Connections

From Crewe United Methodist Church

Sunday School 9:45 AM

Worship 11:00 AM

Web Site: http://creweumc.org

4th and Georgia Avenue

Crewe, VA 23930

434-645-9907

office@creweumc.org

“In the old rugged cross, stain'd with blood so divine

A wondrous beauty I see For the dear Lamb of God, left his Glory above

To pardon and sanctify me” The third verse of the “Old Rugged Cross” tells of how Jesus died on the cross to

pardon us. As much as I love this hymn, there is more to the story of salvation than just the old rugged cross. On the cross Jesus bore our sins but it is not Jesus’ death alone that saves us.

It is in the empty tomb Jesus rose to new life, a new creation, no longer mortal man but immortal, Son of God. It is the empty tomb that took the brokenness of our sin and made that sin into something new. It is in the empty tomb our salvation is found.

The cross is a symbol of the death that sin brings. Easter Sunday morning (and really every Sunday which is modeled on the third day) is the symbol of the life God offers us once we give our sin over to be put to death. Lent and Holy week are a gift that allows us to look deeply into out hearts and see the sin that is growing there. It is a set apart time for us to fall on our knees seeking forgiveness, repenting once again of the sin that keeps us from being in right relationship with God. At the end of it, we come not to the cross for celebration but to the empty tomb, for new life is the reward when we offer our sins as a sacrifice.

“To the old rugged cross, I will ever be true Its shame and reproach gladly bear”

We bear the shame and reproach of the cross, not so we can remain sinners but so we can find ourselves a new creation in Christ. Salvation is not found in the cross, it is found through the cross, in the garden, at the tomb, where God has promised us a new life, without sin or shame or reproach.

-Pastor Christina

Christina Perkins, Pastor

Give Easter more than one day this year. There are five ways to join with your faith community in preparing for the

celebrating:

Join us April 9th, Palm/Passion Sunday. In worship we will “Bless Our Souls”, following worship with the opportunity to go through interactive stations of the Cross

On “Silent” Wednesday, join with the Crewe-Burkeville community at noon at New Bethel Baptist Church

At 7:00 PM on Maundy Thursday, we will claim the Promise of Adoption as we remember Jesus breaking bread with his disciples

At noon Friday, walk through the blackness of Good Friday, where Jesus’ death caused the earth to quake and the veil to be torn

Easter morning at 6:30 AM, we will gather to watch the rising sun while we give thanks for the empty tomb. Regular worship will be at 11:00am.

Michael

Hurley

2

Lynn Norton 4

Eric Elkins 6

Tom Schaubach 6

Marie Jones 9

Christina Perkins 9

Richard Stallings 9

Hontas Harrison 10

Shanna Atkins 11

Susan Black 11

Richard Mitchell 11

Bobbie Leach 14

Lisa Lewis 14

Betty Burgess 15

Barry Beck 16

Jim Rosenburg 16

Aubrie Shelton 17

Maggie Ellington 18

Graham Wilkerson 21

Mariah Martin 23

Noah Rowell 24

Val Wilson 24

Jacob Klag 25

Sam Mason 26

Sherri Sydnor 26

Chuck Dews 27

Brett Saunders 28

Jacqueline Harris 29

Libby Ann Perkins 29

GENERAL FUND ANNUAL BUDGET

$163,342

MONTHLY GOAL $13,612

WEEKLY GOAL $3141

RECEIVED TO DATE $ 29,890

GOAL TO DATE

$37,692

General Fund In memory of Gerald Harbaugh by Betty Roberts, Alice & Larry Yeatts, Judge & Mrs. Thomas Warren, Pam Hamilton, James M. Jones, J. Larry Williamson, Michael & Kay Hall, Frances S. Hood, Martha Wiley and Boswell & Williamson

Maintenance & Repair Fund In memory of Gerald Harbaugh by Sidney Locke

Elizabeth G. Wilson Scholarship Fund In memory of Elizabeth Wilson courtesy of the Miss America Organization

Christian Sympathy

Our thoughts and prayers go out

to the family and friends of

Gerald Harbaugh

who went to live with our Lord

on March 10.

TABLE TALK

Table Talk is moving to once a month! We will meet on the second Wednesday of the month still at 6ish but we will be eating out!

Watch out for news of where we will meet this month in the bulletin and Facebook page. In April, we will be talking “Faith in Pop Culture”.

Hope to see you there!

Thank you for the cards, phone calls,

visits and most of all, the prayers, you

shared with me during my hospital stay

and time at Woodlands. I feel blessed to

be such a part of a loving church family.

John Spencer

ELIZABETH WILSON SCHOLARSHIP

The Elizabeth Wilson Scholarship was established to

honor the memory of Mrs. Elizabeth Goodall

Wilson who taught French and English at Crewe

High School, and later in her career ran the

Guidance department at both Crewe High School

and Nottoway High School.

Applications are currently available to seniors at Nottoway High School, Kenston Forest and on the glass table at Crewe UMC and are due to the church

office by April 14.

Heart to Heart Mother/Daughter Weekend!!

Join in for a fun weekend and time to connect!

Burkeville Baptist Church

April 21 from 6pm to 9pm

April 22 from 9am to 1pm

Ages 6 and up

Cost $5/person

Speakers

Worship

Friday paint night

Crafts

Tea Party

Contact: Nancy McDaniel 434-480-0081

THANK YOU

Thank you to all who participated in

donations to our February fundraisers!

The Valentine booklet enabled us to donate

$215 to the General Fund, the soup and

sandwich luncheon added $364

and the pancake supper $132.

We appreciate your generosity!

Easter Eggstravanza

On April 9, from 9:45-10:45 all children and youth are

invited to join us in the fellowship hall for an

Easter Eggstravaganza!

(Adults are also welcome!)

There will be egg blowing, decorating, Easter stories and

an Easter egg hunt!

Children and Adult Choir

Musical and Dinner

On April 9 the Children, Youth and Adult Choirs

will present the program “He’s Alive”! The evening will begin at 5:30 with a spaghetti dinner

and the musical will follow. There will be some familiar songs such as “God’s Not Dead” and

“Hosanna” and new ones as well. Proceeds will support Vacation Bible School which

will be held June 19-23.

Donnie and Nancy took Lydia,

Della, Desi and Trey to the

Farmville District Revival

Retreat held at the Omni in Rich-

mond on March 4-5. Kyla Marie

(DCYM Leader) decided to step

out in faith in search of a greater relationship to

Christ with this group of youth.

The Retreat consisted of interactive workshops,

skits by our DCYM, a cookie party, midnight dance

and worship sessions with Pastor Kenny and

Angel. Kiki and the DCYM leaders did an amazing

job. This Retreat was very powerful and touched

many of our youth. Great time!!!

Starting April 23rd, we will begin a new worship series called “When Christ Lives in Us”. During the Easter season we will look at what our lives will look like when Christ lives in us. We will start by examining calling-what has God called and equipped you to do? There is a place here for you, where you will be loved and nurtured.

United Methodist Women

The UMW meeting will be held on April 5 at 10:30. After

their devotion and business meeting they will attend the

Lenten Luncheon at Bagby Memorial Baptist Church.

On Saturday, March 11, we had 9 members attend the

Annual Prayer Breakfast in South Hill. The food,

fellowship and program were wonderful.

We have 2 UMW circles, one meets on the first

Wednesday of the month at 10:30 AM and includes a

devotion, program and lunch. The other meets on the

second Tuesday night at 6:00 PM and includes dinner, a

program, and an online Bible study.

Both circles focus on global and local mission projects.

All women of the church are invited to join!

SOCIETY OF ST. ANDREWS

You can be a part of feeding the hungry!

“One major area of food waste in America is in farmers’ fields, where crops that don’t meet top-grade quality are left to rot or be plowed under. Gleaning is the traditional biblical practice of gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the fields to rot, or be plowed under after harvest. The Gleaning Network coordinates volunteers, growers, and distribution agencies to salvage this food for the needy.

Tens of thousands of volunteers from churches, synagogues, scout troops, senior citizen groups, and other organizations participate each year in Society of St. Andrew gleaning activities. Each year, tens of millions of pounds of produce are salvaged and given to the poor at no cost to them or to the food pantry or kitchen that feeds them.” -SoSA website

It costs 2.4 cents per serving for Society of St. Andrews to glean and distribute food from fields farmers open to having gleaned. A quarter can provide 10 serving of nourishing, fresh food to those in local communities who need it most.

If each person in our congregation gave $1, we would

help provide 3,125 servings of gleaned food!

April 9th, we will take up a special offering for the

Society of Saint Andrews.

COMMUNICATION

AND

SHEPHERD TREE

In order to keep our members updated on church

events, prayer requests, visitation needs and sharing

inclement weather notices, Crewe UMC has

Implemented a ‘Communication and Shepherd Tree’.

Many members choose to receive church

communication via text or email while others prefer a

phone call. Currently the Shepherds and Carol Sanger

make the phone calls and Pam Hamilton sends out the

emails and texts. The communication is implemented

once Pastor Christina, Carol or Pam get the information.

Please remember that if Pastor Christina, Carol or Pam

are not notified directly, they cannot respond to requests

or concerns.

We have a group of members who are faithful shepherds

but we are in need of 5 more. The shepherds

acknowledge their sheep on birthdays, illnesses, etc., let

the office know if there are issues Pastor Christina needs

to address and call those in their ‘flock’ who prefer that

method when communication is to be shared.

Should anyone request NOT to be contacted, or anyone

we have left out who DOES want to be contacted,

please contact the church office.

Counting Teams

1st Sundays– Betty Jack Fuller and Juanita Yates

2nd Sundays– Lisa Lewis and Nancy McDaniel

3rd Sundays– Ron Mountcasel and Johnny Weston

4th Sundays– Cindy and Wallace Owen

5th Sundays– Chuck Dews and Robbie Daniel

Liturgists

April 2– Nancy McDaniel

April 9– Laura Daniel

April 16– Tom McCann

April 23– Cindy Owen

April 30– Shanna Atkins

LENTEN LUNCHES

Date Church Speaker

March 29 Kingdom Community Church Christina Perkins

April 5

Bagby Memorial Baptist

11 Oaks Pastor

April 12 New Bethel Clyde Shelton

Crewe United Methodist Church

P. O. Box 105

Crewe. VA 23930

CHURCH CALENDAR

WEEKLY

Sundays 9:45 Sunday School for all ages

Sundays 11:00 Worship Service

Mondays 7:00 Handbell Practice

Tuesdays 10:00 Bible Study

Wednesdays 6:00ish– Table Talk

Wednesdays 7:30 Choir Practice

MONTHLY

1st Sunday Holy Communion during 11:00 worship

1st Wednesday United Methodist Women- 10:30 AM

1st Thursday Men’s Prayer Breakfast at the Community Center– 7:00 AM

2nd Tuesday Margaret Winfree Circle– 6:00 PM

4th Thursday Leadership Board 7:00

Conference-wide Week of Prayer

A prayer movement, in response to the Council of Bishops’ initiative, is called Praying Our Way Forward. The Virginia Conference will hold its designated Week of Prayer from Apr. 2-8. The website umcprays.org will host prayer resources and prayer support for the church. Our prayer focus is two-fold: We are praying that God will help us to fulfill the mission of the church, and we are praying to be one in Christ.

Members of each Connectional Circle are accountable to pray during this time. Crewe UMC is asked to pray specifically on Monday, April 3. As we pray for God’s will being done in and through our Church, let’s also pray for the worldwide UMC, the Commission on a Way Forward, and all of our Bishops.

Dear Lord in Heaven, Jesus prayed to You about all believers, “that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us.” Blessed Spirit, fill our hearts and make us one with each other, and one with You. Strengthen our souls with the resolve to

act always according to Your will. We pray that Your will be done- in, through, by, and for- our Church universal, and particularly our United Methodist Church. May your blessings be poured upon Bishop Lewis, and upon the rest of our Council of Bishops, that they may

guide our religious movement called Methodism to create new disciples daily. The Commission on a Way Forward, o Savior, has been created to save our unity. Only by Your amazing gracious wisdom will that Commission succeed; let the will of the Commission, and our own will,

conform with Yours. Grant that the Commission members may discern Your will. Through that Commission, through all of the people called United Methodist, may Your will be done.

In the name of the One Whose commandment is the reason for all we do: our Lord, Jesus Christ, Amen.