Easter

 I believe Easter is THE most important day of the year.  I love it.  It is a celebration and a wonderful chance to praise Jesus and give Him glory and thanks for dying for my sins and saving me from an eternity in hell.  That's as big a deal as it gets!  Jesus is the meaning of life, and it all comes down to His defeating death and His resurrection, which we celebrate on Easter!

 

I must admit, I have enjoyed the Americanized traditions that come along with Easter too.  When the kids were younger, I loved the excitement they got about coloring and hiding/finding eggs, and I had fun filling their Easter baskets with all kinds of treats. I enjoyed making sure we all had new spring-y clothes and posed for a family picture in our nice new duds at some point during Easter Sunday. 

 

This year, it was a stressful, mad rush to get the kids and I some new clothes because none of us had anything decent that fit.  I filled one basket with candy, and that was plenty. Easter is now a weekend of work for us, and I am not complaining.  It is a joy and a privilege to do the work God has for us!

 

Last night, we all helped with setting up the church.

 

Jeremy, putting up the sanctuary curtains...

 

Installing the cross behind the stage...

The girls helped put response cards together...

 

We had 2 services today, with an egg hunt and a breakfast in between.

Yesterday, I spent an unexpected chunk of the day dealing with technical and administrative tasks that were necessary with adding an additional service.

When it came time to check children in for first service, our wi-fi signal was weak, and our system didn't recognize the additional events I had added for the kids' classes.  Good thing we can still resort to writing things down with paper and pen, huh? 

 

Sylvia helped Jill in the 3-year-old class during 1st service.

 

 

 

Annah helped in the Early Learners class during both services.

 

 

 

I played and sang in the band for both services.

 

Jeremy helped "hide" the eggs for the hunts.

 

 

Caed-bud in K.I.D.S. craft time

 

Ready for the egg gathering to begin...

 

 

Emptying the loot out of their eggs...

Sylvia in 2nd service with friends...

 

K.I.D.S. worship

In the sanctuary, many were commissioned into various ministries.  Recently, PoC has started a small Saturday night worship service, and a campus in Champaign.  Today, several were commissioned as lay pastors to take the weekly message/sermon to others who physically cannot get to church--some are in other states and countries!
22 people were also commissioned (though their names were not made known) as local missionaries who are ministering to others in their communities and striving to live a life of service and mission!

 

 

There were several doors on tables around the room, and each had a few "entered" stamps and sharpies.  These commissioned people stamped and signed the door to signify that they have ENTERED into the mission God has called us to.

 

 

Then, the entire congregation was invited to accept Jesus' call and stamp and sign a door.

 

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

 

Jillian and Annah...They are growing up too quickly!

 

Jeremy helping tear down the sanctuary...

 

 

Blue man group?

 

Church is where our best friends are.

 

There is a LOT of work to be done now!  277 souls ministered to today!

 

 

I have a really talented photography team who took most of the photos for this video I put together of the day.  Our church is SO blessed with the favor of the Lord!  He gets all the glory.