Messenger | April 5, 2023

This week's release at a glance:

Pastor’s Message

Holy Week & Easter Schedule

"Into the Words" Mini-Podcast

It's Stewardship Season

VBS Registration is Open

New Life Purpose Course

Pastor's Message

Dear friends and family of Woods Church,

A university professor I knew once commented that he was teaching an Introduction to Christianity class for undergraduates that term. He said that if he asked those students, "What is the central message of the Christian faith?" most of them would reply, "Do good works." I'd wager that if that same question was asked of American churchgoers today, the predominant answer would be "Love one another and do good works." It's a good answer, but it's not the right answer.

Yes, there is an ethical component to Christianity. We are to do good deeds whenever possible. But that message is not the whole message—and besides, it is not religious advice we are particularly good at following. Let's be honest: Our track record for doing good deeds is far from perfect.

In addition, if the central message of faith is "Do good works," why do you need to come to church to hear that? Can't we learn the same thing from a philosophy textbook? Is it any wonder that church membership is declining, that denominations are seen as interchangeable and often irrelevant for today's world?

What Easter reminds us is that the central message of Christianity is about Christ—that God loves us with a power that is stronger than death and will endure even the cross to lead us out of our darkness, out of our sinful and violent ways, and out of our self-imposed tombs into abundant, eternal life. Christianity points to the whole sweep of human history and focuses our attention on this one figure, calling us to trust Christ Jesus who came to us, rose from the grave for us, and who heals, forgives, and leads us forward into true life.

The central message of the Christian faith is ultimately a biography story. Celebrate the amazing culmination of that story this weekend—and invite a friend or two to join us, whether in person or online. In this story is our greatest hope and greatest joy!

Peace in Christ,

Randy Bush

Church News

Office Closure

Church offices will be closed on Easter Monday, April 10.

“Into the Words” Mini-Podcast

Check out our “Into the Words” mini-podcast. In the most recent episode, Pastor Randy discusses Team of Rivals by author Doris Kearns Goodwin. Click the button below to watch previous episodes.

It's Stewardship Season

The countdown has begun and this year's Stewardship Campaign is underway! Our theme is simply Come Home to Woods. Our hope is that Woods Church is a place in which people find a spiritual home, a community of faithful witness, compassionate service, invigorating worship, and intergenerational education. Through the act of making a stewardship pledge, you help our church leaders budget wisely and plan effectively the various programs for the coming year. In the coming weeks, you'll receive a letter and pledge card, which we hope you will return on or before Commitment Sunday, May 7. You also can click on the link below to fill out a pledge form.

To set the tone for this campaign, a short video was created that captured the stories of how two families, one new member and one long-time member, found their home here at Woods. Click on the link below to watch it. And thank you from our Stewardship Team!

Joy & Laughter Sunday

We are excited to celebrate Joy & Laughter Sunday on April 16! Join us to continue the celebration of Easter. Send your jokes to jokes@woodschurch.org.

CAT Survey Executive Summary

Thank you once more to all who participated in our Congregational Survey. Click the button below to read an executive summary of the findings.

We will discuss the results as a church during our Congregational Meeting on Sunday, April 16. And our Session will be hosting in-person and Zoom gatherings for further discussion on how address these stated goals of evangelism, family ministry, and building faithful connections.

New Members Class

Our next New Members Class will be held on Sunday, April 30, 11AM. If you have any family, friends, or neighbors who you'd like to invite, please contact Pastor Nancy at nreynolds@woodschurch.org.

Ministry Announcements

Lent Devotion Booklet

Read and consider ways of intentionally focusing on your faith at home. Whether it is a special place for prayer and play, or an activity to engage with the holy you will find various ways of being with God and each other in our Lent Devotion Booklet. Several children of Woods Church are featured on the pages. We pray you will find several new ways of listening for God’s directions through the season of Lent.

Click the button below to download a copy, or pick up a printed copy at the church.

Kat's Corner

Easter is almost here! Children are invited to be part of our Easter Family Services on Sunday, April 9, 9:30AM and 11AM, in Boone Station, a small white building at the church entrance. We will practice telling the Easter story on Saturday, April 8, 10–11AM. There are so many ways to be part of the garden folks who “go and tell” as Jesus instructed them.

Then, after practice, we will have an Easter Egg Hunt to remind us that when we seek Jesus, we will find him. There are so many wonderful GARDEN MOMENTS ahead for us this week and weekend.

NOTE: Parents, please bring 6 eggs or so filled with stickers, non-peanut/nut candy, or other small trinket.

Have you checked in on our chicks? They are still egg-citing even though they are still eggs. Soon, we should see some peeps from our chicks.

VBS Registration is Open

BEE sure to register for VBS online at WoodsChurch.org. VBS will run daily, June 26–29, 4–7PM! The cost includes dinner, and parents are welcome. Financial assistance is available. Please contact a pastor or Kat Green for details.

After you register, tell your friends! VBS is an important way that Woods can fulfill its mission to be a "voice of faith transforming lives and society through Jesus Christ." We hope to be radically hospitable to our congregation, our childcare families, and to the greater community. The more volunteers we have, the more children we can welcome!

Greeters Needed

We are looking for greeters to help welcome worshipers to our Holy Week and Easter services. Volunteers are needed on:

Maundy Thursday | 7:30PM

Good Friday | 7:30PM

Easter Sunday | 9:30AM & 11AM (multiple locations)

We also could use some people who are willing to assist at the Hospitality tent, as well as directing traffic as parking lot attendants.

If you can assist with any of these roles, please contact Nancy Nolan (greeters, hospitality) at msmum@sent.com, or John McLaughlin (parking helpers) at jmclaughlin@woodschurch.org.

Mission News

Greetings from Our Partner Church Spiriti Sanctus in Cuba

We are grateful for the safe return of our Woods Mission travelers—Marty & Mark Clayton, Lee Laque—who are back from their recent visit with the Sancti Spiritus congregation in Cuba. We have a long-standing relationship with this church, including participating in the "Living Waters" initiative to bring clean water to this struggling community.

Here is an Easter message from their pastor to our congregation:

As Holy Week begins, we continue walking in faith full of joy for your company from both near and far. Our hearts keep beating in the same (joyful) feeling in Jesus who returns triumphant to our lives. During this week, we ask that our spirits unite in the celebration of this time, to remember that we are happy together, we dream together, we accompany each other in sorrows and difficulties, we rise to life together, and we are faithful to our call and vocation as Christians. Peace and love be with you every day until the end of the world. Blessed Easter!

Upcoming Events

Life Purpose Course

There are times in our lives when everything changes. It might be a transition from work to retirement, kids leaving the nest, loss of a loved one, or change in employment. At Woods Counseling & Care Center (WCCC), we have developed a small group-facilitated program to look at these transitions, called the Life Purpose Course. The program consists of four modules:

1. Our values
2. How others see us. Our gifts & passions
3. Spirituality
4. Interests (Interest Inventory)

We weave these segments together to provide insights into possible next steps. Rev. Randy Bush will lead the discussion on spirituality. Bill Daniel will lead the other three segments. And a final session (5th meeting) will help tie all of this reflection together.

Dates are: April 10 and 24, as well as May 1, 8, and 15. The program will be held in the large meeting room at WCCC, 4–6 pm. Cost is $50 (for survey materials) and scholarships are available.

For more information, contact Bill Daniel at BDfable@gmail.com or Nancy Sullivan at nancy.sullivan@woodsccc.org.

Church Family News

It is with sadness that we inform you of the death of Woods member, Glenn Bell. Glenn was a member of Woods Church since 1987.

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be announced in a future email. Please keep Glenn's wife, Kathy, and all of their family and friends in your prayers.

Congregational Prayer

God of mercy, as an Easter people, we no longer look for Jesus among the dead. He is alive and has become the Lord of life. From the waters of death you raise us with him and renew your gift of life within us. Increase in our minds and hearts the risen life we share with Christ, and help us to grow as your people toward the fullness of eternal life with you, through Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.



Amen.