We continue in the Book of Acts which follows an encounter between Phillip and an Ethiopian eunuch, two people who at first glance seem like contrasting characters. 

The Spirit leads Phillip to move outward and expand the vision of God’s radically inclusive gospel resulting in the baptism, the rite of welcome and belonging in the church.

Join us on Sunday as we explore what it means to move to the margins and expand the boundaries of God’s grace. 

A big thank you to everyone that helped our Family Promise family make a home at Peace this past week.  We were their introduction to the program and so many people in so many ways made them feel special and cared for.  We had special family dinners prepared with love, people that not only sat down and ate with them but talked or played games and showed them the hospitality of our community and our church. We also had folks spend the night and made them feel safe and protected. For those of you that dropped off food for breakfast, snacks or to accompany a meal,  and of course, all the special treats Kathi sent them off with on Sunday morning, thank you, all was appreciated.

This year’s USPS food drive is scheduled for Saturday, May 10, 2025. We’re hoping to exceed last year’s collection of over 24,000 pounds.

To donate, fill a grocery bag with non-perishable food items and place near your mail box or mail center. Postal workers will be picking up and delivering donations to the SOS Food Bank located at 256 Merriweather throughout the day until all items are collected and delivered.

Volunteers are always needed to help unload and store collected items. Food and refreshments will be supplied.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Carol or Martin Franz, 830-708-9446, or email mcarolfranz@yahoo.com.

The bell choir is going back to Wednesday rehearsals, beginning 4/23/2025.  We'll rehearse in the fellowship hall if available, otherwise in the Sanctuary.  May 14 will be our last rehearsal.

CHAIR YOGA IS ON PAUSE. STAY TUNED TO THE EBLAST FOR UPDATES.

Chair Yoga, Thursdays @ 11:00am! RSVP below.

New students are always welcome. No need to RSVP. Classes will be donation-based ($10 recommended).
OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY!

---

What is Yoga? Yoga is a practice for healthy living.
Yoga is a mind, body, and spirit practice that can build strength, flexibility, balance, resilience, and community. Using breathwork and asana (Sanskrit word for “poses”) an entire yoga practice allows the individual to develop a mind-body awareness that can help manage pain, reduce stress, increases mobility, prevent and recover from injuries.

These classes will be beginner friendly -
for ALL ages and abilities.

All Pre-K through Elementary grade children are invited each Sunday to join us for “God's Story”. This is our way of connecting God’s big story to their own stories at a level appropriate for young children. Together we dive into the scripture for the day using a variety of teaching resources. Our goal is to create a safe space for children to have meaningful conversations about God, Jesus, faith, and our everyday lives.

“God’s Story” takes place during the scripture and sermon portion of our worship service (about 20-25 minutes). We meet in our Fellowship Hall, which is in visible proximity to our sanctuary and restrooms. The children are led by our wonderful team of trained and background checked adults from our congregation.

Mission (Why do we exist?)
To love like Jesus so that each person experiences God’s Way.
 
Vision (What kind of community is God calling us to be?)
A world made whole through love.

Core Values (What guides our daily actions and decisions?)
Shalom – Actively pursuing reconciliation and wholeness. [John 14:27]
Compassion – Recognizing and entering into our shared humanity. [Luke 10:25-37]
Service – Responding to the needs of others. [Matthew 25:31-40]
Grace – Sharing the love that God first gives us. [I John 4:7-10]

Perspectives (Which parts of our church will we focus on?)
Stewardship (Time, Talents, Treasure) (e.g., Healthy Fund Balance)
Loving Our Neighbors (e.g., Family Promise Program)
Ministry/Processes (e.g., Dynamic Worship)
Discipleship (Learning and Growth) (e.g., Life of Faith Initiative)
 
Objectives (goals) (What do we want to accomplish?)
Measures (metrics) – How will we measure progress?
Targets – What are our targets for the next year? Two years? Five years?
Initiatives – What can we do so that we reach our targets?

PEACE PRAYER MINISTRY:

Did you make any resolutions for the New Year? Many of us have a desire to have a more intimate prayer life, so might I suggest carving out more time for prayer and reflection? Peace Lutheran Church has an active Prayer Ministry. We have an Email Prayer Chain, we have a Zoom “Sweet Hour of Prayer” Group that meets every Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. and we have a Prayer loom that is included in our Sunday morning prayers. I would like to welcome new members to join our email Prayer Chain and our Monday morning Prayer Group. We have experienced some amazing, answered prayers this year and we have given comfort to many of our members in their times of distress. Please consider being a part of our Prayer Ministry in this new year. You can email me at beckyvoges@yahoo.com for more information.

Our weekly Prayer Group Zooms every Monday at 9:00 am  via Zoom only.   Click HERE to join by Zoom.  We have a devotion, share prayer requests and pray over each request. The group is led by Becky Voges.  If you would like to be a part of the group, please email Becky (beckyvoges@yahoo.com).  All prayer requests will be kept confidential. 

Prayer Chain Requests - email Becky (beckyvoges@yahoo.com).

PASTOR'S VIRTUAL CONVERSATION:   
The first Monday of every month from 3pm - 3:30pm; Come join Pastor Jake on Zoom to ask questions, check-in, and lift up prayers. Join HERE - Meeting ID: 991 3660 5065; Password: 015347

TECH SUPPORT:
Need some technical support? Trying to stay connected in a virtual world can be frustrating when things don't work or the technological learning curve seems steep. If you need some help, contact: Patti Kassel @ kasselpatti@gmail.com 

We are part of one church body organized in three expressions — congregations, synods, and the churchwide organization. Each expression has its particular functions but all three together share a common mission of doing God’s work in the world and proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Together, they ensure a solid foundation of leadership, active involvement in communities, opportunities for dialogue and diverse perspectives, creative partnerships, and support for members and ministries of the ELCA.

Technical difficulties happen! Here are options for watching previous services and how to watch them if difficulties arise in the future. Please email Madison at office@peacenb.org with any questions.

How to watch the service live on Sundays (Peace Website):

1. Go to https://www.peacenb.org/ (We encourage you to bookmark this website)
2. Scroll down to the “Join Livestream” button and enjoy!
3. OR click the “Livestream” tab at the top of the homepage and enjoy!

How to watch the service live on Sundays (YouTube):

1. Go to Peace’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@peacelutheran1200 (We encourage you to bookmark this webpage)
2. Go to the “Live” tab at the top of the page
3. Around 9:55am on Sunday morning, you will see the service for that day go "live" - enjoy!

How to watch previous sermons:

1. Go to https://www.peacenb.org/ (We encourage you to bookmark this website)
2. Click the “Communication” tab at the top of the homepage, then click “Pastor’s Message”
3. Click on the sermon you would like to watch. 
4. That should take you to YouTube where you can watch the sermon!

How to watch previous worship services (in full):

1. Go to Peace’s YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/@peacelutheran1200 (We encourage you to bookmark this webpage)
2. Go to the “Live” tab at the top of the page

Click on the video with the date of the service you would like to watch and enjoy!