MORNING WORSHIP
Message: “Shaped or Smashed: The Potter’s Clay” (Pastor Jeff)
Lead Worshipers: Praise Team
Offering: Unity Ministries
Children ages 3-preK will be dismissed by announcement for Children’s Church
EVENING WORSHIP
Scripture Reading: Habakkuk 1-3Discussion Topic: “The Wicked, The Righteous, and the Faithful”
Offering: United Campus Ministries
Welcome to Unity!
THE WEEKLY CALENDAR
The monthly calendar can be viewed at www.unitycrc.org/calendar
Today (2nd Sunday):
10:00am - Morning Worship
Celebration of Communion
5:00pm - Evening Worship
Monday:
4:00pm - Worship Planning Team
Tuesday:
7:00pm - Ladies’ Jail Ministry
Wednesday:
7:00pm - Men’s Jail Ministry
7:00pm - Youth Group
Next Sunday (3rd Sunday):
9:15am - Prayer in Pastor Jeff’s office
10:00am - Morning Worship
OTC Celebration Potluck
5:00pm - Evening Worship
Old Testament Challenge (OTC): The fast-track readings for the final week of the OTC are 2 Kings 25; Jeremiah 29:1-23; Daniel 9:1-19; Ezra 1:1-8; Nehemiah 1-2; Malachi 4; Hebrews 11; and Psalms 147-148. For those who are reading the entire Old Testament, if you want to finish by May 28, you should be reading Zechariah, Malachi, Ezra, and Psalms 138-144 this week. The challenge is almost completed!
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
Annual Congregational Meeting - Sunday, June 11 after Worship
UNITY FAMILY CARES AND CONCERNS
New Baby Congratulations
Congratulations to Norm and Val Duininck in the birth of a new granddaughter Indya Mae (Duininck) Swanson. She was born to Steve and Jodi on Tuesday afternoon, weighs 5 lbs 7oz, and is 20 inches long.
OTC Completed Celebration!
We did it! The challenge is complete. Let's celebrate the completion of the Old Testament Challenge series with a potluck. But let's start at the end and go to the beginning this time. Let's start with dessert first, then the main meal! Bring a dessert or salad to share. Care Group 2 will host the potluck on next Sunday, May 21, following the morning service.
Considering Membership
If you are thinking about taking the next step of being connected at Unity and would like to explore the possibility of becoming a member, we are in the initial stages of planning a time to hold our next session of membership classes. Our first option is to have two Wednesday night sessions on June 7 and 14. Please contact Pastor Jeff this week if you would like to be a part of these classes so we can schedule a time that works with everyone.
Building Project Update!
After the initial financial goals were met for our proposed building project, the building team met with Cities Edge Architects in January to discuss proceeding with blueprints for our church addition. We were informed that it would take up to four months before
Cities Edge would have time to work on the construction drawings. We also learned that the architect who designed our original church building as well as the concept plan for our new addition would be retiring.
The Finance/Building teams met jointly and decided to consider exploring other architectural firms. In March we met with a representative from HGA, a Minneapolis firm which specializes in church design. Prior to this meeting some members of our committee
visited churches designed by this firm and were impressed by what they saw.
We hope that in the next few weeks, we will find out whether it will work out for us to use HGA. If it does, we will be going through a process of getting plans and drawings developed and then deciding the best method for contracting the project.
We hope that we will be able to start yet this year, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us before we will have final, complete blueprints and specifications ready. We do feel we can benefit greatly from using the services of an architect with expertise in designing churches even if it means that we don’t get started this year. We believe it is important to do this project right.
UNITY CHURCH MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES
Small Group Smorgasbord
The “wide variety of choices” of small group materials in the Fellowship Hall will continue to be available for the next several weeks. They are there for you to consider using for your small group this summer or fall. If your group would like some input from Pastor Jeff, you can meet with him Sunday, May 21 after church or contact him by email or phone.
Joining a Small Group
If you are interested in joining a small group, please fill out one of the small group registration forms on the tables in the fellowship hall and place it in the offering plate or return it to the church office. You may also register at www.unitycrc.org/smallgroups on our website. We will work to find a group for you to connect with, and then have that group contact you.
Worship at St. Cloud Prison
Unity Church is scheduled to lead the Sunday Morning Chapel Service at the St. Cloud Prison next Sunday, May 21. If you would like to participate this time, please contact Sarah Brouwer.
Sunday Evening Change
At the April 24 meeting, the Council decided to affirm the transition from our Sunday evening worship service to the small groups ministry, with the final regular Sunday evening service to be held May 21, 2006.
Community Announcements
Vacation Bible School Fiesta will held June 5-9. The evening meal is served at 5:30 p.m. and singing starts at 6 p.m. We have all the teachers lined up and now the kids can sign up. Children must have completed preschool. Sign up for the class they have just completed. Sheets are in the back of church and also sign up sheets for anyone to donate food. We need a lot of different items. Thank you for your help.Senior Citizens
Our May meeting is Thursday, May 18th at 11:30. We will have our usual potluck dinner at the Fire Hall. Later we will have games and cards. Please bring the following: A-L: casseroles, M-S: salads, T-Z: desserts.
Seniors & Friends
Due to popular demand, I have arranged to take another bus to attend the play “The Church Basement Ladies” at the Plymouth playhouse. They have added some matinees and I was able to obtain tickets for Tuesday, June 20. The cost would be $45.00 per person. This would include a noon luncheon at the Old Country Buffet, ticket and bus fare. Kindly call as soon as possible for reservations. ~ Ardi Zondervan
