WITHIN THE FELLOWSHIP:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Michael Kehs, Quinn Mahoney 3rd; Allison Hall, Phil Shafer 4th; Gabriel Martindell, Henry Shafer 5th; Doug Elliott, Megan Weiss 6th; Brody Kinney, Evangeline Smith 7th; Ron Malone 8th.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! Dean and Beth Kulp 4th; Tom and Judy Leidy 5th.
THE SERMON TITLE this morning is The Beast: 666. Over the centuries a lot of ink has been spilled spelling out the person designated by the number 666. Not only has ink been spilled, but much money has accrued to those fellows who assure folk they know the identity of 666. For some folk the number 666 inspires fear – it is, after all, the number of The Beast of Revelation! He does marvelous signs, is a magnet for people’s adulation. Indeed, vast numbers of people even worship him. He is a deceptive fellow. But he’s not God. God will not allow him to deceive the people of God. Here’s the secret: God wins!
WE WELCOME BRYAN STOUDT to Leidy’s Church this morning. Bryan and his wife Sharon work with the Christian Medical and Dental Associations. For over a decade the Stoudts have ministered primarily to medical/nursing/dental students on several Philadelphia campuses. We’ll hear about that work, and also about some big happenings that will unfold this summer in their household.
DAILY DEVOTIONS are being presented on our website. Just go to the website, click on Resources, and then click on Pastor’s Ponderings. You will be able to access a video presentation as well as a written document of the devotional thought for the day.
A BAPTISM SERVICE is being planned for this spring. If there are young folk [or older folk] who have received the Lord Jesus as Savior, but have not been baptized, you may want to speak with Pastor Niederhaus to see if baptism is an option for you.
SPECIAL THANKS to the music and A/V personnel who have worked hard to make today’s service happen – and to make it available online. Your work is appreciated.
SLMT-CUCUTA is being planned. This would be a trip to visit and work alongside our partners at Iglesia Luz y Verdad in Colombia as they seek to minister to Venezuelan refugees. Our plans are still quite flexible, but it seems likely we’re looking at a time around the second week of August. If you’re interested in being part of SLMT-Cucuta, please contact the church office soon. For more information you may speak with Martha Wolgemuth, Emma Coale, or Pastor Niederhaus.
APRIL PLANNING
Two events are postponed: the Love Cradle Banquet, now scheduled for May 9th; the Kid’s Musical is postponed, but no new date is yet established. Some events are still scheduled: the April 7th Red Cross Blood Drive; the Ladies of Leidy’s April meeting on April 7th; Spiritual Council and Consistory meetings on the 7th and 8th respectively; and the SLMT Auction on the 25th. If the Shelter in Place mandate extends beyond its current end-date of April 6th, then events listed as “still scheduled” will be postponed in line with the new end-date.
THANK YOU TO ALL who have continued to make financial contributions even though we are not gathered as a congregation and have no formal Offering time! We do need ongoing support to pay our various ongoing bills. Online giving has been utilized by some. Others have “mailed it in” and really done so! A few have stopped by the church office and chatted with our office personnel while dropping off their tithes and offerings. To all, we say: Thank You very much!
PRAYER-POINTERS
Here are two prayer points for this week as we pray for the Gospel Gleanings outreach to the Erukulu people:
- Pray for God to protect the Erukulu people as the Coronavirus spreads through India, that they would take necessary actions to limit its spread, and that He would continue to prepare them to receive the Gospel.
- Pray for the Holy Spirit to protect and keep safe the India Bible Literature personnel taking the gospel to unreached people groups in India; also, for all the IBL staff and the partner churches throughout India who carry out the ministry. The IBL offices will be closed through the rest of March and into April.
TIME’S GETTING SHORT to sign up to be part of the SLMT-Pik team! April 30th is the new deadline. The sign-up sheet is posted on the narthex wall. July 9th through the 19th are the dates. Mark it on your calendar. No one is too young, no one is too old. Likewise, no one is too skilled and no one is too unskilled. You simply need to be a ready and willing worker with VBS materials and kids or with maintenance projects and tools. Seek the Lord, perhaps He wants to use you in this year’s ministry to Canada.
THE CHRISTIAN EDUCATION DEPT. is collecting pictures of children in our Nursery through 12th grade Sunday School classes for 2020 prayer cards. Parents, be sure a picture of your child(ren), with their name and birthdate on the back, is turned in to their Sunday School teachers, or the church office. If you do not have a picture, let their Sunday School teacher know, and we will take one for you. It is our desire that each child has an adult praying for them! The date of Prayer Card Sunday will be decided later, so continue praying for the child you have now.
GOT YOUR THINKING HAT ON?
“Hmmmm. What should I do for the SLMT Auction this year?” That’s the Thinking Hat we’re thinking of! Don’t let the Auction slip up on you. Now is the time to consider what your options might be. Is there a service I might offer? Is there something I’ve found very helpful that I could buy and make available to others through the Auction? What’s that one item that would stimulate a bidding war – I want to get it for the Auction! It is time to get our hats on and percolate some thoughts about the Auction.
APRIL NEWSLETTERS are available in your church mailboxes. Extra copies and large print copies are available on the table in the narthex.