For the last few months, I have found inspiration on Wednesday nights.  It is fun to see everyone who comes for various activities and meetings, but  I have also found great inspiration from those who come to clean the church.  People are vacuuming, dusting, scrubbing, polishing, and tidying every inch of the building.  I think the church is actually cleaner than it was when we had professionals coming!  The comradery and spirit of the cleaning crew is quite contagious.  I know sometimes I arrive tired and cranky, but I always leave quite cheered up. more…

Hickory Bend’s Vacation Bible School Theme for 2011 is:

SHAKE IT UP CAFÉ-

Register Here online or in person!

If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation . . . – 2 Corinthians 5:17a

In this kid-friendly café full of chef’s hats and aprons, pots and pans, checkered tablecloths, and chalkboard menus, kids explore the Bible as a cookbook filled with recipes for living out God’s word. Through interactive lessons, that are easy for kids to apply to their lives today, boys and girls will celebrate biblical festivals that reveal ingredients for being a follower of God.

All Children and Adults are Welcome

Sunday July 24 through Thursday 28^th.

All family members and friends are invited to the Thursday final night Celebration and graduation program and meal.

5:30 light supper served

6:00 to 8:00 break out sections with puppet, music, story, mission, discovery, craft, and games for kids and an adult class following the same theme.

Our SHAKE IT UP CAFÉ Carry Out order:

Take the love of Jesus and share it with everyone.

Join us for four evenings of Shake it Up!  Where we learn to carry out God’s recipe!  We are trying something new at the request of our youth.  They would like to have their own VBS before the children’s VBS.  The youth have said that as much as they love working in VBS being on staff, they don’t want to miss any of the fun or the Bible stories!  Yes.  That’s what they said.  We will study the same Bible stories the children and adults will be studying, but these lessons are named at youth.  We will learn how to be ready for God’s call, give happily to God and others, believe in Jesus as God’s son, and remember Jesus’ life and teachings.  While we are learning, we will also be preparing for the children to come the following week.  God calls us to shake up our lives and follow Him!  Come learn with us how to carry out God’s recipe.

We have a HUGE Wednesday evening planned for this week.

Dinner will be served at 5:15 from now on to help keep us on time for 6:00 Bible Study.

This week’s menu:

Lasagna

Salad

Bread

Desert

Tea, Water, Canned Drinks.

Also, we have a full music schedule for Wed. night rehersals to be prepared for Music Appreciation Sunday.

Here’s the schedule:

6:00 Bible Study

6:00 Bell choir

6:20 Band

6:40 choir

See you at church!

Cathy

Please come to our rescheduled council meeting immediately after worship, on April 18.  Everyone is welcome, and we have many exciting projects in the pipeline.  Your input is very important.  Come and throw in your two cents.

Our church website is an amazing tool.  A wonderful thing happened as a result of our website.  The new Young Adult Sunday School Class is studying 10 Things I Hate About Christianity, and the author of the book, Jason Berggren sent us a very encouraging comment.  Go to hickorybendumc.com and read Jason’s reaction to our book study.

January 7                 The Apocalypse:  “What is it all about?”

“FIRES OF HELL, WATERS OF HOPE” A STUDY OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION

January 14               The Speaker(s): “What was said and Who said it?”  Revelation  1

January 21               The Recipients:  “And you call yourselves Christians?”    Revelation 2-3