Fruitful Words

Mug & Muffin Saturday: 9-10 a.m. - Rudat Hall

Speakers: Elise, Lorna & Barbie will share an…

Honest Talk About Prayer

Come join us for a mug of coffee, a delicious muffin, & fellowship with other ladies.

There’s No Cost. Bring yourself & a friend!

RSVP to Church Office or Sarah.

. . . June 6-8, 2008.

Yep, that’s the weekend for the next ladies’ retreat in South Lake Tahoe.

More details will be in future CrossRoads and future bulletins.

Wouldn’t you?

Ladies, CNC’c women’s ministry has some to offer. The next M&M Saturday will be led by a panel of mature women who will share their insights. Be thinking about what you’d like to know. Give your questions to me by email (Susan@cnchurch.org) or on a piece of paper by September 9th.

M&M Saturday is September 15th, 9-10:30 a.m. in Rudat Hall.

Childcare will be provided only by advance sign-up. RSVP by September 2nd.
Watch the bulletin for details on the small groups. Sign up in the foyer. Contact me if you are interested in becoming a small group leader.

Question: What one thing is experienced by 100% of all people?

Answer: Conflict!

Conflict is something that everyone has in common. We all get stressed from it. We all, at times, handle it badly. Sometimes we are the receivers. Sometimes we are the initiators. What can we do about the conflicts we all experience?

Pastor Mike has an answer. Starting September 23rd he is guiding the church through a new series on peacemaking. This eight week series will present the tools needed to handle conflict in a way that is satisfying, helpful and biblical.

Small Groups will also be going through the same information. That way we can practice using these tools. “We grow through copying deeds, not just listening to words, through examples as well as precept, through habit and not just insight and information” (Os Guinness).

Watch the bulletin for details on the small groups. Sign up in the foyer. Contact me if you are interested in becoming a small group leader.

Passover is Tuesday, April 3rd. Obviously it is a very important holiday for the Jews. It  also has high significance for Christians as well.  Would you like to know why? Celebrate its beauty? 

We are collecting a list of host homes who would be open to offering this celebration to our CNC family. Each host home can choose the night (first week in April) that best suits them.

• If interested, please let me know. Tell me which night and how many people you can invite.

• If you are interested in leading or attending, please let me know that as well.

More information will be in upcoming bulletins and on this blog.

Becoming part of a new group depends on your ability to adapt.

Fitting in is made up of a “taking it in” phase, the “thinking it through” phase, and the “putting it into practice” phase.

Taking things in

First, new people- and event-options are presented to you, the visitor. Your job is to compare this new material with relationships and options you already know, looking for connections and a good fit.

Thinking things through

Secondly, assimilation into a new group doesn’t happen just by considering the options. It takes place once the service is over and you start asking questions.

Real connections begin when you start talking about what you’ve read or heard, consciously looking for what matches with your needs and what you have to offer.

Putting things into practice

Thirdly, take what seems to be the best people-and event-options and try them out.

• Ask that couple next to you in the pew to go to lunch with you and your family.
• Go to that small group one time.
• Attend one men’s game night.
• Grab your needles and help with the afghan ministry for a few weeks.
• Help out at Neighborhood Meals or Respite C.L.U.B. one month.
• Enroll your child in the choir.
• Pamper yourself by attending the women’s Retreat.

Not all choices will work out as a good fit. But each one will give you some history with people at CNC. Participate enough times and soon you’ll be an established family member.

Check out the Small Groups brochure (in the literature rack by the women’s bathroom), adverts on the women’s bathroom stall doors, the weekly bulletins and monthly CrossRoads for more event-options. You’ll be glad you did. And so will we.

Call me if you have any questions.

1. Alexander Graham Bell’s Birthday.I am so thankful for this remarkably talented dude’s life. March 7, 1876 he received patent number 174,465  for the phone; it sure has impacted my life: Phone, cell phone, ability to access Internet via phone lines. Do you have a funny, sad, or otherwise story about phones?

Here’s my story.When I was younger, my brother and I went through a period of using the phone to prank call people. 1.  Dial a random number. 2. When someone answers ask, ”Is your fridge running. 3. When they say, “Yes,” reply back, “Then you’d better go after it!” and laugh hysterically.

2. National Anthem Day. Go here for a fun quiz. Do you know the official name of the National Anthem? Can you name the author?  On this day President Hoover signed a bill making the Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key our national anthem.  Can you sing all the words to this song? (I can, although not always on “key.”) Do you think it should only be sung in English? (Yes.)

3. Total Lunar Eclipse Tonight. Cool. “The moon will turn shades of amber and crimson Saturday night as it passes behind the Earth’s shadow in the first total lunar eclipse in three years” according the CNN website.  Again cool. When was the first lunar eclipse you saw?

In between studying and writing papers, I’ll be celebrating too!

The lights were low. Candles were lit and cloistered around tall wooden crosses. The overhead screen asked us to thoughtfully prepare ourselves for the upcoming service. People bowed their heads and quietly sat in meditaion. The smell of carnations filled the sanctuary.

To me, carnations are the smell of death.

(more…)

Jessica from Homemaking Through the Church Year has set up a Lenten carnival. 19 bloggers have written about some aspect of Lent. I’m #18.

As you go through this Lent season, share some of your experiences and I will share mine.

My Study Vacation that is and just for tonight. Oops, I see the time and ought to be in bed.

Tonight the Women’s Ministry team got together to make fridge magnets for the tea on February24th. And they are soooooo cute! You want to know what it looks like? You have got to attend to get one.

Oh, and attend for the food, the pretty tables, the prayer time, the speaker, the other ladies. Okay - for the whole event.

But the magnets are adorable. Maybe someone will be able to post a picture of one.

So besides having a lot of laughs amidst the lavender (yes lavendar is invloved in the making of the magnet) we ate a scrumptious potluck of orange chicken, pasta, pear salad, cherry cider, and chocolate tofu pie.

Ladies, your magnets will come with a covering of laughter, friendship and prayers. I hope you all will attend. It is going to be an awesome time.

Shirley, we missed you.