On this day, we commemorate Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, riding on a donkey to shouts of "Hosanna" from the crowd waving palm branches. This is a welcome for a King coming in peace, and points ahead to the mission He was bringing to fulfillment that week. We will begin our Palm Sunday service in Faith Chapel and process into the sanctuary with palm branches, praising Jesus. The service will include the preschoolers singing and the dramatic narrative reading of the account of the Passion account from the Gospel of Matthew.

If we take the scriptures seriously, we will acknowledge that there is a spiritual realm and there are spiritual beings all around us that we cannot see. The Bible is full of references to angels as God’s servants. In this multi-week study, we look at and discuss what the Bible says about these spiritual beings, compare and contrast with the views of popular culture, and what it means for us today.

This Sunday, we continue looking at what God’s Word says about angels and fallen angels. We’ll continue our walk through the Old Testament, looking at angels that appear in the prophets, especially Isaiah, Daniel, and Zechariah. We meet in Room 10 each Sunday after worship at 11:00 AM.

Now that spring is here, the St. John’s Mission Farm invites you to come help on the farm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to noon. This week we will be planting cucumbers, melons, and zucchini, and next week we will plant corn seed. Everyone is invited; bring a friend. Wear garden clothing, hat, gloves, and a smile!

This service is a commemoration of Jesus’ “Last Supper.” At this meal, He transformed the Passover meal into a sharing of Himself in bread and wine as His body and blood. At our Maundy Thursday worship (7:00 PM), we will also be celebrating the First Communion of those who have been preparing to be welcomed to the Lord’s Supper.

The season of Lent invites us to listen again for Christ’s voice. In Revelation 2–3, Jesus speaks to seven churches—calling them to remember, to repent, to endure, and to return. These ancient words still search our hearts and strengthen our faith today. As we walk through Lent, we hear Christ addressing His people with truth and mercy, inviting us to renewed love and deeper trust in the One who walks among His churches still. Next Thursday, April 2, at our Maundy Thursday service, we will look at the letter to the church in Laodicea.

April 2 - Laodicea: "I Will Come In and Eat with You"
Laodicea's lukewarmness meets Christ's persistent love (Revelation 3:14-21). On this night of the Supper, we hear His promise: "I will come in and eat with you." As we gather at His table, we open our hearts again to the One who knocks and comes in with His grace.

Good Friday marks the day that Jesus was crucified. Our evening worship is a Tenebrae Service. This is an ancient and beautiful service of gradually darkening the sanctuary as we read the account of the crucifixion and sing hymns and songs in response, ending with the sanctuary in darkness.

The Easter Vigil is the first celebration of the Resurrection and serves as a counterpart to the Good Friday Tenebrae. We process into a darkened sanctuary with candles, and as we meditate on the history of God’s saving activity, the sanctuary is gradually lightened.

On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus with two opportunities to worship. The 8:30 AM service is led with traditional hymns and the choir. The 10:30 AM service is led by the worship band. Our Easter morning also includes an egg hunt and an Easter breakfast in the gym (9:00-10:30). We invite you to bring a flower or two to decorate our Easter Sunday flower cross.

Summer will be here before you know it, so save the date for an amazing week of VBS fun and adventure! This year, we invite kids to step through the mist into Rainforest Falls, overflowing with wild waterfalls, towering trees, and colorful creatures. Beneath a canopy of chattering birds and howling monkeys, kids will plunge into a lifelong adventure of discovering the nature of God. They'll explore what it means to be rooted in relationship with God, their creator, a safe place in life's storms.

A website for registration will be up at a later date, but in the meantime please prayerfully consider playing a role in delivering a memorable experience for the kids this summer. The dates are set for Monday-Friday, June 15-19, from 9am-Noon. Please contact Kevin Mathison with any questions you may have.