May 12, 5:30-8:00 p.m., Family Life Center

Adult Ministries and Children’s Ministries are sponsoring a family night at the church. Courageous is a movie with a great message for fathers, husbands, wives, and teens! Invite friends and family! Children’s Ministries will provide nursery care and fun activities for kids through 6th grade.

About Courageous: Four men, one calling: To serve and protect. As law enforcement officers, they are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them is truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. They quickly discover that their standard is missing the mark. When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Can a new-found urgency help these dads draw closer to God…and to their children?

You will find yourself laughing, crying, and cheering as you are challenged and inspired by everyday heroes who long to be the kinds of dads that make a lifelong impact on their children. Protecting the streets is second nature to these men. Raising their children in a God-honoring way? That’s courageous!

Date:    Saturday, May 12
Time:    Potluck dinner at 5:30 p.m.
Movie begins at 6:15 p.m.
Where:    Family Life Center
What to Bring:    Main dish and a salad or dessert
Cost:    Just the investment of your time!

When:     6:30-7:45 p.m.
Where:     Room 21 (across from Pastor Larry’s office)
What to Bring:     Bible, Sermon Notes and Devotional Guide from previous the Sunday

Our next meeting will be our annual Spring Fling, with music provided by the Ladies Trio. It will be Tuesday, May 15, 6:30 p.m., at the church. The meal will be catered. The cost will be $10.00. Please watch the church bulletin for the exact price. Please make your reservations by Sunday, May 6, by contacting Wayne Schrock (785-842-8832), Ruth Mitchel or Ernie Dyer. We will honor those who are 90 or older. If you have questions, please contact Ruth Mitchel (785-331-8753), or Ernie Dyer (785-841-2990). If you are 50-and-better, enjoy great food, and superb music, plan on being at the Spring Fling, May 15.

Hey, men! Our Ministry-2-Men is quietly growing through Men’s Fraternity and our HighQuest: Men on a Mission groups. One thing we have added to the mix is a fellowship opportunity for all the men in the church. On the second Saturday of each month we have a men’s breakfast from 7:30-8:30 a.m. in Room 24/25. We have a great breakfast together, and at times, someone may share something briefly. Our next breakfast will be Saturday, May 12. Mark your calendar! All men, young and old, are welcome! We hope to see you there!

If you would like to celebrate your faith in Jesus Christ through water baptism, we encourage you to sign up to be a part of our June 17 lake baptism and church potluck. Children, teens and adults are invited to participate. A pre-baptism meeting is required for those interested.

Please contact the appropriate pastor to set up an individual or family pre-baptism meeting.
Adults: please contact Larry Baldridge at lbaldridge@lfmchurch.org.
Teens: please contact Travis Peterson at tpeterson@lfmchurch.org.
Children: please contact Carolyn Heacock at cheacock@lfmchurch.org.

Our next child dedication service will be Father’s Day, Sunday, June 17. If you would like to participate, please email the church office at secretary@lfmchurch.org. There is a mandatory class on Wednesday, June 6 at 6:30 p.m. for those wishing to dedicate their child.

Family Potluck, Movie and Games

Join us at church for a family night on Saturday, May 12. The evening starts with scrumptious meal (provided by you, of course) in the Family Life Center. Please bring a main dish and salad or dessert to share.

Then, while you are watching the movie Courageous, your kids get to head outside for a great evening of courageous fun! We’re cooking up all kinds of surprises for them. Have your kids come ready to have a great time, get dirty (or maybe even a bit wet if it’s hot out) and laugh a lot! Friends are welcome! It’s going to be a blast! (There will be a nursery for little ones who are too young to watch the movie.)

Our church was given 100 KU baseball tickets for the Thursday, May 17, KU vs. Missouri 6:00 p.m. baseball game. Parents, if you’d like to take your children, please contact Pastor Carolyn to let her know how many tickets you’d like. Feel free to invite friends to go with you. Tickets can be picked up in the church office after May 1 during business hours (8:00 a.m.-noon, 1:00-5:00 p.m.) or in the DU lobby on May 6 and 13. The tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis so get your request in early if you’d like to go.

May 27, 10:35 to 11:45 a.m.

Staying in town over Memorial Weekend? Fill your car with kids and invite as many families as you can to bring their kids to church on May 27. We’re pulling out all the stops for our School’s Out, Summer’s In Hawaiian Luau in Discovery Unlimited. There will be games of all kinds, so send your kids in casual clothes and don’t be surprised if they come home a bit dirty and damp! The Luau is for all kids who have just completed Kindergarten through 6th grade.

NOTE: There will be no 9:00 DU that day, so we can all Luau together!

For current 3rd-5th graders
June 11-15, 2012

As you make your summer plans for your 3rd-5th graders, be sure to include Junior Camp! Located at Rock Springs Ranch near Junction City, Kansas, the camp has swimming, canoeing, archery, elective classes like crafts, and much, much more! Morning and evening chapel times will provide children with inspiring worship and relevant messages.

Junior Camp is a wonderful, safe environment for kids to begin to explore new hobbies, make new friends, take on new responsibilities and connect with God on a deeper level. Our very own Bethany Harvester will be back as camp director for the second year and some of our children’s ministry leaders will be cabin leaders. Thirty-three children from LFMC have already registered; don’t miss out on this great opportunity for your child!

The last day to register for camp is May 20. Partial scholarships are available. If you are interested in learning more about them, please contact Pastor Carolyn at cheacock@lfmchurch.org. Registration forms are in the Discovery Zone lobby and on our church Web site at http://www.lfmchurch.org/junior-camp.

But God doesn’t want for us to move through our life simply trusting Him. He wants us to become more like Him by showing others that we can be trusted as well. Every day, you have opportunities to take what God has given to you: your stuff, your words, your relationships and use them wisely. When you respond to God with the abilities that He has given to you, you are responsible.
And when you are responsible with a little, the Bible says you will be given more: more opportunities, more relationships, more ways that you can use what God has given you to reflect His character to the world around you. Our monthly memory verse says it this way, “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much,” (Luke 16:10, NIV).

April 29 – We start with the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and focus on responding to God by giving Him our stuff—our money and our abilities. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I make the most of what God has given me.

May 6 – We discover our words matter (Ephesians 4:29). When we show responsibility with our words, we create trust between us. So, one of the best things we can do for our relationships is to learn to choose our words carefully.  Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I choose the right words.

May 13 – We unpack the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). We’re challenged to be more like the Samaritan who could be trusted to act and do the right thing, even if he was busy and it cost him something. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I choose to help others in need.

May 20 – We review our month with the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:34-37). Our greatest responsibility is to love Someone who loved us first and loves us most. When we choose to love God more than anything else, our other responsibilities are much easier to live out. When we get the relationship part right, being responsible is a natural expression of our love. Bottom Line: I can be trusted when I put God first.

It’s important to remember that we can’t do any of this on our own. But God isn’t asking us to! God is the One who’s proven He’s responsible and trustworthy since the very beginning. Our responsibility is really a reflection of God and His character showing up in us. We can be responsible because of God’s power at work in us to help us respond to Him with everything we have—our ability, our stuff, our words, our time and our actions. Imagine how the world might change if we lived out these “great expectations” and became even more trustworthy people!

By Cara Martens. ©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. www.WhatIsOrange.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Starting June 3, the names of our grades will change for children who have just completed Kindergarten—5th grades. When they arrive that morning, please look for their names on the rosters for next fall’s grades. Their name tags will remain the same color and their groups won’t change, but we’ll refer to them by their new grade level.

Our preschoolers won’t change rooms until September, when our new Kindergarteners join Discovery Unlimited.

July 23-27, 2012

VBS 2012 is cleared for takeoff! Watch amazing things happen as kids encounter God like never before—all against the backdrop of some of the world’s most marvelous natural wonders. As kids explore Psalm 147:5, they’ll recognize God’s power over all things, trust that God is always in control, accept God’s gift of forgiveness, celebrate that Jesus is alive, and rely on God’s power.
Children ages 4 (by Sept 1) through 6th grade (Fall 2012) are invited to participate.

We need over 150 teens and adults to help with VBS. If you are interested in getting involved, whether it’s for an afternoon to help with preparations or every evening the week of VBS, please contact Leslie Sharp at sharpmomof4@gmail.com.

Do you have the urge to change someone’s life? Do you want to do something that will have an impact? Do you have 45-60 minutes to spare? Donate blood! Your donation will most certainly make a difference in someone’s life!
Sunday, May 6, Lawrence Free Methodist Church will host a Community Blood Center blood drive from 9:00 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Appointments will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis, so sign up today!

NOTE: Though your Whole Blood donation may not take this long, it is suggested that you plan 45 minutes for your appointment. If you’re donating Double Red Cells, it will take longer, so plan for 60 minutes.

For more information and to sign up, go to http://www.lfmchurch.org/lfmc-blood-drive.

Our church will be serving at LINK (Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen) on Thursday, May 3. If you would like to provide food for the meal or serve, please stop by the LINK table in the church lobby or email Pastor Carolyn at cheacock@lfmchurch.org.

June 9

Our Missions and Social Justice team is hosting a race on June 9, called 4 for Others. 4 for Others is designed to be a fun event for people of all ages and of all fitness levels. There are three races to choose from:

• 4 mile race that is an officially-timed, US Track and Field certified course
• 1.4 mile fun run/walk
• 1/4 mile kid run (Free. Pre-registration not required.)

Course: The 4-mile and 1.4-mile runs, starting at our church, will follow a path through beautiful wooded areas and a quiet neighborhood.

Registration categories:

• Individual, 4-mile run: $20 ($25 after 5/7, $30 after 5/30)
• Individual, 1.4-mile fun run/walk: $10 ($12 after 5/7, $15 after 5/30)
• Child (age 1-11), 1/4-mile run: Free

Registration brochures are at the church or can be downloaded from www.lfmchurch.org/4forothers. You can also register online.

Awards:

Adidas™ shoes will be awarded to overall male and female winners and male and female masters winners in the 4-mile race. Top finishers in ten-year age groups of the 4-mile race will also receive awards. Finishers in the 1.4-mile fun run/walk will receive a ribbon.

Pancakes for everyone

This event will include a pancake feed and is included in the cost of registration for all 4-mile and 1.4-mile registrants. Others may purchase breakfast. The profit from the pancake feed will be donated toward the causes this race sponsors.

Who are the others that these 4s are for?

4 for Others is all about helping others near and far. This year your participation will benefit one local and one international cause.

Local: Ballard Community Services

Approximately one third of school children in Lawrence qualify for free or reduced lunches. Parents of these children find it difficult to provide school supplies for their children. BCS provides school supplies to many of these children. Some of the proceeds from this race will go toward the purchase of these school supplies.

International: Wycliffe Bible Translators.

Roger and Vangie Stone have been working among Ayta people groups in the Philippines since 2003 learning their languages and helping with the development of writing systems. Committees of native speakers in each of the three language groups have been formed and are racing toward their goal of three complete New Testaments. The Stones serve the teams in roles of mentor, consultant, and encourager. A portion of the proceeds of this race will be directed toward the Stones personal support needs to return to the Philippines so they can help these three committees of mother tongue speakers finish their race and make the Scriptures available to share with their own people.

Sponsorship

Thank you to all our sponsors for making this event possible. It’s not too late to sponsor this event. For more information, please contact Pastor Carolyn at cheacock@lfmchurch.org.

Featured Missionaries: Dustin and Megan serving in the Middle East

Prayer Changes Eternity…
…thanks for being a part of that change.

Holy week in the Eastern Church has come and gone, but the tomb is still empty. Jesus is risen and we can celebrate this “risen-ness” every day. The truth of Jesus’ resurrection is impacting people daily. Living as a minority, the Christians of the Middle East cling to the power of the resurrection and the freedom that it brings.

We want to bring testimony of the resurrection power of Christ and the way that Jesus heals the broken hearted and turns mourning into dancing. Our church planter and his wife suffered the pain of miscarriage and loss not so long ago. In a culture in which rearing children gives identity, this was a pain too deep for words.

About the end of November we gathered in a house with about twenty others who were hungry to know who Jesus is. As the church planter was sharing, it was as if there was a shift in the atmosphere. There was a weight of sadness on the faces of the people gathered that suddenly was eclipsed by joy. We knew enough Arabic that we could join in to the emotions as our friend was sharing about the loss he and his wife had experienced and how God had heard their cry and not left them brokenhearted. He proclaimed that they were again expecting a child and that they found out they were pregnant in the same month that she would have had their first baby. It was an intense time of prayer as we were encouraged to let God into our brokenness and have his healing way.

Joy arrived into the world the end of March, happy and healthy. As we sat with our friends visiting them for Easter and to see the baby, they testified about even greater healing. They explained that in the very same hospital room where life was lost due to miscarriage, new life was born. Joy was born in the same room that once was marked by grief, loss, disappointment, and anger. The hospital room in Amman, Jordan, testifies that God is the author of Life. God speaks life into chaos, and brings forth life from the grave.

As this couple lives incarnationally with those they work with, they are living testimonies of the power of God. They are living testimony that the cross may be foolishness to the world but it is the power of God for salvation. As we joined them in delivering 48 chickens, 48 cartons of eggs (1,440 eggs), and 26 pounds of chocolate to needy families the week before Easter, Jesus was demonstrated practically by provision and powerfully through this couple’s testimony.

Join us in offering praise for the invitation to live in the Sunday, risen, reality of Jesus!

Learning obedience, practicing trust, grounded in love,
Dustin and Megan

Prayer Requests for Megan and Dustin:

• Ongoing Arabic studies
• Continued encouragement and spiritual health
• Deepening relationships and fruitful relational discipleship
• Continued financial need in 2012 (Their commitments are coming up short this year.)
• Church planting work
• For Megan as she sets up her counseling practicum to complete her Master’s Degree