Unity Church Staff Pastor Steve Zwart - 320-444-6682 | stevez@unitycrc.org

Solid Rock Youth Director Travis Berry - 763-210-8344 (solidrockym@gmail.com)

Administrator Wilson Brouwer

Interim Administrative Assistants Becky Berry & Merri-Sue Verner (unitycrcoffice@gmail.com)

Treasurer Jennifer Breems

Custodians Scott & Taryn Buteyn

Lawn Care Roger Ulferts

Snow Removal Trapper Swierenga

CURRENT COUNCIL ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD

Harris Duininck, Administrative Elder

Marlin Breems, Administrative Elder

David Brouwer, Administrative Deacon

Kevin Covert, Administrative Deacon

Wilson Brouwer, Administrator

Steve Zwart, Pastor - Non-voting

Jennifer Breems, Treasurer - Non-voting

SHEPHERDING ELDERS Bryan De Groot, Trapper Swierenga, Daryl Marcus, Dan Ohden, Alnora Bruin, Pastor Steve

SERVICE DEACONS Andy Rosen, Dan Brouwer, Tim Ahrenholz, Jennifer Breems

March 12- March 31 Birthday’s &

Anniversary’s

March 19 Jacob Brown Lisa Ohden

March 20 Katrina Miedema

Willis Wubben

March 21 Lois Cook

March 22 Travis Wassink

March 23 Mr. & Mrs. Justin Nett

March 25 Alex Centellas Reagan Swart

March 26 Lydia Fisk

March 27 Kyla Buteyn

March 28 Laken Slagter Megan Taatjes

March 29 Charlie Vogel

March 30 Bradon Swart

March 31 Mya Dannen

CELEBRATING YOU! If we missed your date or you know of someone we missed,

please contact the church office!

SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2018

THE WEEKLY CALENDAR

Sunday (Today):

9:30am: Worship Celebration

Children ages 3-preK will be invited by announcement to go to Children’s Church.

10:45am: Sunday School

11:20am: All Church potLUCK

Monday -

5:30pm: Open Rock (The Van will leave Unity at 5:00pm)

Monday Night Friendship at the ROC,

Lesson 3, lunch Mitch

Tuesday

9:30am: Ladies Bible Study

9:15am: Coffee Time

Wednesday

6:30pm: Cadets at First CRC

6:30pm: GEMS at Unity CRC 7:00pm: SRYG (9-12 grade) at the Rock

(The van will leave from Unity at 6:30pm)

Friday:

6:45am: Men ’s Bible Study

Easter Morning Flowers

It is once again the time of year to place

your order for Easter flowers. If you would

like to purchase flowers in memory of a

loved one, please contact the office with

your order by Wednesday, March 21st.

Flower Options & Cost

6" Easter Lily $9

6" Tulip Garden $9

6" Begonia $13

6" Mum $13

6" Cyclamen $13

6" Hydrangea $22

Checks can be made out to Unity CRC

MORNING WORSHIP

Scripture Reading

1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Today’s Message

The Good, Hard Work of Communion

1st Offering

General Fund

Communion Offering

Love Fund

Lead Worshipper

Jason Ver Steeg

New Family Sunday and All Church

Potluck

Everyone is welcome to join us for the All

Church Potluck which will begin at approxi-

mately 11:20am.

Welcome to Unity Church! 5th Sunday of Lent

Welcome to worship today at Unity! We gather in this place to experience an au-thentic encounter with God. During this this Lenten season we seek to know more and more what it means to be a follower of Christ. We pray that you would feel the love of God and be filled by the presence of the Holy Spirit as we worship together this morning.

Unity Family Piper Verner broke her arm this week at gymnastics. Doctors were able to reset and cast the arm. Prayers for patience and quick healing are appreciated!

UNITY FAMILY & COMMUNITY FAMILY

ANNOUNCEMENTS

A Festive Palm Sunday Parents of children age 3--pre-K AND K--2nd grade please have your children gath-er in the Fellowship area before the ser-vice on Palm Sunday, March 25. They will wave palm branches as they enter the sanctuary and then find their seated par-ents.

Administrative Assistant Unity Admin Team is seeking applications for the position of Administrative Assistant. The position of Administrative Assistant serves to provide vital communication, organization, and secretarial support ser-vices fore the ministry and vision of Unity CRC. We are seeking applicants capable and eager to offer a warm welcome to our facility, provide efficient office manage-ment and support services, and partici-pate, in coordination with others, in bookkeeping/finance activity. Job descrip-tions are available from the church office. We welcome letters of interest accompa-nied by a resume. If you know of some-one who you feel would be a good candi-date for this position, feel free to bring this information to their attention. For more information contact Church Administrator, Wilson Brouwer.

The Fortress Banquet The 5th Annual Fortress Banquet & Fund-raiser is coming up on Friday, March 23. The silent auction begins at 5:30pm and the banquet & program run from 6-8pm. Unity has purchased a table at this event. If you are interested in attending, please contact the office or Pastor Steve by March 18th. Donations for the silent auc-tion are also being accepted– contact Pas-tor Steve if you are interested in donating.

Nursery Needs The nursery is in need of some new or gently used toys for the ages of infant to age three. They are also in need of ONE pack-n-play. Please drop off any donations in the church office. Thank you so much for your help!

Welcoming New Families

We are so excited to have the opportunity

to welcome new families to our church

family this morning. We look forward to

the gifts and talents they bring with them

as they join us in our mission of being a

body of Spirit-filled believers who are root-

ed in God’s Word, growing in God’s grace,

and committed to reaching others

for Jesus Christ.

Join us in welcoming these families:

Jeff and Sheryl Brown

Keena (and Luke) Covert

Trevor and Janey Duininck & Family

Brandon and Jill Haan & Family

Chris and Joi Huisinga & Family

Ryan and Carrie Moorlag & Family

Antonio and Paulaine Jean Louis & Family

Evan and Laura TeBrake

Jay and Kris TeBrake & Family

Ray and Sadie Tellinghuisen

Greg and Merri-Sue Verner & Family

All Church PotLUCK It’s potLUCK day! Whether you brought a dish to share or not, we hope you’ll join us after the service for a time of celebration!

Next SUNDAY March 25, 2018

GREETERS Jennifer Breems

SERVERS Ryan & Carrie Moorlag Roger & Linda Ulferts

USHERS Pete Van Der Puy Tanner Swierenga

VALET PARKING

Tim Ahrenholz

SOUND/ COMPUTER

Kurt Vander Beek Isaac Swierenga

LOBBY MONITOR

Dan Ohden

LIBRARY Heather Nett

INFANT NURSERY

Jenny Groen Floater:

Beth Sietsema

TODDLER NURSERY

Jamie Groen Elle Plowman Lauren Taatjes

Ministry Information

To be a body of Spirit-filled believers who are

rooted in God’s Word, growing in God’s grace, and committed to reaching others

for Jesus Christ.

CHILDREN’S CHURCH

3 - Pre-K THIS Sunday

(March 18, 2018)

Kerry Breems Noah Vander Pol

THIS SUNDAY March 18, 2018

GREETERS Mike & Tracy Borstad

SERVERS Carl & Shirley Marcus

Dave & Betty Ammermann

USHERS Daryl Marcus Skyler Zwart

VALET PARKING

Dan Brouwer

SOUND/ COMPUTER

Isaac Swierenga Tom Bruin

LOBBY MONITOR

David Brouwer

LIBRARY Ruthanna Fisk

INFANT NURSERY

Amber Knight Floater:

Brenda Van Der Puy

TODDLER NURSERY

Sarah Brouwer Heidi Brouwer Josh Ver Steeg

CHILDREN’S CHURCH

3 - Pre-K NEXT Sunday

(March 25, 2018)

Kerry Breems Noah Vander Pol

KIDS CORNER

UNITY FAMILY & COMMUNITY FAMILY

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New York Mission Trip The New York Mission Team would like to say THANK YOU to all of you who have so generously supported and blessed the team in their fundraisers this year. The team is preparing to leave for NYC on Tuesday, March 27th and would appreci-ate your prayers during the week they are there!

Family Promise Unity will be hosting Family Promise the week of March 25 – April 1 (yes, in-cluding Good Friday and Easter morn-ing). Because of the holiday, we are in great need of volunteers for the week. We need overnight hosts as well as evening hosts and day center cover-age. There is a signup sheet is outside the church office, or talk to Tim or Jayme Starkenburg. Make it a family activity and get your kids thinking about ways to be the hands and feet of God. Consider vol-unteering for multiple nights to start a relationship with our guests. Thank you for your service to our King! “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Matthew 25:40).

Advanced Notice! Ladies… keep your calendars open for a one day Women’s Retreat on Saturday, April 21st here at Unity! Come “Unpack Your Bags” with inspirational speakers, including area favorite Kathy Weckworth. More details to come in the bulletin.

Baby Shower You are invited to an Open House Baby Boy Shower for Stephanie & Jared Duininck on Saturday, March 24 at 10 AM at Bunde CRC Fellowship Hall. They are registered at Target & Amazon.

The Prinsburg Quilters The quilters continue to meet weekly to work on quilts for many charities as well as each graduating senior from Unity CRC and First CRC. They are in need of donations of cotton or cotton blend fabrics and sheets to be used for squares and backs. They especially like flat sheets (no stains or holes). Donations may be brought to First Church basement; contact Judy Ros-kamp with questions (978-4461).

New London Waffle Feed and Easter Festivities On Saturday, March 31st, Peace Lutheran Church in New London will be hosting a Dad’s Belgian Waffle Feed, Easter Egg Hunt, Bake Sale, & Silent Auction benefit-ting the New London Royalty Program & New London Waterdays. Tickets will be available starting this Friday, March 23rd. See the poster on the community bulletin board for more information!

Bunde CRC JAM Supper Come join us for food at fellowship at JAM’s Soup and Homemade Pie Supper on Wednesday, March 21 at Bunde CRC. Serving will be from 5-7:30pm. Take outs are available! Money raised will be used to support our JAM and Jr. JAM ministries. Jews for Jesus Presentation Jews for Jesus presents “Christ in the Pass-over”: You are invited to join us on Sun., March 25th at 5:30 pm at Raymond CRC to hear Amer Olson of Jews for Jesus re-create the traditional Passover service and explain how it foreshadowed Jesus' death and resurrection in a presentation called "Christ in the Passover".

Missionary Need: House Parent (COTP-Haiti) One of the ways in which Children of the Promise (COTP) serves in Haiti is by providing temporary, family-style care to orphaned and abandoned children, until an adoption can be facilitated and the child is united with their forever family. The goals of this care are two-fold: 1) to provide an excellent safe, loving, Christian home environment where the children have ample opportunity for healthy growth and development, and 2) prepare each child for the hopeful transition of them being adopted by a forever family. This directly correlates to COTP’s vision of a healthy Christian family for every Haitian child. The House Parents, and their Haitian staff counterparts, serve as the consistent caregiv-ers to best meet the needs of the children in their home. We are currently looking for House Parents to join our team at COTP. As a House Par-ent, you will be expected to function as the primary caregiver for the children in your home. As such, we are seeking House Parents who are passionate about providing lov-ing care to the foster children at COTP by creating a safe and engaging family environ-ment, by advocating for each child’s needs, and by striving to provide opportunities for the children’s healthy development. Fundamental to this role at COTP is that House Par-ents have experience working with children, are willing to complete Foster Parent train-ing, and strive to live out their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. If this is a role you feel called to, we invite you to apply and look forward to the oppor-tunity to explore this further. TO APPLY check out our website at www.childrenofthepromise.org and click Open Positions under the Get Involved tab. Or you can e-mail Jamie Groen at cotpdirector@gmail if you have any questions.

Support the Haiti Literacy Program The program has been chosen as the ben-eficiary of a portion of all sales at Bargains and Blessings Thrift Store in the Skylark Mall for the month of March. We invite you to support the program by shopping the store in March and by donating items you no longer need to be sold at the store. If you would like to volunteer at the store in March, contact Karen Marcus at 320-235-1213.

Empowered to Connect Simulcast Empowered to Connect Simulcast Confer-ence from 9:00 – 5:00 on April 13 – 14, 2018 at Rock of Life CRC, Willmar, MN. Experience practical teaching in a safe and supportive community as we work to equip families, churches, and professionals to better serve children impacted by adop-tion and foster care. This conference is a wonderful opportunity for foster/ adoptive families, and professionals to receive con-tinuing education credits to use towards their licensing requirements. This free edu-cational offering is organized by Bethany Christian Services and Children of the Promise. Register online: https://eventbrite.com/e/empowered-to-connect-simulcast-conference-tickets-42882437525 .

UNITY FAMILY & COMMUNITY FAMILY

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2017-2018 Budget Giving Update

Budgeted Giving Commitment

Actual Giving

+/- Need

March 4 $6,014.35 $6,428.35 $414.00 March 11 $6,014.35 $4900.00 -$1114.35 March 18 $6,014.35

March 25 $6,014.35 Monthly Total (as of 3/11/18)

$12,028.70

$11,328.35

-$700.35

YTD Total (as of 3/11/18)

$222,073.87

$235,537.22

$13,463.35

THE GENERAL FUND UPDATE

Stewardship Corner The “Luck” of the Irish. It’s a phrase we have or will hear much during this month as it relates to St. Patrick’s Day. “Luck” was attributed to St. Patrick due to his great success in converting the Druid culture into Christians. This “luck”, we know from Scripture, was actually the good providence of God that went with him to bring the gospel that changed hearts and lives. Though the task was daunting/against-all-odds, the mission succeed-ed. What does this have to do with giving and stewardship? Simply this: our fortune, our wealth, our means are not products of “good luck”, but an intentional God with in-tentional means for accomplishing intentional purposes. In light of God’s “good provi-dence”, may you discover that your means and successes flow from a generous God who invites you to live generously.

Bob Dykstra Update Last Sunday at Unity, we received an offering toward the purchase of a mini-van to be used by Bob Dykstra in his ministry on the Lac Courte Oreilles. $5,500 was collected last week; thanks for your generous gifts! If you were not able to contribute last week, there is still time. Drop a check in the offering plate with a note specifying that it is for the Dykstra van or send it to the church office.

New York Missions Trip Special Offering THANK YOU! So many in our church and community have made a difference is seeing this trip come together and we're just over week away from departure! Whether it's a bar at a ballgame, a coupon booklet, a tip night, or simply your donation - it all makes a difference! We are extending an invitation to help out one last time before the team leaves on the 27th. NEXT WEEK SUNDAY, March 25, a special 2nd offering will be taken to assist all those going from Unity on this trip. This special offering is our way specifically at Unity to get behind those from Unity traveling on this trip. The goal is close and with your help we can meet it! Total cost for the 15 leaders and students going from Unity is just over $12,500. Approximately 80% of that has been collected, some of which has come from the Unity Missions Team already. Thank you in ad-vance for ALL the support you have given this trip over the years! The 15 traveling to New York from Unity are: (Leaders) - Perry & Marge Breems, Bry-an & Sue DeGroot, Krista Slagter, Jessica (DeGroot) Gerdes, Abby Zwart, and Pastor Steve. (Students) - Alinda Brouwer, Aubrey Negen, Autumn Swart, Cameron Van Der Puy, Micah Vander Beek, Kayla Ver Steeg, Allie Zwart