May 1, 2022 Season of Eastertide
“I do not at all understand the mystery of Grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us.” – Anne Lamott
Hymn Fest Sunday.
Thanks to all our musicians who made our Hymn Fest Sunday a glorious experience. Our Music Director, Dr. AJ, pulled it all together. Our praise band, Epiphany, opened with a get-up-and-shout modern piece, The River, composed by Jordan Feliz. The congregation requested hymns many of us had not heard in years. Thanks to WAM for creating this special Sunday for us.
Mission Council is actively working on securing a facilitator to guide us in church visioning, per the directive of the congregation. There will be good news to share with you next week.
The Andover tornado. You can help the recovery.
Contact these Andover area locations for information on how to help in the cleanup efforts. Needs for volunteers and supplies are changing every day. This cleanup will continue for many weeks.
–Andover Baptist Church 316-733-2455.
–Andover United Methodist Church 316-733-1644.
–United Way of the Plains 316-267-1321. They also are gathering monetary donations here https://app.mobilecause.com/f/rvg/n?vid=rqj9o
This note from Disciples of Christ, Week of Compassion comes from their Facebook page, posted on April 30: Severe storms across Kansas, including one confirmed tornado in Andover, caused damage Friday night. Week of Compassion is reaching out to partners and church leaders in the area to determine how to best provide support. If you are aware of Disciples who have been affected or who are providing assistance to their neighbors, please let us know. 317-713-2442.
Ukraine: Partnering in Refuge.
Week of Compassion, 4-26-2022
From the beginning, Week of Compassion has been engaged with ecumenical partners to do the work of alleviating suffering. On behalf of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), we serve together – individuals, congregations, denominational colleagues, and ecumenical partners – to not only envision but work for a world where God’s people transform suffering into hope.
Week of Compassion is responding through partners to support Ukrainians all along their arduous journey – welcoming and hosting refugees as they flee, getting them safely to where they need to be, and preparing to provide trauma care as they rebuild their lives.
As refugees flee to bordering countries, our partner International Orthodox Christian Charities (IOCC) is working in Eastern Europe, busy with evacuations, transporting people from border areas to safe accommodation, offering humanitarian distributions, and establishing online learning centers for refugee children to continue their education remotely. As of last week, nearly 4 million refugees have entered Poland and Romania.
With their significant expertise in the area, IOCC is preparing their first trainings for next month, ready to implement a spiritual and emotional counseling program, as one way to address the immense and often well-hidden wounds embedded in this cycle of conflict, escape, and resettlement.
That escape is reaching further into Europe as well. As Greece receives thousands of refugees, Perichoresis, a ministry of the Evangelical Church of Greece, a partner through Global Ministries, is working to provide family apartments, including utilities and food supplies, plus medical care, language lessons, and job skills and vocational training. In addition, they are extending support for children and families with group meetings and individual case assessments, to be sure each family’s needs are known and cared for.
As the situation unfolds and many refugees are able to flee, many congregations across the country have reached out to Week of Compassion to prepare for receiving refugees in the near future. You can contact Week of Compassion anytime to prepare your congregation and community to welcome refugees, and to care for those already awaiting assistance.
In every place and every way possible, countless partnerships are nurtured to offer hope and healing into the lives of the world’s most vulnerable, and Week of Compassion is grateful to serve, in the name of Jesus Christ, and on behalf of the whole church.
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From the PVCC newsletter archives, this week in 1971: In our [next] Sunday morning worship service, the congregation will be involved in the music and message of the thought-provoking rock opera, “Jesus Christ Superstar.” It may be necessary to provide two services. If you are planning to bring several guests, let us know. — Melanie Naden, PVCC Moderator