April 9 (note that this is a change from the original schedule), at 10:30 in Heinrichs Hall), picking up food to deliver to the church once a month, and giving the food to the children at the school each Friday. CLC is serving 66 children at HHI Elementary School. Along with grants from other social agencies and monetary gifts from other local churches and places of worship, including Christ Lutheran Church, the Backpack Buddies Programs of Hilton Head Island and Bluffton are able to provide nutritious food for children whose families qualify for these programs. This is a very concrete way our congregation is meeting its mission statement and the South Carolina Synod "Growing in God's Mission" appeal. If you would like to help in any way, please contact Mardy at 843.785.5560 during business hours or email her at [email protected]. Congregational Activities 2ND ANNUAL WOMEN'S RETREAT: GARDEN GETAWAY (Mark your calendar, our women's retreat will ALWAYS be the FIRST Saturday of March!) On Saturday March 7, 26 women (members, guests, and friends) will gather at the Indigo Run Golf Club for a time to bond, form friendships and be in God's word. We will "Walk With God Through Every Season": "There is a time and season for everything," said the writer of Ecclesiastes. He might as well have been thinking of women when he wrote this, because our lives are always changing from one season to the next! Some of these seasons are full of daisies and roses...and others feel more like a mess of thorns and weeds. But the good news is that God is here to walk with us through every new phase of life, and we have each other to share the journey. This is what we will do...walk with each other and share the journey! Men's Fellowship Group The Men's Fellowship group is looking to expand in another direction. Our newest group will consist of men who have experience working on a honey-do-list, i.e. painting, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, and outdoor ground work. OUR MISSION WILL BE MINOR PROJECTS... such as: repairing and beautifying inside and outside of CLC, our Facilities, and CLC Preschool. By working together to complete these small tasks, we can allocate the money saved for bigger, more costly endeavors. Please prayerfully consider using your time and talent as you support CLC in this way. If you would like to become part of this group or need any additional information please contact me (John Babbitts) at home (843-341-2465) or by e-mail at [email protected]. Your brother in Christ, John Babbitts Men's Fellowship Group The Men's Fellowship group is looking to expand in another direction. Our newest group will consist of men who have experience working on a honey-do-list, i.e. painting, plumbing, carpentry, electrical, and outdoor ground work. OUR MISSION WILL BE MINOR PROJECTS... such as: repairing and beautifying inside and outside of CLC, our Facilities, and CLC Preschool. By working together to complete these small tasks, we can allocate the money saved for bigger, more costly endeavors. Please prayerfully consider using your time and talent as you support CLC in this way. If you would like to become part of this group or need any additional information please contact me (John Babbitts) at home (843-341-2465) or by e-mail at [email protected]. Your brother in Christ, John Babbitts New Members/Associate Members Received March 22 New members and associate members will be welcomed into Christ Lutheran Church's fellowship on Sunday, March 22. Persons interested in joining our family of faith, either as a fulltime or associate member (for people who are on the island part-time), are invited to speak with Pastor Dave either in the office or following worship services, or check the "interested in membership" box on the Welcome Pad located in each pew when you come to worship. "Roots" Bible Study Our "roots" Bible Study meets the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays from 10 - 11:15 AM in the CONFERENCE ROOM just off the church sanctuary. This year, we begin our study with an indepth look at the Book of Daniel. Would you like to understand Bible prophecy concerning the end of the world? Would you like to study Bible prophecy that predicted exactly when the Jewish Messiah (Jesus) would appear the first time? Would you like to be inspired by a man of faith? Would you like to know that God is in control, even though you are going through suffering or persecution for your faith? These are all reasons to study the book of Daniel. Come and be inspired and, at the same time, lifted up! Adult Sunday School The lesson for Sunday, March 8, is from J ohn 14:15-26 " Jesus Promises an Advocate". The leaders and members of the Adult Sunday School Class invite you to come and join us every Sunday morning at 9:45 AM in Heinrich's Hall. We use the Augsburg Bible Studies, a quarterly dated Bible Study, which covers a wide range of biblical books and themes. Come share the fellowship of our members, our open and sincere discussion, and a study of how these scriptures relate to us in our lives today. We look forward to seeing you. Leader: Emily & Jim Breland Location: Heinrich's Hall CLC Book Club Our Book Group is open to anyone who enjoys reading and discussing the books. The next meeting of the Book Group will be March 14, at Kathy Strohmaier's house. Please respond to her to tell her you are coming at [email protected] or 341-3223. We will discuss A tree Grows in Brooklyn: A Novel by Betty Smith with Paulette leading the discussion. This is a classic and gives a very good picture of Irish immigrants living in Brooklyn. April 11 - The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown May 9 - Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande June 13 - The Time Between by Karen White American Heart Association Heart Walk - May 9 at Shelter Cove Park Once again, Wayne Sebulsky is our Team Captain for Christ Lutheran Church. Why the Heart Walk? Did you know 1 in 3 Americans have some form of cardiovascular disease and that heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined? We can change these statistics by joining together to walk and fundraise for Heart Walk. We had such a great time last year as a team in Bluffton. Let's strive for another great turnout and represent CLC! An online team page to sign up for the walk or to donate is at Team CLC!. The ID is CLC2015 and the password is Lutheran. You can help by walking or donating. For more information, contact Wayne Sebulsky at 686-2715. Monthly Youth Sunday School Once-a-month Sunday School started On March 1 our youth gathered in Heinrichs Hall for music, lessons and games. The older kids were teaching, leading games or playing music while the younger ones visited several stations to learn about the Fruits of the Spirit. Mark your calendar for April 5 and May 3. Thank you for continuing to reading and supporting our e-Bridge . If you haven't already, please take a moment to update your subscription preferences by clicking the "Update Profile/Email Address" link at the bottom of this page. This will ensure you only receive communications from us that are pertinent to your interests. If you would like to contribute to the content of CLC e-Bridge, please email Mardy with your picture, quote, or article (ready to cut and paste electronically) by the 25th of the preceding month. We welcome all contributions! Visit Our Website!
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