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Maranatha Sisters and Brothers,
We have all heard it said that imitation is the best form of flattery and it shows, at times, in our culture. Fast food
chains try to duplicate the latest food crazes of their competitors. Golfers want to duplicate the swing of PGA Tour
Professionals. We want to cook like Bobby Flay, or be able to decorate our house like Chip and Joanna Gaines. Of
course when I was growing up, everyone had to have the latest pair of Air Jordan sneakers. Imitation is everywhere.
Interestingly enough, we also have a narrative that imitation is a bad thing. When you are looking for authentic
seafood and you are offered imitation crab, it is disappointing to the palate. There is a whole market for “knock-off”
products that look like the original, but are not the authentic thing they claim to be. We thrive on the idea of being our
own individual self—not conforming to anyone else or anything else, and certainly not showing that we need others
to live and survive. Whatever our thoughts, for better or for worse, imitation is the call of God in our life.
God’s great desire is that we would conform to His image in us—that we would abide in, remain in, and take on the
very likeness of Christ, so much so that we are one with Him. God’s great joy in us is not that we live independently
from Him doing our own thing and living our own way, but that we live interdependently in a followership, discipleship
relationship with Christ.
“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for
us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1-2
What pleases God? What brings Him great joy? What is a sweet-smelling aroma in His Holy nostrils? It is when we are imitators of His Son, Jesus Christ, and we walk in the ways He walked while on earth. Now, in order to imitate
someone, we need to watch them to see how they live and respond in the circumstances of life. One of the greatest
ways to discover someone’s character is to see how they respond to adverse circumstances. While in the season of
Lent, we focus on Jesus’ death and sacrificial offering for our life, but we are also meant to see His life and the
sacrificial example He gave us to imitate. The final day of Jesus’ life is a tremendous set of painful and challenging
happenings that none of us would want for our own lives. Jesus was betrayed, framed, unjustly accused, and arrested.
Jesus was put on trial and sentenced to a brutal and tortuous punishment. He was abandoned, mocked, spat on, beaten,
and crucified. We are meant to see how Jesus responds and lives in light of all of this. We need to see this!
We need to see how He washed the disciples’ feet and dined with His betrayers during the Last Supper. We need to see how He blessed Peter and healed the servant of the High Priest, Malkus, during His arrest. We need to see how
He responded to His trial before the Sanhedrin and His sentencing before Pilate. We need to see Him stay on mission,
saving souls even while He was breathing His last on the cross. We need to see all of this so we can be imitators of
Christ’s humble, sacrificial life of love. Join us for a sermon series beginning March 31st called, “You Need to See
This” and see how Jesus lived in His final day before He died for our sins. We need to see this, so we can imitate
Him. Come on God!
I pray even now, that you are preparing your family’s schedule for this Holy Season of Lent and Holy Week. I pray
you are preparing for whom God would have you invite to any one of the worship experiences we have planned:
Rolling Plains Church 3350 Moxahala Park Rd Zanesville, OH 43701 rollingplainsumc.com Return Service Requested
Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Zanesville OH 43701 Permit No. 447
Continued, next page…
APRIL, 2019
Join us Monday, April 8th for “A Walk With Jesus –
Journey Of The Cross.”
This is a powerful, dramatic, journey
through Jesus’ last hours on Earth.
Stations begin at 6:30
PM in the Embers Room.
Journeyers
Sunday, March 31st will be the last chance to purchase tickets for our Spring Fling! On Saturday, April 6th, 5 to 7 PM we
will have a light meal in He-Brews Cafe, followed by entertainment featuring the Walhonding Rube Band in the Worship Center. Tickets are $10.00 each and will be available at the Welcome Center in the Lobby on Sunday!
• Monday, April 8th at 6:30 PM – Your Prayer Team will be putting on The Stations of The Cross. • Sunday, April 14th at 6 PM – Your Worship Choir is working hard on a powerful Easter Musical. • Thursday, April 18th at 7 PM – Our Special Maundy Thursday foot-washing service • Friday, April 19th at 7 PM – Our powerful Good Friday service • Saturday, April 20th at 1 PM – Our Family Worship Experience, KidStuf, and Easter Egg Hunt • Sunday, April 21st at 8:15, 9:45 and 11 AM – Please join us for breakfast and Easter Worship!
All of these are opportunities to see and experience teachings that draw us closer to the person and work of Jesus Christ. Let us focus on His amazing grace through His sacrificial death, but also to imitate His sacrificial life on earth.
I pray God does a new work in you and also those you invite to come with you. People are more willing to come than
we are to ask. Whose life can you change with an invite that says, “Hey! You need to see this!”
Come on God!
Pastor John
South Zanesville Food Pantry Volunteer Opportunity
The South Zanesville Food Pantry, at 53 East Main Street in South Zanesville, is in need of someone to help man the pantry on Wednesdays between the hours of 10 AM to Noon, with the exception of the third Wednesday of the month, which is Noon to 2 PM. They are also in need of someone to help with the meat and pastry pick-up, which is every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9 AM, as well as the produce pick-up, which is the first Tuesday and third Wednesday of the month, at 8:30 AM.
We are excited to start our 2019 year by celebrating our 150th Anniversary! We will be celebrating with birthday
cake at our meeting on April 9, and will be talking about the past 150 years.
After General Conference 2019 [in February], The United Methodist Church faces changes and unknowns. What is known however, is that United Methodist Women and members will continue to stand together, committed to serving
women, children, and youth. We could not have been organized for mission for this long, if we had let our differences
divide us.
We recently changed our meeting time to 1:00 to 3:00 PM. Please come and join our fellowship of women.
Vicki McConnell, President
THE LEGACY PROJECT So the Next Generation Will Know What would your legacy be if you could define it?
It is more than simply wondering how we will be remembered or even what our greatest accomplishment may have been.
The impact of a legacy is transformational and holds the potential to make a difference for generations to come.
Palm Sunday, April 14th @ 6:00 p.m. Rolling Plains Worship Center
Presented by the Rolling Plains Worship Choir
April
Birthdays
1 Amanda Klinehoffer, Hunter Longwell, Beulah Strickler 2 Luke Morrow 3 Dave Armstead, Dianna Sprankle 4 Steve Brock 5 Brian Spring 6 Nathan Raines 7 Nicole Fink 10 Dorothy Morrison 11 Anita Richards 12 Jennifer Davis, Gaylin Higdon, Tim Swingle 13 Teresa Bailey, Jeanie Presley 16 Angie Gable, Larry Jones 17 Gayle Kirkbride, Sue Snyder 18 Ruth Higgins 19 Bryce Bronner, Troy Harmer, Dan Morrison, Carl Shaw 20 Caleb Delong, Sharon Neff, Dick Reese 21 Marcie Flinn, Terry Wiseman 22 Becky Jewell, Teresa Ruppel, Kathy Valentine 23 William Kinsey, Marie Waltemire 24 Sally Snyder, Steve Welsh 25 Jeff Conrad 26 Bridget Geiger 27 Bob Kokensparger, Hilda Stalder 29 Bob Karr, Alexander Presley 30 Linda Kirkbride
Anniversaries 2 Dick & Susan Reese 5 Jim & Linda Geyer 13 Lee & Cheryl Martin 16 Fred & Roz Kennedy 22 Ric & Tammy Roush 28 Mike & Joanne Murphy 29 Terry & Lisa Wiseman
…Continued from page 1
FAITH IN ACTION Fellowship! Fun! Food!
FOOD It is our mission to “feed” those who come to Bethel Community Center. That may be a healthy snack or a nutritious meal. In addition, we strive to feed the total person – body, mind, and soul. We express our gratitude to God before we eat and often one of the children will offer the blessing. We have regular community dinners, where we get to know our neighbors. These events include playing games and entertainment. Our next event will be an Easter Celebration on April 13 at 4:00 PM.
FELLOWSHIP We provide a variety of opportunities for fellowship. Mondays at 12:00 we have a Crochet Class. Director, Joyce Jones, and neighbor, Kathy Vetovitz, enjoy this time to crochet, chat, and share about life events and concerns. Kathy is in the process of crocheting a blanket for a granddaughter, to be born very soon. Other fellowship opportunities include the Mending Hearts for Women ministry which meets the first and third Thursdays, from 1:00-3:00 PM. Our NEW opportunity is a Card Club that meets the second and fourth Thursdays at 1:00 PM. You are welcome to join us for any of these fellowship times. Our “neighbors” certainly extend beyond the Putnam area.
Kay Miller, Board Member
FUN Although we are serious about our mission to collaborate with our neighbors, in order to improve the quality of life in the Putnam community, we are also very much about having fun. Our sometimes serious and dedicated Board of Directors President, Linda Hatfield, can certainly create a fun-time experience for the kids. Linda is the lead volunteer for the Thursday After School “Express Yourself” time from 4:00-6:00 PM.
Bethel Community Center – A Missional Outpost 126 Ontario Street, Zanesville
Blessings from Needle Crafters for Christ April marks our one-year anniversary. We are blessed to be a blessing to our community and beyond. We have an average of 10 to 12 members who attend weekly, and a few others who make it once or twice a month. Our current projects include chemo hats, scarves and hats, blankets, lap blankets, baby blankets, booties and hats, prayer squares, and afghan squares.
We are supplying all mission teams with prayer squares. Prayer squares are available in the sanctuary and the prayer room at RPC. Prayer squares are knitted or crocheted, and made with love and prayers. Each meeting is started and ended in prayer, and while making these squares we are praying for the person who will receive them. These squares supply a tangible item for you that can be folded and put in a pocket to carry wherever you may go. Prayer squares can be used for comfort; for the dying, the ill, the aged, the lonely and fearful; and for children, family difficulties, burials, calamities, and special occasions.
We want to keep you informed of our current endeavors and what we have been able to complete. We were able to bless the James Cancer Center with 41 chemo hats. Bethel has received 30 sets of hats and scarves to share with the children of the Putnam Community. We have delivered 10 blankets and 30 sets of hats and scarves to the “Freestore”; prayer squares; 75 “Jesus Loves You” hearts for our youth; booties, baby blankets, and baby hats to “Heartbeats”; and 1200
afghan squares for Project Amigo. Ruth Henthorne continues to bless us weekly with afghan squares, which we have made into blankets for the homeless and lap blankets for our shut-ins. We are now working on our afghan squares for Project Amigo and will continue collecting these until we deliver them in June. Ruth supplies us with about 100 squares per week and makes 6 or 7 at our Monday meeting. Our goal for this year is 2000 squares. That will make 20 blankets, with a few left over. Projects that are on the horizon for us are lap blankets for veterans, prayer squares, chemo hats for local hospitals, and baby blankets for RPC, as well as continuing our other projects. Our goal is to continue to bless others, both locally and globally, with our talents and crafts.
For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10
“All who are skilled among you are to come and make everything the LORD has commanded: Exodus 35:10 Our group is always in need of yarn or monetary donations to purchase yarn. We also love your feedback and ideas. We would like to thank all who have supported us with donations and prayers. All are welcome to join us, beginners to novices. We meet every Monday evening at 6:00 PM in He-Brews Café. If you have any questions, please contact Kim Hearing, 740-607-3883, or Joann Paisley, 740-819-0972.
These trips are NOT limited to those 65 and up _______________________________________________________
June 9 – 15, 2019 | CAPE COD, MASSACHUSETTS (7 Days, 6 Nights - Including Chatham, Plymouth, & Boston)
PACKAGE INCLUDES: Motor coach transportation, 6 Nights lodging, 6 Breakfasts, 3 Dinners, Evening of entertainment, Fully escorted tours of Provincetown, Chatham, Boston & Quincy Market, Plymouth & Plymouth Rock, Historic Sandwich
Hyannis area, including Kennedy Memorial & Main Street; Cape Cod Canal Visitor's Center; Hyannis Harbor Cruise w/view of Kennedy Compound; Luggage handling in Cape Cod; All taxes and meal gratuities.
PRICES: $999 per person, single occupancy; $770 per person, double occupancy; $745 per person triple occupancy
October 7 – 17, 2019 | TEXAS – YE-HA! (11 Days, 10 Nights - Including Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Houston)
PACKAGE INCLUDES: Motor coach transportation to/from Texas, lodging & breakfast, 5 dinners, stops/tours including the G.W. Bush Presidential Library, JFK assassinations site and Memorial, and highlights of Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas (to name a few). PRICES: $2045 per person, single occupancy; $1476 per person, double occupancy; and $1356 per person triple occupancy.
December 2 – 5, 2019 | CHRISTMAS AT THE BILTMORE HOUSE (4 Days, 3 Nights)
PACKAGE INCLUDES: Motor coach transportation, 3 nights lodging, 3 breakfasts, 3 dinners, Candlelight tour of Biltmore House, tour of Biltmore Estate and Biltmore Village, guided tour of Asheville, Billy Graham’s “The Cove”, and much more. PRICES: $809 single occupancy, $610 per person double occupancy, $580 per person triple occupancy
The Journeyers are planning 3 Great Trips in 2019!
We would like YOU to join us!
For tickets and/or more information, contact Pat Wiseman-Jones at 740/453-5849 Seating is limited, so don’t hesitate!
On Saturday, April 6, we will be serving the Christ's Table lunch. We will be meeting there at 9:30 AM, and will finish up at 1:00 PM.
Our regular meeting will be Sunday, April 7 at 7:00 AM in the Embers Room. ALL MEN ARE WELCOME.
Hope to see you at both locations.
In His service, Tim Collins
United Methodist Men
Crossworks Mission in Europe
April 2019
Praises: Thankful for healing, after several weeks of the flu, bronchial infection, and a 2nd cold. Finally, I’m feeling better.
Prayers needed for: • Upcoming travels in April
• Spaniards to be moved by the message of the Gospel and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, as we celebrate Easter.
• Future opportunities to train and teach adults
• Successful hiring of a new ECMI-USA Executive Director
DONATE: ECMI-USA, PO Box 2217 Monument, CO 80132. (Sharon Graves # 4060) http://www.ecmi-usa.org/get-involved/give/
Coaching for Ministry Leaders and Teams
These smiling faces from Spain, Ireland, Austria, England,
Holland, Romania, and the USA are participants of the EQUIP
coaching seminar, which I had the privilege of presenting the
first week of February, 2019 in Camarma de Esteruelas,
Spain. This course teaches missionaries how to effectively
listen, paraphrase, and ask reflective questions that encourage
individuals to think critically in order to plan, reflect, and
resolve problems.
Meet the Madrid Team
These missionaries around the table are the members of my
ECM team here in Madrid, where I live. As a multi-cultural
team, we represent Ireland, England, Peru, El Salvador, and
the USA. While we all have different types of work and
responsibilities, we are still committed to meeting regularly,
sharing a meal, and praying for one another.
Church Planters Praying for Spain
Circling this map of Spain are almost 60 church planters who
are part of Spain’s M4 Church Planting Platform. They met on
March 8-9, to listen and learn from church-planning experts. A
closing activity was to pray for specific areas of Spain, that the
Gospel will be shared and more evangelical churches will be
planted. My role in this big weekend was serving on the
kitchen team preparing breakfast, lunch, and supper for two
days. It was hard work, but I really enjoyed serving in this way.
Coming in April _____________________
Each Monday evening at 6:30 – 7:30 PM Monday Night Prayer
•
Each Friday evening at 6:30 PM Road to Recovery
•
April 6 – 5:00 to 7:00 PM Journeyers’ Spring Fling
(Tickets required) •
April 7 – 9:45 AM KidStuf FX
•
April 7 – 7:00 AM United Methodist Men
•
April 8 – 6:30 PM Stations of the Cross
•
April 11 – 7:00 AM All Pro Dads Breakfast
•
April 14 – following 11:00 AM service Discover Rolling Plains
(RSVP required) •
April 14 – 6:00 PM Palm Sunday & Easter Cantata
•
April 16 – 1:00 PM United Methodist Women
•
April 18 – 7:00 PM Maundy Thursday Service
•
April 19 – 7:00 PM Good Friday Service
•
April 20 – 1:00 to 3:00 PM Kidstuf Easter Egg Hunt
•
April 20 - Leave church at 3:00 PM Youth “Elegant Spring Break” Night Out
•
April 21 – 8:15, 9:45 & 11:00 AM Easter Sunday (No Youth on Easter)
•
April 28 – 4:00 to 5:30 PM “Not A Fan” classes begin
Interested in helping to beautify the church’s landscape?
Just write “landscape” on your Connection Card or contact Building
Maintenance Mgr., Tina Peyton:
740-453-4192 or [email protected]
ow
Reprinted from LiveWell magazine, with permission from Genesis HealthCare System
