"This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."  Psalm 118:24

Isn't it nice of Pastor Jack to send us sunshine and warmer weather (I hear it's coming) from sunny Florida!? Thanks for sharing Jack!

+++ We worship on Sunday at 8:30am and 10:00am as we celebrate the 5th Sunday of Easter! This week we welcome Reverend Dr. Russ Hall to the pulpit and the title of his sermon is "Lessons Learned."  Look for us on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am with our "live stream" or after worship is over on our YouTube channel.   

+++ Our conference delegates for the United Methodist Church's General Conference are in Charlotte, North Carolina to conduct the business of our church. Ten folks from across our Annual Conference represent us and there will be many decisions needing to be made for the future of our denomination. Please keep all the delegates in prayer as they serve to help us make disciples of Jesus Christ! Our Upper NY Conference website will contain updates on General Conference happenings each day, as well!  You can access the website here.

+++ The Chair Yoga class offered here at Immanuel will resume on Tuesday, April 30th at 9:30am. See Barb Merckel to let her know you plan on attending.

+++ The great Spring Garage Sale is right around the corner on May 2, 3 & 4! Volunteers are needed on Saturday at 11am and all of the following days to help set up, run the sale and clean up (see the sign up list outside the Fireside Room.) Donations can be dropped off at the church on Sunday from 11am-4pm, Monday and Tuesday from 9am-6pm. Please no drop offs after Tuesday. Please see Shelley Dawson Smith to see how you can help! Many hands make light work.

+++ Camping Sunday is coming up on May 5th at the 10:00am worship service. We will be joined by friends from Casowasco. If you have thought about camp or know someone (neighbor, grandchild, friend) who might want to learn more, this is a great opportunity and there will be lots of fun. Don't' forget, we have camperships to assist with the cost of camp! Check out Casowasco's website for more information.

Blessings from the church office.                         

Happy Friday!

Today I am spending the day at the county 911 Center in ministry with those affected by the recent deaths of 2 young men serving their communities as law enforcement officials. And as I prepare for this difficult day of ministry today, I read these words from the Prophet Isaiah...

                 "The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned,
                     that I should know how to speak a word in season
                       to the one who is weary."    (Isaiah 50:4 NKJV)

Maybe it's Friday, and you are asked to fill in at the church office. You're in a hurry. Nothing has gone right all day. A woman comes to the front door looking for financial help. She asks if you could help her out with some grocery certificates or a gas voucher. "No, we don't have any today. Sorry, " you say, wanting to get back to work. She asks if you know where else she might go for help. "No," you say. You don't have any idea. You just want to finish your work so you can leave on time.  
   
She walks away and you stand there for several long moments gazing after her, your heart sinking at the missed opportunity. "What could I have done?" you think to yourself. The answer rises up in your spirit -- you could have prayed with her, given her an encouraging word, pointed her to the Provider of all things. Yes, you did know where else she could turn for help. And suddenly Peter's words ring in your ears, "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15 NIV). 
   
So when a stranger asks you for money, or a coworker is angry, or a hurting friend calls for advice... join me in praying... Give me your words, O Lord. Amen 

+++ We worship on Sunday at 8:30am and 10:00am as we celebrate the 4th Sunday of Easter! This week we will hear Jesus talking to us from John's Gospel account about being the Good Shepherd. And my message is entitled, "Hearing the Shepherd's Voice". How are you doing at hearing the voice of Jesus in your life? Join us as I try to think this through for my own life. Look for us on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am with our "live stream" or after worship is over on our YouTube channel.   

+++ Following worship, we will offer this month's Second Sunday Luncheon in the Fellowship Hall. This will be our last luncheon for the spring season and luncheons will resume in the fall so we hope to see you on Sunday.

+++ New copies of the Upper Room magazine are available on the back table, as well.

+++ Our conference delegates for the United Methodist Church's General Conference are on their way to Charlotte, North Carolina to conduct the business of our church. Ten folks from across our Annual Conference represent us and over the next 2 weeks there will be many decisions needing to be made for the future of our denomination. Please keep all the delegates in prayer as they serve to help us make disciples of Jesus Christ! Our Upper NY Conference website will contain updates on General Conference happenings each day, as well!

+++ The Chair Yoga class offered here at Immanuel resumes on Tuesday, April 30th at 9:30am. See Barb Merckel to let her know you plan on attending.

+++ The great Spring Garage Sale is right around the corner on May 2, 3 & 4!  We need lots of helpers to pull this event off! Please sign up to help on the white board outside the Fireside Room this week. Thanks!  

+++ And kids... don't forget that Camping Sunday is coming up on May 5th at the 10:00am worship service. We will be joined by friends from Casowasco and boy will we have fun. Bring a friend to hear all about the camping ministry in our Conference! 

Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, Give me your words, O Lord!  Amen!  
​Pastor Jack

Happy Craft Fair Friday!  
   
That's right.... as the crafters are preparing to greet you today I read these words from Psalm 34...

             "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those
                       who are crushed in spirit."       (Psalm 34:19)

So many things tear at our hearts. Regrets, disappointments, lost opportunities. It is because we love deeply that we grieve deeply with any loss. It seems the more we share of ourselves, the more we expose our vulnerabilities. We want to give love and trust, but perhaps our heart still smarts from a past wrong or two. 
   
Jesus came to heal the broken hearted. Isaiah declared that God will revive the heart bruised with sorrow. (See Isaiah 57:15 AMP) God will grant consolation and joy to those who mourn -- to give them an ornament of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit --- that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, and that He may be glorified. (See Isaiah 61:3 AMP)  
   
This is why Jesus came: To restore our joy... that our joy might bring Him glory. So when you've been hurt in a relationship, or a deal goes bad or you lose something or someone you love, join me in praying, Heal my broken heart, O Lord.  

+++ The Great Spring Craft Fair starts today and continues on Saturday right here at Immanuel. Come and check out the beautiful crafts from 4:00pm - 8:00pm today and 9:00am - 3:00pm on Saturday. You'll find something amazing from the crafters and you'll be supporting upcoming mission works here at Immanuel. Thanks to Betty, Shelley, Barb and all their helpers for all the hard work on this great fundraising project!

+++ On Sunday we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter at 8:30am and 10:00am.  We will hear about another visit from Jesus to his disciples following the resurrection and this time Jesus opens the disciple's minds to understand the scriptures.  My message is "Open our Minds, Too!" and I am thinking about how differently things would have gone for Jesus, and the whole world, if he just would have opened the disciple's minds a little earlier! We will also celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Baptism at each of the services this week and I can't wait to "see you" in worship! We will be "live-streaming" on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am and then "uploading" the completed worship to our YouTube channel when it is completed. So you have lots of ways to join us for worship on Sunday! 

+++ Also on Sunday we will be receiving our special church-wide offering to support Native American ministries.  Look for the special offering envelopes in the Narthex and we thank you for helping to support the 3 native American congregations worshipping within our Annual Conference!  

+++ There is still time to sign up for the AED/CPR training class next Wednesday, April 17th at 6:30pm. The fee is $45 per person and we can provide some scholarship help if finances present the need. We have been able to remove the earlier limit of 10-12 people.... so we can welcome as many people as would like to attend. But we need you to SIGN UP on Sunday outside the Fireside Room!    

+++ The deadline for the May/June edition of our church newsletter is coming up next Saturday, 4/20. Please try to get all articles into the church office by that date so we can publish the newsletter prior to the 1st of May. Thanks!

+++ Next Sunday, April 21st is our Second Sunday Luncheon for April. We delayed one week this month so there is still time to sign up for this fun time of food and fellowship.

+++ Future events for your calendars.... our Annual Garage Sale is May 2,3,4 and Camping Sunday is coming up on May 5th when we will welcome friends from Casowasco to our worship service! We hope you will plan to be here as we celebrate our Camping ministry!  

Make this day a great day and always remember to pray, Heal my broken heart, O Lord.     
​Pastor Jack    

As we begin moving through this new month of April, I read these words in Luke's Gospel account...

                      "Love your enemies, do good to them which hate
                         you, bless them that curse you, and pray for
                                 them which despitefully use you."
                                             (Luke 6: 27-28 KJV)

There are some people that just know how to push your buttons. Or worse, they might really mean to do you harm. People might think or speak negatively about you, or unintentionally offend you. Maybe circumstances just don't seem to be working out in your favor. We want to take control, so things work out for our benefit -- or we are tempted to justify ourselves at any cost.
   
It seems no matter what the situation, love is always the right answer. Proverbs tells us "A soft answer turns away wrath" and "a merry heart does like a medicine" (Proverbs 15:1 and Proverbs 17:22 NKJV). Our joy and peace and gentleness can often bring healing to people or situations around us.... like a much-needed dose of antibiotics. Love, often displayed through patience, is a powerful anecdote. After all, it's the goodness of God that brings repentance (Romans 2:4). We often underestimate the transforming power of mercy -- but just think of how God's grace and mercy has transformed you!  
   
So, when you find yourself around someone with selfish motives, or you lose faith in your leaders, or when you want to strike out at someone.... join me in praying, Help me overcome evil with goodness, Lord. Amen.  

+++ This Sunday we worship at 8:30am and 10:00am and we celebrate the Second Sunday of Easter. We will hear once again the story of Thomas the doubter and in my message, "Kindness, Forgiveness, and Love" I am thinking about how important our simple acts toward others really are to spreading the love of the Risen Savior. We will be celebrating the Sacrament of Holy Communion and we've got lots of great music planned to help us worship God! If you can't be with us here in the Sanctuary, check us out on the church's Facebook page at 10:00am for our "live-stream" or catch the recorded worship on the church's YouTube channel. However you can, we hope to "see you" in worship on Sunday! 

+++ On Sunday you can sign up for our Second Sunday Luncheon.... which this month is being held on the 3rd Sunday! We will enjoy this time of fellowship on Sunday, April 21st but we need you to sign up, so we are sure to have enough food for all! Thanks! 

+++ On Monday our staff will be working from home and emergency telephone numbers are on the church answering machine if needed.

+++ Our Finance Team meets on Tuesday night at 6:00pm in the Fireside Room and then our Administrative Council meets at 6:45pm. And then the church Trustees meet on Wednesday at 4:00pm, also in the Fireside Room. If you are a member of one of these ministry teams, please plan to be with us to help us complete our business! 

+++ The great Spring Craft Show is taking place next Friday and Saturday, April 12 and 13. We need help in the Barb's Bistro and you will find a signup sheet outside the Fireside Room. Thanks for lending a hand to make this another successful fundraiser for Immanuel's mission work. 

+++ Next Sunday, April 14th we will receive our annual Native American mission offering. Did you know that we have 3 native American congregations within the boundaries of our Upper New York Annual Conference? And these congregations benefit greatly from our church-wide offering appeal. Look for the special giving envelopes and thanks for your generosity.   

+++ Our first AED/CPR training class is gathering on Wednesday night, April 17th at 6:30pm at the church. If you are interested in joining us, we need you to sign up outside the Fireside Room as soon as possible. It appears we can now have more than the 10-12 we originally thought.... but we do need to have a firm number so that enough materials can be made available. The cost of the class is $45 per person and can be paid at the class. 

Make this day a great day and always remember to pray.... Help me overcome evil with goodness, Lord.  Amen. 
​Pastor Jack