It seems as though we just finished putting away our Christmas ornaments, and here we are preparing for Holy Week. The services of these sacred days will take us through our Lord’s passion and triumph over sin and death.

Join us for Palm Sunday (April 10), where we find ourselves among the Faces in The Crowd.

Maundy Thursday (April 14), as we witness the Passover Fulfilled.

Good Friday (April 15), as we meditate on the seven last words of Christ in The Crown and The Cross.

And finally, the services of Easter (April 17), as we discover A Stone Rolled Away. Plan to set aside time in your busy calendar to mark these all important days in

our Lord’s journey to the cross and the empty tomb.

Blessings!

Pastor Stanton

The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;

my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield

and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18:2

The picture to the right is my current screensaver on my computer. It is a daily reminder of the wonderful words that David penned in Psalm 18. Psalm 18 is a psalm of thanks in which we see that David thanks God for delivering him from his enemies. Not only did God deliver David from all his distresses, but God also delivers us from our distresses, our enemies, our daily struggles with sin, death, and the devil. David is also fully aware that God is the one that delivered him from all his enemies. We see other great leaders recognizing themselves as the hero, they relished in receiving the praise and glory from the people around them. This is not so with David; David gives all thanks and praise to God.

We are God's children, He loves us, takes care of us, and He delights in us. Yes, God delights in us! Delivering us from our enemies and distresses is just one of the many ways that God takes care of His children. As we soon approach Holy Week, we see that God loved us so much He sent His one and only Son to die for us. If that is not overwhelming love, I don't know what is! So surely if God loved us that much, He would not give us over to our enemies or let our distresses take us down, NO, God will deliver us!

When I read the words, the Lord is my ROCK, I can only imagine a strong fortress. Something that does not waver, something that will protect and shield us. I immediately am calmed knowing that the Lord, my rock, is there for me. I would encourage you to read the entire Psalm because David's use of words renders us in awe. In everything, David is thanking God and praising Him. God preserves us from many evils, guards us in many dangers, and crowns us with many blessings. Let us give God thanks and praise for all of that.

As God delivers us daily from all enemies, Jesus delivered us from the ultimate enemy - sin! Jesus is our Rock and Defense. Because of Jesus' death on the cross we can defy the gates of hell and the power of the devil. We do not have to fear Satan and all his ways but rather call upon the name of the Lord because in His name we have salvation and deliverance. We can boldly stand because Jesus won for us the victory! Because of Jesus we can triumph over our enemies forever and ever, He has delivered us! To God be all thanks and glory, and praise now and forevermore!

In His Service,

Jennifer Leinss

April 3 - Jesus Goes to the Cross

April 10 - Jesus Rises

April 17 - NO CLASS EASTER SUNDAY

April 24 - Jesus' Ascension

Sunday school families will also work on the hymn "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". It can be found in One and All Rejoice #218, or LSB #461.

Our Sunday School students have started their annual Penny Challenge, all with the goal of providing clean water to students and teachers across the world with Lutheran World Relief. Pennies and dollar bills are all positive points, and nickels, dimes, and quarters are negative points. You may participate by dropping your donations in the bottles on the purple wall in the hallway. We look forward to a friendly competition, all for a good cause!

This month, we'd like to take a closer look at our Board of Education, who focuses on all the educational programs of the church.

The Board of Education is comprised of a Board Chairperson, who is currently Pat Mundstock, and four members who are, Becky Dorniak, Duane Graf, Linda Malone, Terry Ratacyzak. Jennifer Leinss and Jaime Greene also serve on the Board as advisory.

The big focus of the Board is making sure that there are many opportunities available to the congregation for Bible Study. One goal that they have is to offer a Bible Study each day of the week, at varying times, so that everyone can find a study that fits with their schedule. They also oversee the Sunday School program.

From a school standpoint, the Board of Education oversees our Parochial School Tuition Assistance, which offers a 50% discount in tuition for our members who attend the Preschool, a $1,500 discount for Lutheran Elementary School students, and a $2,500 discount for our Lutheran High School students. They also work diligently with our Preschool to support the teachers and staff, and any needs that may arise.

You may also know the Board through our SCRIP fundraiser. With the money raised through the sales of gift cards, we have been able to offer additional tuition assistance for families who need it and purchase educational items that are outside our budget. We have been able to equip all our Preschool and Sunday School rooms with projectors and sound bars with the money raised.

If you have any questions about the Board of Education, please see one of the members. We'd love to talk to you more about the work we do!

For our second quarter missions, our Special Mission offering will support LC-MS Disaster Response Ministry. This response ministry responds to immediate and long-term needs following natural and man-made disasters. The ministry reaches out to LCMS congregations and their communities with services that include on-site assessment, emergency relief and development grants, pastoral care for LCMS church workers and members, and other resources.

The total cost for each person to go to Houston this July is roughly $1,800 and we currently have 2 fundraisers going on to help us get there-the flower sale and the envelope fundraiser. To participate in the envelope fundraiser, simply pull an envelope off the board in the Narthex and donate the amount of money that is on the front. For example, envelope #68 would have a $68 donation.

We can't wait to get to Houston and spend 5 days with our brothers and sisters in faith!