Beginning March 7, our Sunday evening service will move to a more intimate, less formal worship format. In recent years, attendance has migrated from the evening service to the morning services, leaving the evening service too small to sustain a full-scale traditional worship service.

So we’re going to use this as an opportunity to offer a different kind of worship experience. Sunday evening worship will begin at the same time (6:00 pm), meet in the same space (the sanctuary), and still be led by Jeff and Melody. However, we will get to know each other at a deeper level. The service will begin with sharing and prayer. Then we will watch a recording of the Sunday morning sermon together, after which Jeff or Melody will lead a lively discussion of the sermon, challenging us to wrestle with the key concepts.

Some will love this more interactive form of worship, while those who want a more traditional worship format will have the option of shifting to Sunday mornings. These changes will take effect on Sunday, March 7!

Jesus MCC will mark the beginning of Lent with an Ash Wednesday service on February 17 at 6:30 pm. Lent is a 40-day season that begins with Ash Wednesday and concludes at the Great Vigil of Easter. Ash Wednesday is named for the practice of imposing ashes, which many of us have found to be very meaningful.

The service will be a time of reflection and prayer with the imposition of ashes. If you can’t make it to the church you are encouraged to set aside some time for reflection and prayer in your own sacred space.

This is the exciting time of year when the Jesus MCC Gospel Choir kicks off their 2009-2010 season.

We recently sang inspirational songs as part of the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner. The audience was also invited to share their testimony. Several youth and adults from Indiana Youth Group joined us. They and others graciously shared their stories and what they were thankful for. Upon closing, everyone sang Nobody Can Do Me Like Jesus, filling the room with the Spirit.

On Christmas Eve, the Gospel Choir will help bring Christmas cheer as we delight in song along with Deacon Robert Ferguson, who will deliver the sermon. Please join us and partake in a wondrous, God-loving event.

On January 9, we will begin rehearsing for our annual Black History Month Celebration. We invite anyone who is interested in being a part of the gospel choir to join us in this exciting new year! Please contact Mark Brown for more information, or fill out the form in Sunday’s Weekly News.

Our Drama Team, Music Ministries, Dance Team and Kid’s Choir will present a multi-part production that will unfold sequentially on Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Join us on:

• Palm Sunday, April 5, at 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 6:00 pm, to mark the start of Holy Week.
• Maundy Thursday, April 9, at 7:00 pm or Good Friday, April 10, at 7:00 pm. The production will be the same on Thursday and Friday, so you can come to either service.
• Easter Sunday, April 12, 9:30 am, 11:00 am, and 6:00 pm. Join us as we celebrate together the power of resurrection!

This musical — spread over four days — is about the importance of remembering. Jesus told us to remember Him and His sacrifice. He instituted the sacrament of the Last Supper to be a central part of the Christian faith — a time to gather as His Body and remember. May we never lose the wonder of the Cross.

On Palm Sunday, you will be a part of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On Maundy Thursday and Good Friday, we’ll be among the disciples receiving communion at the Last Supper and experience the passion of Calvary. (The services are identical on Thursday and Friday nights.) Easter Sunday will be a joyous celebration of resurrection.

Children are also invited to join us for our annual Easter Egg  Hunt on Saturday, April 11 at 10:00 am. We’ll have cool games, prizes and lots of eggs to find!

In the November 16 worship services, we will be dedicating our brand new Votive Candle Altars.

Candles have been an integral part of Christian worship through the ages. One example is found in Revelation 1:12-20, where the passage suggests a separate candle burns in God’s presence for each local Church, serving as a continual “reminder” to God.

Prayer candles build on that notion. When we light a prayer candle — traditionally known as “votive candles” — God sees our candle and is “reminded” of our prayer. The candle becomes a form of continuous silent prayer, expressing our hearts to God.

There are many ways to pray.  Votive candles are not a replacement for other forms of prayer, but they serve as a lovely reinforcement for the prayers we speak to God throughout the week.

Each Sunday when you arrive at Church, you are welcome to light a prayer candle before or after worship service, or during Holy Communion. Your candle will burn until it is consumed.  You are also welcome to light a prayer candle anytime you come to Church during the week. You may light a candle to express thanks or praise or to raise a prayer for yourself or others.  There is no cost for lighting a candle; God’s grace is free.

The altars were designed, constructed, and donated by David Humbert and Kenn King in consultation with our Building Trustees. Our deepest thanks to them!

At our Evening Worship Service, beginning on October 12 and continuing for the next few Sundays, we will be experimenting with a new worship format that is spontaneous, warm, and informal. We’ll begin with a rough sketch for the flow of the worship service, but then adjust as the Spirit leads.

Our worship will include songs, song requests, testimonies, prayer, sharing of prayer requests — all blended in a fashion that closely resembles the worship practices of the earliest Christians.

After we experiment for a couple weeks, we’ll seek feedback from those who participate and decide whether to continue.

If you’d like to be part of this new adventure, join us at 6:00 pm on Sunday evening!