Bulletin for March 31

We are very glad you decided to come and worship God here today. Welcome!
We pray that you receive from God what you need today and that you come back again.
Everyone is invited to stay for refreshments and conversation in the lobby after the morning service.

Ø The 5^th Grade Class from Allendale Christian School and Mr. Den Ouden will participate in this evening’s service. Welcome!

Ø Kids Hope USA would like to thank every one who helped with the KHUSA Easter Egg Hunt this past Saturday. Thank you for the donations of plastic Easter eggs and candy. Thank you to all the people who helped to make this event such a celebration of Life in Christ with children in our community. You helped in so many ways: putting candy in eggs, putting gift bags together, being there for your KHUSA child, helping with the crafts, reading the Easter story, games, refreshments, set up and cleanup, and lots of prayer. Thank you for putting a smile on a young child and showing them the love of Christ. – Aileen V.S.

Ø Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? Are you tired? Renew a Steadfast Spirit with me…A Community Women’s Day of Fasting and Prayer is planned for Sat., April 5, from 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Second CRC. For details, contact Kam Szarowicz at 895-4125, Nancy Burmeister at 403-9701 or Rachael Taylor at 895-9414. There will be more information in your mailboxes.

Ø Our church will be providing cookies for the students at Grand Valley State University after their church service on April 6. Anyone who would like to bake some cookies for them, please call Mary Espinoza at 895-5251.

Ø Information for the next Second Thoughts newsletter, the May/June issue, will be due April 13. If you have graduation news to share, please pick up a form at the Information Desk.

Ø GEMS: Parents, your GEM has been given information on the Big Light Tour hosted by GEMS Girls’ Clubs. This is a concert-like tour that will be at Fair Haven Ministries in Hudsonville on April 19 from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. GEMS may invite friends to this event. Moms are encouraged to attend with their daughters. The cost per ticket is $8.00. Please call Lonna Driesenga at 892-4808 with your ticket order by Thursday, April 3. Each girl attending should bring a canned food item (something you would like to eat and no glass containers, please) to donate to a local food pantry.

Ø Trash for Cash: Clip and save Box Tops for Education, Campbell’s soup UPC’s and Spartan product UPC’s to benefit Allendale Christian School. Please put them in M&J Potgeter’s mailbox.

Schedule for This Week:

March 31 - April 5, 2008

Sunday:
9:30 a.m. & 6:00 p.m. – Worship Services
10:45 a.m. – Church School
10:45 a.m. – Adult Discussion Group

Tuesday:
9:30 a.m. - Coffee Break/Story Hour

Wednesday:
5:30 p.m. – Connections Dinner
6:30 p.m. – GEMS, Cadets, SOS, Children’s Activities, Nursery

Saturday:
8:00 a.m. – Community Women’s Day of Fasting & Prayer

Ø Community Needs and Service People: Sgt. Jesse Vander Schuur, Love INC, Allendale Christian School, Unity Christian High School, Allendale Public Schools, Lakeshore Pregnancy Center, Allendale Family Life Center, GVSU

Ø Roger & Harriet Sikma are serving in Tennessee for two weeks on a Needs Assessment team with CRWRC Disaster Response Services following the Feb. tornadoes there. Pray for safety, good health, a meaningful experience with opportunities to touch and give hope to hurting people in this relief ministry.
Pray for Harold & Edna De Young as they return from serving in Mississippi.

Ø We warmly welcome Rob & Sarah Gemmen and children Catherine, Nolan, and Alexandra. Their memberships have been received from Ebenezer Reformed Church in Holland.

Ø Please continue to pray for our nephew Marcello VanDrie. He is 32 years old and has a very rare form of colon cancer. He had surgery on March 24 but they were not able to remove any of the tumor. Humanly speaking it does not look good, but with God all things are possible. Please also pray for his eternal salvation. -- Joe & Aileen VanderSchuur

Ø Don’t wait! Make your reservations soon for the Unity’s Celebration Banquet, to be held on Mon., April 28, at the Pinnacle Center in Hudsonville. It is sponsored by Unity’s Education Foundation and the guest speaker will be Jolene DeHeer. If you have questions about the banquet or would like to make a reservation, please call the Development Office at 662-4011 or email ucmao@unitychristian.org. Reservations close April 8.

Ø Christian Reformed World Missions and CRWRC are hosting a Global Outreach Conference on April 19 for missions committees, church leaders, short term missions’ organizers & participants, and anyone else interested in missions. Conference and registration details are available at www.crwm.org. For more information, contact Bill Thornburg at 616-224-0848 or thornbub@crcna.org or Wendy Hammond at 616-224-5892 or hammondw@crcna.org. Registration deadline is Apr. 11.

Ø The Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is looking for couples to lead a mixed group of North American and Ugandan youth in the Youth to Youth program for eight weeks in the summer of 2009. Six weeks will be spent in an undisclosed location on the African continent. There will be 12 months beforehand of distance learning and training to develop basic language skills, cultural understanding, and biblical studies around the principles of poverty and development. Leaders will be involved in Youth to Youth from June 2008 through the end of summer 2009. For information about the application process, contact youthtoyouth@crcna.org.

Walking on a path that winds through the woods can be frightening at night. The fear of getting lost is intensified by the distorted moonlit shadow, the sounds of branches scraping against each other, and leaves crunching underfoot. Flashlights are helpful, but they ware not match for the penetrating darkness.

But walking on the same path in the strong light of day is altogether different. We can walk more quickly and decisively. Because of the penetrating light, we can move with a relaxed confidence that we will stay on the path and reach our destination.

God saw his children walking in darkness, and he sent us the perfect Light. Jesus not only lights our path; he also walks with us on it. We have the promise that “He will not let your foot slip” (Psalm 121:3). What a reassuring promise!

Every day Christian schools around the world point children to this Light. Teachers in these schools help students see the Light of the world, and they help students walk confidently in his light as they navigate through this sin-stained world. As a community we rejoice when children come to know the Light that will guide their path. Christian Schools International comes along side of the Christian school in your community to assist in pointing children to that light.

“For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.” – Psalm 36:9

Ø Nursery for infants and toddlers is available during both services. Partway into each morning service young children are invited to “Just Between” (for 2 ½ - 3 year olds) in room 122 or “Children’s Worship” (for 3-5 year olds) which meets in rooms 127 & 129.

Ø Sermons: Outlines, if used, are available on the carts in the back of the auditorium. Bibles are there also. Previous week’s sermons can be obtained at the Information Desk in CD format or can be accessed at the church website: www.2ndcrc-allendale.org. Click Here to go to the Sermon page.

Ø For those with special needs: The entire facility is barrier free. Large print bulletins are available at the Information Desk. The auditorium is equipped with a hearing loop. If you have a hearing aid, please set it to “T” for better hearing during the service. The best reception is at the center of the auditorium.