That past week or so has been full of many good things. I had a helpful coaching call where I worked on some plans for the church, we had a good financial meeting on Sunday, as well as a stellar youth group bowling outing last weekend. Carl, Phil and I helped out at St. Stephen’s meal last night and got to connect with more people in the neighborhood. And yesterday I attended an area pastors which was a good place of encouragment and learning. I look forward to sharing more with you about these Items.
But for today, I’m going to skip my usual written devotional and instead encourage you to listen to my Wednesday morning video.
THIS WEEKEND we will have Church in the Living room at our house. Sunday. 10:30am.
NEXT WEEK we will worship on Saturday, March 23, 5:00pm at St. Stephens. The children will work on a lovely Resurrection Egg project during the sermon, which families can do together during Holy Week. So, if you can’t be there on Saturday and would like to make your own Resurrection eggs, send me an email and I’ll get you the info.
Gathering Delco Youth will meet next Sunday, March 24, from 6:30 – 8;00pm at St. Stephens. Natalie and Christian are working on some fun games and God stuff. So middle and high schoolers please come out, and bring a friend if you like. Contact me if anyone needs a ride.
EASTER WEEKEND
This year for Good Friday, 3/29, I am encouraging us to attend St. Stephen’s service at 7:00pm. I would have loved to host our own, but this spring break I am taking the kids on a college visit tour to help Libby make her final decisions about next year and I didn’t want to risk not getting back in time to host a service. Also, St. Stephens is open during the day on Friday, March 29 for prayer for anyone who would like to honor the day that way.
EASTER. Sunday, 3/31. 11:00am. We will worship at Jabz in Ridley Park. 611 N. Swarthmore Ave. We’ll plan to have snacks, worship and celebrate the day that the world changed! If you’d like to bring a snack to share please let me know asap. And remember we need to bring a chair if you have one so we can turn the studio into a church.
Happy Wednesday* to you. I hope you’re finding some time to soak in the sun this week. I know as I write this email some of you are experiencing joys and some sorrows, and I can’t help think of the Matt Redman’s worship song: 10,000 Reason, Bless the Lord O my Soul. To find ourselves in position of worship, blessing the Lord in every season of life is a sweet consolation. And when we find ourselves in difficulty I like to think about borrowings others songs, when I just can’t sing praises. Ya know, because we are not meant to walk with this Jesus journey alone.
I’ve really been enjoying “going live” on instagram on Wednesdays, and our new Monday small group as some new ways to connect with God and others this Lent. Monday’s discussion left me thinking more about the “why” of fasting. So, I listened this morning to a sermon from Tim Mackie, and I found it really helpful in thinking about the biblical examples of fasting in the old and new testament. Here’s a link if you’d like to take a listen: TimMackieSermon
Oh, btw if you’d like to listen to the Wed morning devotional, Just Breathe, go to our Facebook or instagram pages at gatheringdelcocommunitychurch. To join me live, log on at 8:00am.
BELONG IN COMMUNITY:
We have something to celebrate! Sunday’s Youth KickOff Dinner was a blast. We had 25 people attend, 12 youth from Gathering Delco and St. Stephens with 4 school districts respresented! Many thanks to Christian, Natalie, Rachel and Doug for helping to launch this new wing of our ministry. And we are so excited to share that St. Stephen’s is letting us use the church at no cost for on-going youth gatherings, which will be held on every other Sunday evening beginning on 3/24 from 6:30 – 8:00pm.
BLESS OTHERS:
Join me this Friday, March 1 to help with the Common Good Supper at St. Stephens. Come out anytime between 4:30 – 7:00 to help, or for the dinner at 5:30pm. Btw, in April we will again be helping out with The Darby Creek Watershed Clean-up. More details are coming soon.
BE with JESUS:
Join us for these upcoming worship gatherings: Please notice the change of our every other week pattern.
Saturday, 3/2, 5:00pm at St. Stephens
Sunday, 3/10, 10:30am at Ross’s
Sunday 3/17, 10:30am at Ross’s
Saturday, 3/23, 5:00pm
Easter weekend details coming soon.
ALL CHURCH MEETING:
I’d like to invite each of you to attend a Finance & Ministry Meeting on Sunday, March 10 at 6:30pm on zoom or in-person at the Ross’. If you prefer in person, come to our house the doors will be open at 6:15, or log-in on zoom. I’ll send a link out the week of. Jen, who is the treasure of our board and kindly does our bookkeeping will help us review the 2023 finances and our budget plans for 2024. I’ll share some reflections and plans for our ministry and we’ll have time for questions, conversation and prayer. Everyone is invited, but no one is obligated to attend. My hope for this meeting is for us to see how God has been providing and leading us and discern how to keep on keeping on with building a safe and inviting space for people in Delco to find meaning and belonging.
Good morning friends of Gathering Delco! I hope you will be encouraged by this little Lenten devotional I’m putting together called, “Just Breathe.” I bless you to know and experience the love and compassion of Jesus today and throughout the week.
