May 15, 2005 Bulletin

10:00 A.M. COMMUNION WORSHIP CELEBRATION

Lead Worshiper: Gar Jasper
Professions of Faith: Tara Frikke, Hilary Marcus, Kaitlyn Ohden, Lisa Ohden
Giving of our Firstfruits: Building Fund (Next Week: CMCS)
Prayer for the World
Scripture Reading: Acts 2 (Reader: Bob Stoel)
Today’s Message: Repeating the Story Again (Pastor Jeff)

6:00 P.M. EVENING WORSHIP CELEBRATION

Global Day of Prayer Service
Offering: MOPS

WORSHIP NOTES

Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We welcome you to this place of prayer and worship today. On this day we celebrate and remember the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. May you find tremendous blessing and refreshment as you join us this day to acknowledge that Christ is King, experience the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, and know the love of the Father that penetrates our hearts and souls.

Repeating the Story Again: This morning as we celebrate and worship together, we remember the events of that Day of Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out and the story of Jesus was told to all the Jews who had gathered for this harvest festival. It is stories like these that we pass on from generation to generation that remind us of God’s goodness, faithfulness, and love. They are stories that touch us, that challenge us, and that shape how we look at the world around us. We all have many events in our lives that are etched into our memory because they changed our lives forever. Many of these stories need to be told again, especially those that remind us of the greatness and glory of God. The past influences the presence. And while there are some things that we learn about so they won’t be repeated, there are other events that, though they cannot be repeated exactly the way they happened the first time, we would like something similar to happen in our day. An outpouring of the Spirit similar to Pentecost is one of those.

Professions of Faith: We have the privilege and blessing to hear from some of our young people this morning as they profess their faith in and love for Jesus. This is a wonderful time of celebration in our community. The Holy Spirit has revealed the truth about Jesus to these young people, made it so that this truth could be understood and accepted, and now empowers them to proclaim that Jesus is Lord in the midst of the body of Christ. May their stories be an encouragement to all of us to boldly confess the name of Christ like the apostles at Pentecost.

Global Day of Prayer Service: Tonight we will continue our participation in the Global Day of Prayer. This time of prayer and worship will be very participative as together we seek the glory of God, the love of God, and the reign of God bring us to repentance, empowerment, and victory as we eagerly await the coming of our glorious Savior. We will also take some time to see what is happening around the world on this global day of prayer. Please join us as we ask God to abundantly pour out his Spirit in our lives, our church, our community, and our world.

THIS WEEK AT UNITY

Tuesday: 8:30 am Worship Planning Team Meeting
Wednesday: 7:00 pm Youth Group 10th - 12th meet at Bloms, End of the year party! Games, pizza and of course a bon fire!

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES AT UNITY

Advanced Notice: The 2005 Women of Faith Conference in St. Paul will be held October 21-22. Take some time to get away with friends or invite family to join you for this incredible time of refreshment. Twenty-five (25) tickets are available through Angela Zwart on a first-come basis.

Care Group #5 Potluck TODAY!

Notes from May Council Meeting: The Council made several decisions on Monday night regarding the ministry of Unity Church. One of the most significant decisions was to adjust the times of worship for the summer, beginning June 5 until September 4, to 9:30 am and 5:00 pm with Night Vision at 7:30 pm (Please see flyer in your mailbox for details). The Council also made decisions regarding the congregational meeting, which will be held Wednesday, June 8. More information on the congregational meeting will be in your mailboxes next week.

UNITY FAMILY CARES AND CONCERNS

Bridal Shower: You are cordially invited to an Open House Bridal Shower in honor of LaDonna Sandstede bride elect of Nick Freiborg. The shower will take place at Unity CRC on May 18th at 7:00 in the evening.

Wilbur Duininck moved to Bethesda Heritage Room #125 this week. Please keep him in your prayers as he recovers from last week’s surgery.

Pastors Jeff and Wendy will be out of the office until Wednesday, May 25th. They will be leaving for Grand Rapids, MI this Tuesday. Jeff will defend his thesis on Thursday and graduate on Saturday. Wendy will have an interview to renew her candidacy on Friday and preach on Sunday night at River Terrace CRC in East Lansing, MI. They appreciate your prayers for their travel and meetings.

Congratulations to Beth Fischer and Maggie Freiborg who graduated from North Western College, in Orange City, IA this past Saturday. Also Congratulations to Nick & Carrie (Brouwer) Van Beek who will graduate from Calvin College this coming week.

COMMUNITY & SURROUNDING AREA ANNOUNCEMENTS

CMCS Spring Concert

Thursday, May 19, CMCS 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students will present a Spring Concert in the high school gym at 7:30pm. The 5th and 6th grade choirs, 5th and 6th grade band, junior high band and choirs will be performing as well as various ensembles. We hope you will join us for a night of music. The groups are directed by Barb Swanson and Michelle Mulder.

CMCS Awards Day

Friday, May 20 is Awards Day at CMCS. Students in grades 7 - 12 will receive honors for sports participation and academic achievements. You are welcome to attend. The ceremony begins at 1:30pm in the high school gym.

ON CALL Presents

ROCK WORSHIP WORKSHOP FOR KIDS, grades 1 - 6. Sunday, May 22, 1:00pm ~ 7:00pm. A day of rocking and rehearsing with the On Call band. Concert at 7:00pm. Get a t-shirt, snacks, and dinner! It will be held at the First Covenant Church in Willmar. This is a fundraiser for On Call’s Guatemala Mission trip this summer. Cost of the workshop is $25.00. For reservations or more information, contact the Youth For Christ Office.

ON CALL Auditions

If you want to sing or play in a band - if you will be a sophomore, junior, or senior - if you want to be used by Christ - join ON CALL. Auditions are May 23 - 27th. Call the YFC office for more information and an appointment.

Senior Citizens

For our May meeting, we will have the men and women go separate ways. I’m asking that you meet at the community room at 12:30p.m. on Thursday, May 26. The men will be going to the Wayne Kleinhuizen farm to see the interesting things Wayne makes from wood. Very precise tractors, road graders, etc. After that they will travel to Henry Knapper’s home in Clara City to see his interesting display of antique tools. For the ladies we hope to car pool and drive to George Lake to Wally and Carolyn’s home. Here we hop to enjoy her large doll display and later have high tea in her garden setting. I’m asking that you take some cash along to cover some expenses incurred. Remember, Thursday, May 26 12:30p.m. at the community center. Perhaps a phone call to me would be nice so I know how much food to prepare. Thanks. Ardy 978-8322

CMCS Graduation Ceremony

Central Minnesota Christian and the Class of ‘05 invite you to their graduation ceremony on Friday, May 27 at 7:00pm in the high school gym. Guest speaker will be Chaplain Curt Roelofs a 1961 graduate of CMCS.

Dordt College’s 50th Anniversary

A 50th Anniversary Celebration will be held on the campus of Dordt College in Sioux Center on July 1-3. Everyone is invited to attend events throughout the weekend, including music and theater performances, youth and alumni intramural sports, socials, food, art, a parade, fireworks and more. Most events are free, but some require pre-registration or minimal fees. For additional details or to register, call for a brochure at 1-800-343-6738 (extension #3) or visit www.dordt.edu/events/jubilee/

Vacation Bible School

Let’s go on a Safari Adventure, June 6-10 at First CRC in Prinsburg, as in the past it will be held in the evening. Children are invited to attend Vacation Bible School. Your prayers are appreciated, ask God to bring children to hear about Jesus, our King and Savior. Ask God to provide willing helpers, eager to share His love in Jesus.

Lake Geneva Christian Reformed Family Conference

Mark your calendars now and PLAN TO ATTEND the Lake Geneva Christian Reformed Family Conference to be held at Alexandria, Minnesota on August 8 - 11, 2005. Join with us as we celebrate our twenty–second year of conferences. Dr. Carl Bremer from Primary Focus and Evangelist Verlyn Schaap from Sargeant Bluff, IA will be the keynote speakers. A concert is scheduled for Wednesday evening. There are scheduled activities for children, preschool through high school age. Watch for a registration announcement in your bulletin at a later date. Bring your family - invite your friends - plan to be challenged and inspired.

May is Mental Health Month

MIND Your Heath - Mental Health and physical health go hand in hand. Caring for your mind, as well as your body, is good for your overall health and key to your success at home, at work, and at school. Mental health problems are real, common, and treatable. Mental health problems, including depression and anxiety disorders, are as treatable as many physical illnesses. Woodland Centers provides services for a six-county area: Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac qui Parle, Meeker, Renville, and Swift Counties. Call Woodland Centers, at 1-800-992-1716.