March 9, 2023 Newsletter

Prairie Avenue

Christian Church

217.428.3327

www.prairieavenuechristianchurch.org

To be learning, loving, and serving disciples of Christ from the depths of our being to the ends of the earth.

A Stephen Ministry & Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Congregation

Worship Each Week & Daily Prayer

Attending weekly gives you the opportunity to re-center your life,

give God honor and glory, and remember what is really important in life.

Jesus came to lift up the lowly. In the Gospel of Luke, a first-century portrait of Jesus, we find stories of Jesus’s ministry with ordinary, unexpected people. They weren’t perfect. Many of them were struggling and didn’t have their acts together. Some of them were outsiders or even outlaws. Whoever they were, Jesus brought the good news of God’s kingdom to those who most needed to hear it. That includes you and me. Through Luke’s stories, we find Jesus’s care and compassion for all as he welcomes sinners and outcasts.

This Sunday, we continue our exploration of the themes of the Gospel of Luke. There are several unique parables in Luke, including the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, the well-known parable of the prodigal son(s), and the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Through these parables we find Jesus teaching that he came to lift up the lowly.

Attend Worship: Pastor Jason has encouraged an "A grade" of 90% worship attendance (missing less the 5 Sundays in a year). You can keep up your attendance by joining worship online through our Facebook premiere or our worship online page. Join us in person or online... it will count!

Join us for Coffee... and Donuts on Sunday Morning

We have partnered with the Good Samaritan Inn, our community Noon meal, and Mercy Gardens organization, to support their programs through the weekly purchase of their Do Good Donuts.

Our variety of donuts (subject to availability) includes:

Donut/Vanilla Icing Chocolate Donut/Vanilla Icing

Donut/Chocolate icing Chocolate Donut/Chocolate Icing

Donut/Maple icing Chocolate Donate/Maple Icing

Donut/Cinnamon & Sugar Blueberry Donut/Blueberry Glaze

We cannot deliver these goodies via Online attendance! Must be present... to eat.

Join us at 8 am or 9:30 am

This Week's Prayer Calendar

Congregations: First Christian Church East Moline, Eureka Christian Church, Frederick Christian Church; First Christian Church, Paw Paw, MI

Global Ministries: Japan

Pray with Japan, March 12, 2023 - Global Ministries

Lectionary Selection: John 4:5-42 Prayer from Japan God of unfailing grace and immeasurable love, the Good News is that you gave your son in the ultimate embrace of the world. You showed us through the example of Jesus how, in ... Read more

Grow in Faith

through listening, paying attention, and reading 5 verses a day

Take a class, as you make friends and grow to know what learning, loving, and serving God and neighbor means in everyday life.

Morning Devotion

Each weekday (Monday - Friday), Pastor Jason shares a brief 4-7 minute scripture reading, reflection, response, and prayer. The associated devotion is posted to Prairie Avenue's Facebook page.

You may also access it on the church website: prairieavenuechristianchurch.org/daily-devotional. It is posted around 8:20 to 8:30 each morning.

Soup & Scripture Wednesday, March 15,

5 pm

Chili, Sandwiches, and Dessert are served each Wednesday in Fellowship Hall.

Who taught you an important truth using a story, or a story through which you learned a valuable lesson? Why are stories, real or imagined, important tools for communicating messages and truth? During this week's session, we explore Jesus's use of stories called parables. There are 49 different parables recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and 16 appear only in Luke. We will look at three of these unique to Luke parables.

Order Book on Amazon

Order Book on Cokesbury

Use Your Gifts by sharing five acts of love and kindness each week

Serve God and neighbor by using your gifts and talents both inside and outside the walls of the church. Each of us have spiritual gifts and natural abilities to use to serve others and glorify God.

Birthdays/Anniversaries

March 9-15

Birthdays

14 - Kay Trotter

Wedding Anniversaries

None

Membership Anniversaries

(When you joined Prairie Avenue!)

15, 1964 - Dave Geibel

If you know of a birthday or anniversary that has gone "Missing" from our list, please contact the church office at 217-428-3327. Thanks.

Give Regularly through five acts of generosity each month

Giving regularly not only supports the work of the church,

but also is your way of giving God priority in your life.

What we love is where we will spend first.

When we are able to give, it always deepens our faith

in loving and serving God.

Thank You for your generosity!

Week of Compassion Updates

REMEMBER TO RETURN YOUR CHANGE BOXES!

Thank you for your generosity! Our preliminary total is $378. Please return your coin boxes (and yes, we know they were terrible this year!) for a final tally. Last year’s offering was $589.07

Week of Compassion is the relief, refugee, and development mission fund of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada.

Give to Week of Compassion

General Fund Supports Operations & Ministry

Donations given to the Prairie Avenue Christian Church General Fund support the year-round ministries of the church. Your generous support keeps our building, staff, and operations working for the mission of the church. The mission of Prairie...

Building Fund Supports Repair & Updates

Announced at the State of the Church address on June 30, 2015, the reFresh capital campaign has two improvement/update priorities: updating HVAC equipment and internet/network accessibility.

AUDIO/VIDEO EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT UPDATE: All of the equipment recovered from the February 2022 theft has been returned. Wayne Rutherford, of Rutherford photo, has reconnected our sound system this past week. Camera equipment has been installed. Some additional cables are needed, so live stream will resume soon!

For instructions in registering your Kroger Rewards Card, Click Here.

The Organization code for Prairie Avenue Christian Church is: BY235.

Kroger Community Rewards Program News

$28.98 was raised by 13 households who have linked their Kroger customer reward cards to support Prairie Avenue Christian Church. The quarterly contribution is for shopping at Kroger from October to December 2022

Joining to support the ministries of Prairie Avenue Christian Church is FREE. Any transactions moving forward using the Shopper’s Card number associated with your digital account will be applied to the program, at no added cost to you. Kroger donates annually to participating organizations based on your percentage of spending as it relates to the total spending associated with all participating Kroger Community Rewards organizations.

AMAZON SMILE UPDATE: Prairie Avenue Christian Church has been issued a $6.75 donation from the AmazonSmile Foundation as a result of AmazonSmile program activity between October 1 and December 31, 2022.

The donation was deposited to your organization's bank account between February 8 - 11, 2023.

A final distribution will be received this summer. Amazon discontinued the program on February 20, 2023.

Share Your Faith by inviting 5 people to church this year

The God you worship is always revealed through your words and actions. Awkward conversations (i.e. "Are you saved?") are not necessary when your words and actions reveal the God you seek to learn, love, and serve.

In Other News

General Assembly 2023 - General Assembly

The theme for the 2023 General Assembly is "Kindom of God Within Us, Among Us." The theme is based on three scriptures: Luke 17:20-21, Genesis 11:1-9, and 2 Peter 1:3. "Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The coming of the kingdom of God is not [...]

Share This Email