GSPC Voice: April 2021

April, 2021

Dear Church Family,

Happy Easter! A year ago we were several weeks into COVID quarantine and suspended worship for Easter. Now, like the budding blossoms on the trees we can see and are experiencing the renewal of life together. We’re not all the way there, but more and more people are getting the COVID vaccine, with the final general group having access the week after Easter Sunday. I am seeing more people in-person for Sunday school and worship, and life is starting to regain some semblance of normalcy. That is encouraging!

We continue to offer a range of ways to engage and re-engage with worship and other church ministries. I specifically want to share Holy Week service information with you, beginning with Maundy Thursday in just a day or two on April 1!

April 1: Maundy Thursday communion* - 6pm
*Communion will be served in sealed containers to those in the sanctuary and Sonlight room

Sanctuary, live singing with Eric; masked and social distancing by household
Sonlight Room (next to sanctuary): view live stream together, no singing; masked and social distancing by household
Livestream on Facebook and Church Website (gspc.net)

April 4: Easter Sunday

6:45am Sunrise service – meet outside the sanctuary, then process outside to the Columbarium; we will sing one verse of “Christ the Lord” outside at the conclusion of the service; we will remain masked and distanced during the brief (10-15 min.) service
8:30am Early service – non-singing service, masked/distanced; talk-back after sermon and sharing of prayer requests
11:00am Second service – singing service, masked and social distancing by household
11:00am Livestream (and on-demand afterwards) – on Facebook and Church Website (gspc.net)

We will conclude the “Journey to Easter” series from John on April 11 with John 21, which is a post-resurrection encounter with Jesus and the story of Jesus restoring and re-calling Peter to ministry (after his denial in John 18). Then on April 18 we will begin a new sermon series on Galatians, entitled “Grace, the Truth of the Gospel.” I am excited to go through an entire book of the New Testament with you, particularly this one focused on the interplay between grace and truth in the life of a local church.

Whether you are able to join us in person or engage with us online, I hope that each of you has a meaningful and blessed Holy Week and Easter!

In Christian love,

Robert

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UPCOMING SERMON TEXTS & THEMES

Journey to the Cross with the Gospel of John
April 04 (Easter): Lord! (John 20)
April 11: Work (John 21)

Galatians: Grace, the Truth of the Gospel
April 18: Grace Defined, Grace Deserted (Galatians 1)
April 25: Grace on Trial (Galatians 2)

MISSION update

During April the SERVE Team will be highlighting another mission we support and have supported for several years. In case you are not familiar with them, Dan & Elizabeth Turk serve as mission co-workers in Madagascar as a part of Presbyterian World Mission known as FJKM. They have served there since 1997. Dan works in the agricultural field helping seminary students & farmers learn how to grow vegetables and also teaches them about grafting and growing fruit trees so they might be able to get out of poverty. Elizabeth works in the healthcare field, helping teach seminary students about HIV and AIDS. She also works with FJKM community health program.

Dan & Elizabeth are currently living in Orlando, Florida due to COVID but anxiously await their return to Madagascar. They give thanks for technology that lets them continue to work with their colleagues in Madagascar on a frequent basis. Please pray for them to be able to return to Madagascar soon, for the work they are doing there and for the people of Madagascar. We will be hearing more from the Turks during the month of April.

The SERVE Team
Ann Baker & Leslie Pack, elder chairs