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Woah. Talk about a full weekend around here! I hope you got the chance to participate in some or all of the wonderful gatherings that took place here over the past few days!

We had a really special, first official Grace Marriage Ministry date night on Friday night! I really want to encourage you to participate in this ministry. It was so special to look around the Sanctuary and see many couples, all married for a various number of years, sitting together, intentionally communicating about this month's prompts. You can join Grace Marriage at any point in time, each month does not build on the last. But in order to join you do need to register online.

I understand the OAKS had a really enjoyable time at the Promise Players Performance. Similarly, I heard great feedback on the Men’s Banquet. I was sad to miss this year, as was Scott, but we were both tied up with other commitments. 

Thanks to all who helped organize and participate in Sunday’s Every Generation Sunday. Another fun round of Jeopardy, this time testing some of your Easter knowledge! We rolled right out of Jeopardy into the Branches Brunch, another wonderful gathering of generations! Thanks to all of the Branches for their investment into their Lil’ Roots! Another thanks to the members of the Roots Crew who served on this committee! Many hands makes light work!

For me, this week brings planning meetings for Bible Bros and FAMJAM. Two upcoming events that I can’t wait to share more with you about in the coming weeks! We will also gather for another Roots Night on Wednesday, I hope you’ll be here for fellowship and discipleship! On Friday night the women will gather to create Resurrection Gardens, a timely Easter activity! Many thanks to that team that is working to prepare for the 50 ladies joining!

I trust that you are also finding joy in the ever increasing green around us! I got some pansies potted and my garden got its first turn of the soil this weekend. New life is all around us! “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it SPRINGS up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19

 

What WE’RE Learning This Week: A nugget of what our Lil’, Youth and Adults Roots heard this week

Our Family Theme: Lessons From the Life of David

Our Root Text: Various Scriptures From 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel

Verse of the Month: 1 Samuel 12:24

How Every Generation Lives This Out: Talk as a household… What are some characteristics and actions of David that we should follow in our lives?

 

What I’M Learning This Week: Sharing what I’m reading and listening to lately

I shared the other week how much I’m enjoying the Lent devotional that I’m working through, “40 Days of Decrease.” Each day prompts the reader to fast from something in their life and/or heart followed by a reading from the book of John. 

In talking about Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, this was the fasting challenge for this day. “The religious leaders were aghast on Palm Sunday with the crowds, the cloaks, the palm branches and the praise. “Teacher, rebuke your disciples!” they demanded (luke 19:39). The whole celebration was too wild, too organic, too out of their control. So they refused to enter in and sacrificed joy to something they deemed greater - be that propriety, suspicion, or, perhaps, jealousy. I wonder if I, too, would have paused, because I am by nature overly cautious. Organic inspires me, but spontaneous? Well, at times, the combination of troubleshooting, discernment, and introversion reduces me to a spectator instead of a participant. I, too, can hesitate and sacrifice participation to overthink. Today, fast spiritual spectatorship. Enter into worship. When considerations start turning into hesitations about something Jesus is clearly at the center of, through hypercaution to the wind, and celebrate Jesus with abandon.”

Let’s celebrate our King with abandon this week!

 

Make Every Week Count: Parenting, Grandparenting & Spiritual Mentoring Resources

Something to Read: This book came out recently, and it’s on my to-read list for sure! Apologetics for an Ever-Changing Culture: A Biblical and Culturally Relevant Approach to Talking About God.

Something to Listen to: The Lil’ Roots are memorizing Psalm 23 while they study the life of David on Wednesday Roots Nights. This is one of my favorite renditions of Psalm 23 and it includes some little voices too! Enjoy Psalm 23 (Surely Goodness, Surely Mercy). 

Something to Follow: We leave for the 2025 D6 Conference in just a few weeks! This is a snippet of one of my favorite workshops I attended last year. Focusing primarily on youth and young adults, listen to this podcast about “Seven Factors for Lasting Faith.” While you’re there, check out some more of their recent podcasts, all speakers from last year's conference!

 

How Can You Pray? Prayer Requests and Praises from Roots Ministries

PRAY for our church board members! I’ll encourage you to pray for a different commission group over the next few weeks. This week, pray for the Witness Commission. This group seeks ways for our church family to steward our resources to those in our community and beyond through service and outreach. 

PRAISE for a wonderful weekend of ministry, serving every generation of our church family!