God tells us in John 16:33 that trouble will come. ” I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace, In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”  I love that reminder : “take heart! I have overcome the world.”

There are times that God will deliver us from a trial, but there are also times that he simply walks with us through the trial. Isaiah 41:10 ” So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you ; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Trusting God to strengthen and uphold you means you don’t have to worry about what is ahead, you don’t have to let those trials overwhelm you because He promises He will strengthen you and uphold you. He is the God of the universe and He cares about you! He promises to always be with you!

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

~ Vicki

May 17&18

McMinnville Church on the Hill

Assembly Schedule

The opening session of District Assembly is at 1:00 PM (doors will open at 11:30 AM)

Pastors’ Reports will be held by Zone/Mission Area on Thursday afternoon from 4:00-5:00 PM

Helpful ministry workshops will be held on Friday at 11:00 AM and 1:30 PM

Dr. Jerry Porter will open the Assembly with a devotional on Thursday afternoon, will close the Assembly with a challenge, and then will preach for the Ordination Service.

DIstrict Superintendent Dr. Stan Reeder will speak in the 7:00 PM Thursday service.

NNU President Dr. David Alexander will preach on Friday morning.

The Ordination Service will be at 7:00 on Friday evening with a reception to follow.

Childcare

Childcare is available for all sessions of the Assembly (15 minutes before and after- not during meal times)

Pre-register children 4 and under for childcare here (deadline: 5/3).

Meals

Meals will be served on Thursday evening, Friday noon and Friday evening. Click here to view menus and to reserve and purchase meals.

Hotel Information

The following hotels in the McMinnville area have blocks of rooms reserved

for ORPAC District delegations.  Please call to reserve your room(s).

Best Western Vineyard Inn

503-472-4900

Group Name:  Church of the Nazarene (Oregon Pacific District)

Single Queen rooms: $79

Double Queen rooms: $79

King Suite: $90

Comfort Inn and Suites

503-472-1700

Group Name: Nazarene Church

Single and Double Queen rooms: $124

Shilo Inn- Newberg

17 miles from Church on the Hill

503-537-0303

Group Name: ORPAC-District Assembly in McMinnville

King Mini Suite or Double Queen: $65

Economic stress, job layoffs, worldwide tensions, high energy costs…. Is there reason to be worried? Jesus isn’t worried! And he tells us in Matthew 6 that we should not worry either. Don’t worry doesn’t mean don’t plan or don’t be concerned. It does mean that we can trust Him – we can take those ‘worries’ and concerns to Him and leave them there because ” your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things” v.32

God gives us grace and strength for each day as we seek His righteousness and His Kingdom. Trust Him and see!

Now don’t tell my daughter… but my almost 2 year old grandson loves to jump on the bed – and then off! He will jump and jump and then look me in the eye and say, “dach” and throw himself into my arms. He trusts that I will catch him and I haven’t dropped a grandchild yet! He has faith in me – Likewise – you can have faith in God and trust His ability to catch you and meet your needs!Seek Him .

Vicki

This Sunday – Palm Sunday, April 1 at 10:45 am we celebrate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. The crowd shouting, ” Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming Kingdom of out father David! Hosanna in the Highest!” They were anticipating a reigning king on earth. God’s plans were an Eternal King!!!

This Sunday we will enter the sanctuary to lift our voices with those throughout time as we worship, waving palm branches and singing, celebrating our great Savior and Eternal King, JESUS!

And then, the next Thursday – Maundy Thursday – we meet together in a solemn and beautiful and poignant service called Tenebrae. The service begins at 6:00 pm with a soup and bread supper and our Pastors leading us in communion. We will then gather in the sanctuary for the continuation of the Tenebrae Service of Shadows. The church will be in candlelight as we listen to readings and take part in singing as the candles are slowly extinguished. This service leads us to reflect on what Jesus went through leading up to His crucifixion, to the moment of the time of His death on the cross.

And then…. EASTER! Jesus’ mission in coming to earth was to seek and save the lost. We celebrate a risen Savior who can transform lives!

I am excited about Easter Sunday! Join us at 10:45 am Easter Sunday, April 8 for worship – He is worthy! He has RISEN!!! He is ALIVE!!! He is KING!!! He is God!!

Building His Kingdom Together ~ Pastor Sheridan

9 Honor the LORD with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.

Giving Your All to God

Many people want to receive from God, but they are not willing to give all of themselves to Him. But you can be different. Will you make a fresh commitment to be a giver and invest yourself, your time, and your money in the Lord’s work?

Don’t let the devil talk you out of giving just because you have bills to pay and obligations that cause you to worry. Jesus urges us not to be worried or anxious about anything, for God knows our needs and promises to care for us (see Matthew 6:25-34).

Proverbs 3:9-10 says, “Honor the Lord with your capital and sufficiency [from righteous labors] and with the firstfruits of all your income; so shall your storage places be filled with plenty, and your vats shall be overflowing with new wine.” When you give God your all, He will be faithful to take care of you.

Give yourself to God. Give Him everything you are, everything you hope to be, all your dreams, visions, hopes and desires. Make everything His, and He will demonstrate His power through your life.

(Shared from a very good post on Facebook by a friend.)

~ Vicki

This powerful, video-based study provides a family-centered Bible study experience directed toward men and fathers, but also works as a couples’ study.We are doing it as a couples study. This 8-week study, utilizing COURAGEOUS movie clips, help groups create community, explore and apply God’s Word, and strive to have Godly families. Sunday Evenings at 6:00 pm, meet in the foyer and sanctuary for debriefing /food and hanging out together and building on friendships.

At 6:30 pm we begin our study using the big screen for video and do the Honor Begins at Home study together. It is NOT too late to join us !

Call the church office 541.451.1550 for more information.

Childcare will be available if needed. The adults will have appetizers at 5:00 pm, and popcorn during the movie. Please bring a sack dinner for your children.

At this  next event we will once again be having a dinner, but instead of a restaurant ~ we will be breaking in to small groups to have dinner in the home of a couple. We’ll meet at the church for appetizers and some fun and then we will draw names for our dinner party companions and travel to dinner then back to the church for a special dessert and some devotions and sharing by Pastor Sheridan and others.

One day Jesus told a story about a man who was traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was robbed, beaten, and left for dead. Two religious folk—let’s call one a pastor and the other a board member—came upon the man in need and carefully passed by on the other side of the road. They knew enough to avoid a problem when they saw one!

Later on, a fellow came along who had no real ties to the injured man. They weren’t from the same community; they were of different races and even different religions. Yet this stranger did something the other to gentlemen had failed to do—he took compassion on the man in need. He was seeing as God sees!

You realize that I’m referring to the story of the Good Samaritan. This masterful little tale teaches us to look beyond the many things that can separate us from others, especially those who are in need, and to see them as God does, with eyes of compassion.

This Sunday I’ll be challenging you to do just that as we explore a powerful teaching of John the Baptist (see Luke 3:1–18). Between now and then, give try this exercise. Call to mind the person or group of people whom you know who are in need. Now ask yourself this question: when I think of these folk, do I see a problem to be avoided or do I see precious souls whom Jesus loves?

When we can see the latter, we’ll be seeing others as God sees them.

You are loved—

Pastor Sheridan

This past week, following one of our Growth Groups, we were talking out in the foyer of the church and a member of the group commented on the lesson topic with tears in her eyes how hard it is to keep joy in your heart when so many things in life keep piling on. Over the past four years her family has gone through some very difficult times financially and that day she and her husband received news that it would become a possibility that they could lose their house. She was at the end of her means and didn’t know what to do. There in the foyer , she looked at me and asked, ” How can I have joy?”

I responded,” You will have joy, because God is your joy. Because you are God’s and God is yours. He will provide!”

Another group member standing with us said, ” That’s easy for you to say, you are not going through it!”

I said, ” That is true, but I know what it is like to have to trust God and find my joy in God when times are their toughest. We had a one year old baby girl and my wife Laura was diagnosed with cancer.” God was our joy through that very difficult time.

I left the conversation thinking and praying, God, I know you can provide; you can do anything; will you do it here? I really hoped so.

I received a text message the very next day from the woman who had asked “how can I have joy.” She asked me to thank the person who gave them $1,200 to meet their need! I responded: Praise God, Jehovah-jirah. The Lord will provide!I told her I would love to thank whoever gave that money to you , but this is the first I am hearing of it. I know that through someone’s obedience and open heart to God that He provided.

Then I prayed, God you are awesome! You are still the same – yesterday, today and forever!! Jehovah-jirah!

God doing miraculous things through His people – How awesome is that ? !

Pastor Sheridan