From The Pastor’s Desk…..
Dear Church Family,
March is here and it is the season of Lent. By definition in the Christian religion it’s an annual season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter. But as we look around we see many who claim to recognize this season, yet fail in their fasting and penitence. Not unlike in Paul’s day where he writes to Titus, in Titus 1: 1, “They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.”
This reminds me of the story of a priest who was coming back to his rectory one evening in the dark when he was accosted by a robber who pulled a gun on him and demands “your money or your life.”
As the priest reached into his coat pocket the robber saw his Roman collar and said, “I see you’re a priest, never mind you can go.”
The priest tried to reciprocate by offering the robber a candy bar that he remembered was in his pocket.
The robber replied, “No thanks you, Father, “I don’t eat candy during Lent.”
John reminds us in 1 John 3:18, “Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and truth.”
Which of these two, best describe how you’re fasting and penitence is going, in this season of Lent? Do you remember what Christ has done for you only in words or in “action and truth?”
For “Even a child is known by his actions, by whether his conduct is pure and right, “Proverbs 20:11.
In His Service,
Pastor Joe
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday School – 8:15 AM in the Community Building
Choir Practice Every Thursday at 1:00pm
Evening Bible Study – Every Sunday at 5:00pm
You may reach Pastor Joe at 570-465-7303 or his cell #570-267-4570
Every Thursday Pastor Joe will be at the church from 2-4pm if you need him
Friday, March 2nd – World Day of Prayer
Sunday, March 4th – Third Sunday in Lent
Thursday, March 8th – Presbyterian Women Meeting 10am
Sunday, March 11th – Fourth Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 11th – Daylight Savings Time Begins (Spring ahead)
Sunday, March 11th – Girl Scout Sunday
Sunday, March 18th – Fifth Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 18th – Session Meeting following Worship Service
Tuesday, March 20th – First Day of Spring
Wednesday, March 21st – Men’s Action Group meeting- 8am
Sunday, March 25th – Palm Sunday
Tuesday, March 27th – Newsletter Deadline
Thursday, March 29th – Maundy Thursday
Friday, March 30th – Good Friday
Sunday, April 1st – Happy Easter!!! Sunrise Service 7:30am at the home of Bill & Carolyn White, Breakfast 8am in the Community Building & Worship Service at 9:30am
Sunday School – 8:30am – The study of the Ten Commandments.
Sunday Evening Bible Study has been canceled at this time until after Easter.
One Great Hour of Sharing - now through Easter Sunday
Souper Bowl - We received $210 in monetary donations and 58 food items. Thank you to all!
Prayer Shawls – I have several prayer shawls available, if anyone knows of anyone who could use one. Thank you, Carolyn White
Presbytery Meeting in May — The Cornerstone Presbytery Executive Team asked the Franklin Hill Session to host the May meeting. At the session meeting in December the session voted yes to the request. Franklin Hill is centrally located in the Presbytery which will minimize travel time for those in the edges of the Presbytery. The meeting being at the Franklin Hill Church will enable our congregation to attend the meeting to see how the Presbytery functions. Please consider attending the meeting in May. We will be serving lunch during the meeting. Hopefully the choir can sing during the worship service which is part of the meeting.
This month we sent Rev. Malaho $400 for his mission work in Kenya. He is always very appreciative of anything we send to help his family to survive. He thanks us very graciously. He used $100 for food items, $100 for school supplies, $200 for borehole deepening and equipment. They are having very serious drought, very hot , dry, and dusty conditions. They arrived on a very big volume and very high quality water. Now they need pump, pipes, and storage tanks, to be able to use that abundant water for their home, school and irrigation. After they start irrigation, they can become more independent with food stuffs. hey do need $5800 to get their water supply to a usable condition. Last year the children were carrying water several miles for their home and school. He is always very gracious with his thank you for anything we can do for his and his extended family. Please pray for Rev. Malaho and his family and his work with the children. By Jim Kessler (See picture on bulletin board in the vestibule)
MENS ACTION GROUP If anyone is in need of transportation and/or assistance for doctor or hospital appointments, please contact Bill Printz at #570-967-0858, or e-mail bjprintz@frontiernet.net
If anyone needs visitation or for a friend, neighbor or family member, please contact Ken Post at
#570-879-4219, or e-mail kpost@echoes.net OR Bill Printz at bjprintz@frontiernet.net ***For help with small projects for church family and neighborhood, please call Pastor Joe Travis at #570-465-7303 or email him at joetravis@live.com
Loose Change Offerings ( coins and bills)
1st Sunday – Local Missions
2nd Sunday – Local Missions
3rd Sunday – Kenya/Rev. Malaho
4th Sunday – Building Maintenance
5th Sunday – Trehab Local Food Bank (whenever there is a 5th Sunday)
