Welcome
to February, the month we celebrate Valentine’s Day and the beginning of Lent. Both of these events symbolize love that demonstrates friendship, sacrifice, commitment, serving, and covenant. Valentine’s Day represents the phileō love, which means to be a friend or to have the same interests as another. Lent demonstrates agapaō (agape) love that is unselfish and sacrificial, the love that took Jesus to the cross. As God’s children, expressing love is the character of Christ and the representation of his love filling us! This is our prayer for February that God’s phileō love and agapaō (agape) love will overflow from us to each other, to our church, and to our community. Amen, let it be so!
Lenten Study
During the Sundays of Lent, Rev. Ray will be doing a sermon series on 24-Hours That Changed the World by Adam Hamilton, pastor of Resurrection Church in Leawood, KS. In follow-up to the sermon series, an after worship study of the same series will be led by Rev. Cathee on the 2nd floor at 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM. Please sign up with Rev. Cathee by February 12 to purchase a book. Study begins February 19 and will conclude on April 1. No study on Feb. 26 (Celebration of Black History Month and our Haiti missionaries). Let the love of study draw you closer to the love of Christ.
Confirmation Class
We are pleased to announce that there will be a confirmation class beginning the Lenten season. The new confirmands are asked to begin with attendance of Ash Wednesday Worship Service on February 22 and classes will meet Wednesday nights from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Parents/Grandparents/Guardians: an information meeting will be held Sunday, Feb. 12 after worship. If you have a youth or know someone with a youth, ages 11-13, please contact Rev. Miles.
Wednesday Bible Studies
Classes continue at 4 PM with the study of Romans and 6:30 PM with the study of Matthew. All are welcome to join. Wednesday 6:30 PM sessions will conclude at Lent.
Emmaus and Chrysalis Community
Emmaus and Chrysalis Community, please note we will have 3 youth attending the winter Chrysalis walks and 2 women pilgrims attending the spring walks. As community, we want to pray and support these who will experience Christ in a fresh and new way. Contact Pastor Sherman Louis and Sammye VanDiver for sponsorship information. You can also sign up for the prayer vigils on the Emmaus website (
www.emsem.org).
As we enter the February month, may God’s love overshadow your coming and your going.
In service together,
Rev. Cathee Miles
Minister of Discipleship and Spiritual Formation
