The Pastor’s Blog
Renovation and Renewal
Some of you may have noticed that there is some work being done on the parsonage. We are currently working on redoing much of the interior. This means that walls, electrical, and our heat/air conditioning systems are all being worked on! This process has been pretty amazing to see. We are finding a bunch of neat things from the lives of those who have inhabited the space. Anytime you do a big project like this there are surprises and some of them are pretty cool! Old notebooks and pictures, odd construction quirks, doors hidden behind walls and all sorts of other things have been seen for the first time in years. As the walls are stripped and the carpets removed and the work of deconstruction shifts to the work of reconstruction the “real work” begins. Anyone can tear something down. It takes a craftsman to rebuild though. Someone who knows the job and has practiced and worked on projects like this before.
As we lean on craftsmen for the reconstruction/renewal of the house we also lean on Christ for the renovation and renewal of our lives. We come to him needing to be reshaped and rebuilt. After years of hard use some brokenness is to be expected. As we invite Christ into our brokenness we may be tempted to hide the things that may need fixing. When the designer of the house comes back to do the renovations you are sure to have a good experience, and you certainly aren’t going to be able to hide the problem areas! Some things may be harder for us to let him work on but if we trust his vision for our lives then we give those long held things up. We may not be able to visual the finished product but Christ knows the beginning, middle, and end of our lives and we can trust him to do his best for us. Let Christ work on your life and give his vision for you a chance!
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In Celebration of our Risen Savior
Good Friday Service – April 14th at 6:30 p.m.
The service will feature reflection, repentance, communion with the elements, and a time of open worship.
Easter Sunday Schedule – April 16
9 a.m. A time of fellowship – Continental Breakfast
10 a.m. Worship in the sanctuary, including our kids sharing.
No Bible studies or Sunday school classes that day.
Following worship Christian Ed will host an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids!
This year’s EFM 2017 Easter Offering will go towards Evangelism in Mexico City, to be taken Easter Sunday.
Please be in prayer about the opportunity to share in this offering.
MFC IS GOING GREEN!! Starting Sunday, April 2nd, we will be recycling unwanted and unused bulletins. Please put the portion of your bulletin and/or inserts you don't want in the recycle bin located by the door to the hallway and it will be recycled.
FWMF Meeting for April
All ladies are welcome to join us at Medford Friends Church Thursday, April 20th, at 10:30 a.m. for our Friends Women Missionary Fellowship meeting. Following the meeting we will have lunch at Wendy’s.
Annual Spring Fellowship & Mission Rally – Saturday, April 22nd, at Talent Friends Church
Start time is 10:30 a.m. lunch served after the session.
The rally is sponsored by the Friends Women organization, and is intended for the whole congregation as an opportunity to be informed, express support and encouragement to our missionaries, as well as to one another, as we join for the fellowship of encouragement in our common concerns for helping spread the good news of the gospel. We always have a refreshing time, don’t miss it! Mark your calendar.
Guest speakers: Russ & Sarah Badgley who are preparing to go to the jungle area of Ecuador for their first full year among the Shuar people. Also Ken & Tonya Comfort, who served in Peru for 15 years with NWYM. Ken led the team organized by EFM in corporation with the Peruvian Friends yearly meeting, which went into Ecuador as part of the discerning process which led to the opening of the work where Badgleys are to serve.
Spring Rally Offering project: Blankets, bicycles and goats for Nepal. The goal would be around $1,200.00.
Help our kids go to Twin Rocks Friends Camp!
MFC’s Silent Camp Auction will be May 17th. Items such as baked goods, handmade items, antiques, collectibles and company donations have sold well in the past. There is plenty of time to get creative. We are looking forward to a great evening of fun fellowship and raising funds for camp scholarships for our youth.
We are excited to announce that Terry DuLong has agreed to coordinate dinner that evening with all proceeds going towards our Camp Fund. Watch for more information!
Camp Brochures for this year’s camps are on the table in the foyer.
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Cling to the Vine
Easter is just around the corner! We have been experiencing some wet weather here and while that may be nice for the plants it means our spring hasn’t been the sunniest. Days of cloudy overcast can get us down. The cool rain and breezes make us want to stay inside and curled up under a blanket. Some moments of sun have been very welcome relief but still it hasn’t felt like spring yet. A seasonal shift makes us excited for something new and the refreshing that comes with spring always makes me think of renewed life and vibrancy in our natural surroundings.
Over the next few weeks we are going to explore the idea of God’s Vineyard and Jesus as the Vine. My hope in doing this is that we will come to appreciate God’s work in our lives and Jesus as the source of our lives. As we like to cling to our blankets and cocoa on rainy, cold, and overcast days my hope is that this exploration of God’s Vineyard will help us cling to Jesus when things aren’t the way we hoped they would be. If you want a preview of where we are going to be in the coming weeks look at Matthew 20, Luke 20, and John 15. I hope that you are as excited about this Easter as I am and that the Son shines a bit more in your life this spring!
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Rich Swingle Sharing in Worship on March 12
Rich Swingle grew up at Medford Friends Church and now lives in New York City and travels the world ministering for Christ through drama; writing, acting in plays and movies and teaching. During worship on March 12th, Rich will be performing the one man play he wrote entitled The Acts. The Acts brings to life the miracles and wonder of the first century church as God empowered His people through the Holy Spirit. The story is told from the perspective of a man who spies on the followers of Jesus for Saul. As he reports back their actions and beliefs he begins to realize they are following more than just stories.
The Acts is a powerful presentation of how God worked in the early church and how He desires to work in and through His people today and you won’t want to miss it.
FWMF Meeting for March The ladies will meet at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, March 16th at the home of Phebe McManama. There will be a buffet luncheon following the meeting. All ladies are welcome to attend.
Looking ahead, FWMF date for this year’s Spring Rally, to be held at Talent Friends will be Saturday, April 22.
All Church Potluck Sunday March 19th Join us for a time of fellowship and good food! We’ll meet in the fellowship hall at noon, please bring a main dish and salad, vegetable or dessert to share.
Everence® informative webinar in March
Basics of investing: Tuesday, March 21 (2 or 8 p.m.)
In this webinar, we’ll discuss how investing can help you meet your financial goals, go over different types of investments and help you determine your appropriate level of risk. We’ll also cover how to get started and address your questions. Presented by Dennis LeFevre*, CFP®, Trust and Financial Advisor.
For more information or to register, contact Melissa Short at (800) 222-5054 or melissa.short@everence.com; or visit everence.com/direct. (All times Eastern Daylight Time.)
From the Christian Ed Committee:
We will hold an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday, April 16th. Your donations of bags of individually wrapped candy are welcome and much appreciated for this fun event and can be brought to the church any time.
Help our kids go to Twin Rocks Friends Camp!
This year’s Silent Camp Auction will be May 17th. Items such as baked goods, handmade items, antiques, collectibles and company donations have sold well in the past. There is plenty of time to get creative. We are looking forward to a great evening of fun fellowship and raising funds for camp scholarships for our youth.
Read more...