Announcements for the week of March 15, 2009

The Third Sunday of Lent

MISSION STATEMENT
The Church of the Holy Spirit (Episcopal) shares the love of Jesus through being a friendly community, participating in liturgically rich worship experiences, and by empowering individual ministries.

WORSHIP NEWS
WELCOME NEWCOMERS AND VISITORS
Please feel free to join us at the communion rail when it is time to receive Holy Communion. Our ushers and any member will be happy to assist if you have any questions during our worship. Jesus loves you! We are glad you are here.

Holy Week is coming. Please plan now to attend one or more of the daily Holy Week services. Please check the board in the entry and the website for dates and times.

YOUTH

CHRISTIAN ED
Please remember we are offering a program for the children Sunday evenings. They eat with us and then from 6-7 we learn a song, do a craft and will start making instruments for our Palm Sunday Band. We also do a little bell practice. We are making a “joyful noise!” it all starts at 5:30 pm with soup.

Bell Choir; The bells are here. We want to do two pieces for Easter. I need eight children, preferably 3-6th grade who will be here on Easter Sunday and will be able to begin practicing now. We will take a little younger and a little older for Easter if we need to. We may be completely inter-generational at Easter. Any teens or adults who might want to learn let me know. After Easter we will try and form the choir from the 3rd to 6th grade age group for an end of year performance. I believe for Easter we will have an inter-generational Bell Choir. I am truly excited. Questions? Contact Kristi.

A Message From Charlie! Hi everyone. Parents this is for you. First please say hello to all the children for me. I love seeing them and playing with them on Sundays. I am getting in a little trouble for playing when I am not supposed to be. Miss Linda, Mr. Alan or Miss Kristi need to be asked if I can play. So parents and kids just remember to ask. If no one is there it’s probably not play time. The kids are doing so well, sharing and helping others, BUT, please don’t leave the children alone if you go to a meeting or if you are going to be away from the undercroft for more than a few minutes. Thank you, be good, God loves you and so do I!

COMMUNICATIONS

LENTEN PROGRAM Our 2009 Lenten Program is underway. We meet on Sunday evenings in the parish hall beginning with a soup supper at 5:30pm. Our focus this year is “Music in Worship” Each week we look at hymns used throughout the church year. This week we are looking at the hymns of Easter. Join us as we learn the story behind some of the hymns we sing and then help us make a joyful noise as we sing them to familiar and not so familiar melodies. It’s great fun!

Website: Our new website is up and running thanks to the hard work of Kim Culp. Our next task is to keep it current. We are putting a team together to help make this possible. Each team member would act as a contact for one or more of our ministry teams and update the site’s information to keep this current and relevant. If you have a working understanding of Microsoft Word and you would like to help, you should contact Kim Culp or Fr. Tom.

Dean Fricke Food Pantry: Do you have a few spare hours each month? If the answer is yes, then the Pantry could use your help. Traditionally, each parish has two members on the board who help coordinate parish support. With Diana’s departure last year we find ourselves down to a single representative. While Carrie Feingold is an outstanding CHS representative, we really need someone to help her keep our support flowing. If you would like to know how you can help the diocese of Nebraska make a difference in the greater Omaha area, please talk to Carrie during coffee hour. Don’t know who Carrie is? Ask around or grab Fr. Tom (that is if you can catch up to him on Sundays).

ER&D and MDGs: Many of you are already aware that the envelopes in the pew this Lent are to collect funds in support of Episcopal Relief & Development’s effort to impact the world through the Episcopal Church’s Millennium Development Goals; in particular to help reduce the spread of disease in underdeveloped nations. One of the most severe public health problems worldwide is Malaria. Every minute a child dies from Malaria and it is estimated to cost $12 billion/year in lost productivity. Malaria is the leading cause of death and disease in many developing countries and young children and pregnant women are most affected. The ERD has partnered with NetsforLife to provide nets and education where needed. Over one-million nets have been distributed over the past three years. When used correctly one net can save three people and reduce the spread of Malaria by 50%. Our donations will go towards helping the ERD to increase the availability of treated mosquito nets in areas where Malaria is prevalent. Please prayerfully consider helping us help those who cannot help themselves.

Good Friday Collections: Since 1922, the Episcopal Church has supported the Episcopal Church (TEC) in Jerusalem provide a Christian witness in the Holy Land through its support of the many Christian pilgrims that walk the Via Delarosa this time of year or who visit Jerusalem throughout the year by pooling the Good Friday offerings from across the Church. To support this ongoing tradition, we at CHS will send any non-designated donations collected on Good Friday to TEC’s Good Friday Offering. Please help us discern the difference between EOG contributions and Good Friday contributions by using the Maundy Thursday envelope for cash donations on Good Friday or by placing “GFO” in the memo line of you check.

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT will be playing at Bellevue West High School on March 26-28 at 7pm and also at 2pm on March 26.Ticket prices are: Adults $7.00, Students $3.00, Under 12 Free. See poster posted on the bulletin board in the undercroft for more information.

Lay Readers: It's that time again! This year we will need a lot of volunteers for the services planned for Holy Week. Please check the bulletin board and sign up for everything you can. Thanks. (Any ?'s? Ask Mary Ruth 291-7416)

Dinner in Abraham’s Tent: On March 27, the Omaha Tri-Faith Initiative will host a community dinner at the Qwest Center. Speakers from the Jewish, Muslim and Episcopal faiths (including our Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori) will address the development of the Omaha campus and ongoing efforts to increase our understanding of our shared heritage. Beginning March 1, registration for this event will be open to the general public. Therefore, if you are interested in attending, please go to the website trifaith.org and sign up by the end of February to ensure you have a seat at the table.

On April 17-19, 2009, Women’s Ministries of the Diocese of Nebraska is sponsoring a retreat to be held at Saint Benedict Retreat Center in Schuyler, NE. The retreat leader is Teresa Monaghen, AO, a retreat leader and Spiritual Director from Omaha. “Developing a Discerning Heart According to St. Paul” is the theme of the retreat. All women of the diocese are invited to participate. Registration forms can be found on the bulletin board in the undercroft.

Rae E. Whitney Hymn Celebration will be April 23-26 in Omaha. For times and places please see the flyer on the bulletin board in the undercroft.

Our prayers of thanksgiving are offered with those who are celebrating birthdays this week, especially: Mary Ruth Sullivan (Mar 15), Valerie Williams (18).

Our prayers of thanksgiving are also offered with those who are celebrating wedding anniversaries this week, especially: Tom & Lois Clark. (Mar 17).