Hello, Oak Chapel Friends,
Today is a day that we Christians have come to term as “Good Friday.” The historical events of the day we commemorate, though, were hardly anything but “good” – the brutal beating and crucifixion of an innocent man, one who came to espouse justice, mercy, compassion and love. Tonight at 7:00 the combined choirs of the Church of the Cross, Moreland, Oak Chapel and Wooster United Methodist Churches will present the Good Friday Cantata “The Shadow of the Cross.” This service of darkness will give us a glimpse of the events of that day. I hope you will come for this meaningful music presentation.
Jesus died a horrible death on that Good Friday, yet death did not have the final word. God took the pain and brokenness of that day and transformed it into something good. From the darkness of that day, God brought forth light and life in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We know the end of the story and while we celebrate that “end” every Sunday, this Sunday – Easter – gives us an opportunity to truly celebrate. We will begin the day at 8:00 a.m. with an Early/Sunrise service hosted by the youth, followed by breakfast in Fellowship Hall at 8:45 a.m. hosted by the Sing-Mar class. Our 10:30 Resurrection Celebration will include Holy Communion and special music by Mark Ritchey. My sermon titled “Giving Up Death” is based on John 20: 1 – 18.
I look forward to worshiping with you. Also, don’t forget our Easter Egg Hunt tomorrow morning at 10:00. See details below with other announcements and important information about upcoming events. Please review and mark your calendars accordingly.
Children’s Sunday School Assistants
Terra Aten leads the young children’s Sunday School class that meets during worship each Sunday morning. Her assistant this Sunday, 4/5 is Pam Domer. Her assistant next Sunday, 4/12 is Cindy Mykrantz.
Easter Egg Hunt
Oak Chapel’s annual community Easter Egg Hunt is planned for Saturday, April 4 at 10:00 a.m. this year. The event will feature pictures with the Easter Bunny, an Easter Egg Hunt and games and activities. Please share this upcoming event with your friends and neighbors.
Pastor Away
Pastor Robin’s father, Bob Dillon, is scheduled for spine surgery on Monday, April 6. Pastor Robin will be traveling to be with her family for the surgery. She will leave Easter Sunday afternoon, April 5 and will return on Saturday, April 11. During her absence, Rev. Tom Fish of Moreland UMC will cover for pastoral emergencies. Rev. Fish can be reached at 330-262-2522 or 330-720-5991.
Holy Humor Sunday
On Sunday, April 12, we will honor Holy Humor Sunday at Oak Chapel UMC. Come see what we have “up our sleeves” for that day and join in the joy and laughter, celebrating God’s love for us. Jesus laughed and we should, too!
Church Work Days
The Trustees invite all members of the church to participate in a series of Saturday Work Days this Spring. On April 18 we will gather to do some general clean up of the church buildings and grounds including cleaning windows, picking up sticks and raking. On April 25, we will gather to plant new shrubs on the north side of the building. Then on May 2, we will gather again to spread mulch around the new plants and other areas around the building. Many hands make light work. Please join us at 9:00 a.m. on any or all of these days. God has entrusted us with a beautiful facility and we want to be good stewards of it.
Spring District Conference
Our Annual Spring District Conference will be held at Wadsworth UMC on Sunday, April 26 from 3:00 – 4:30pm. At this meeting we worship, hear about ministries at various churches on our district and elect district delegates to our annual conference session for 2016. All church members are invited to attend.
Compass Group Pulpit Exchange
The clergy in our compass group will participate in a pulpit exchange on Sunday, April 26. Rev. Chuck Kaliszewski from Rittman UMC will preach at Oak Chapel. Pastor Robin will preach at Smithville UMC that day.
Opportunities for Ministry Next Week
Sunday, 4/5 – Early/Sunrise Worship at 8:00am
Breakfast at 8:45am
Sunday School at 9:30am
Easter Resurrection Worship at 10:30am
Monday, 4/6 – Retirees Breakfast – Towne Market at 8:00am
Bible Study at 10:15am
Emergency Trustees Meeting at 7:00pm
Art and Soul at 7:00pm
Tuesday, 4/7 – Girl Scouts at 5:45pm
Membership Care Committee at 7:00pm
Wednesday, 4/8 – Choir Rehearsal at 7:00pm
Thursday, 4/9 – 4 – H at 7:00pm
Saturday, 4/11 – United Methodist Men – Green Leaf at 7:30pm
Weight Loss Support Group at 9:15am
It is a privilege to be your pastor and to serve among such an amazing community. I look forward to seeing you in church on Sunday!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Robin