CANDY NEEDED FOR EGG HUNT AT CANDLEWOOD Last year we hosted our first egg hunt and shared the Good News of Christ with over 50 kids. We are hoping to reach more this year. If you would like to donate candy, please place it in the tub in the narthex by April 12. We would love for many members of our church family to be involved. Please let Bobbie Schnitkey know if you are interested, 898-0358.

PARKING LOT PAVING Many people have been asking about the parking lot on the west side of the facility, expressing a need to have it resurfaced. The Property Committee has explored the situation, and, approved by the Leadership Team, is recommending that the parking lot be resurfaced this summer at a bid of $30,910, with an authorization of up to $5,000 more for unexpected expenses, total of $35,910, working with Central Paving of Weldon. The congregation must approve this expenditure, so a SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING will be held on Sunday, April 23, 2017, following the worship service, to authorize this expense. If the approval is made to resurface the parking lot, a fund-raising campaign will begin on April 23. Targeted contributions will be: to donate a parking space for $750, to donate half a parking space for $375, or whatever someone may want to give toward the resurfacing. The contribution is a donation toward the parking lot, not buying a reserved space. Contributions will be received after April 23, pending congregational approval to resurface the parking lot at the April 23, 2017 special meeting of the congregation.

THANK YOU FROM DALE AND LOIS THARP Thank you to everyone for the prayers, phone calls and visits. A special thank you to Pastor Oman for his visits to Gibson City Hospital and to our house in Champaign.

MEN’S LUNCH GROUP The Men’s Lunch Group will meet on Monday, April 3 at the Mahomet Family Restaurant.

SPRING BUNCO Try something new (or return again) to BUNCO on Thursday, April 6 at 6:30 pm. It’s a time for casual fellowship filled with fun, prizes and snacks. Bring a friend and roll some dice – no experience necessary.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR EASTER BREAKFAST Easter Sunday is April 16. The mission trip group is sponsoring the Easter breakfast as a fund-raiser for the trip to Grafton, WV in July. Please sign up on the sheet in the narthex to help set up, serve, provide food, and/or cleanup after the breakfast. Even if you aren’t able to go on the mission trip, you can help sponsor those who can and we can all be a blessing to those in Grafton, WV. Thank you.

LENTEN SERIES CONTINUES This Wednesday our Lenten series on the Penitential Psalms continues. The supper at 5:45 will again be sponsored by the mission trip group as a fund-raiser. The menu will be spaghetti. Please bring a dessert to share. The Psalm will be Psalm 6, with Pr. Tim Hubert from American Lutheran Church in Rantoul leading worship. The Lenten offerings will be designated for the North American Lutheran Seminary and empty tomb of Champaign/Urbana.

EXTENDING COLLECTION OF ITEMS FOR DREW MCCOWEN You will be able to continue bringing items for the care package for Drew McCowen thru Sunday, April 2. The package will be mailed that week. Please sign the card on the table in the narthex to be enclosed in the box.

B.O.B. PROGRAM The B.O.B. program for kids K thru 5th grade is being held after school on Wednesday afternoons during Lent. We are having the GoFish Guys children bible studies for Lent and Easter, snacks and activities from 3:30 – 4:30. There is also First Communion class going on during the same time.

MOVIE AND LUNCH DATE SIGN UP SHEET The sign-up sheet for the Movie and Lunch date is in the narthex. Please sign up if you will be joining us so we know how many to plan lunch for. Lunch will be a pasta bar with different pastas, sauces, meats, vegetables and garlic bread.

WALK TO JERUSALEM We have made it to Prague and have about 1,750 miles to go to get to Jerusalem. Our last luncheon for our Walk to Jerusalem will also be on April 30 when we watch the movie “Risen”. Thanks to everyone that is participating in our walk. You are doing great job and helping yourself to a healthy lifestyle!

COPING AFTER A SUICIDE EXPLORED AT LIFETREE CAFÉ How to heal in the wake of a loved one’s suicide will be discussed at Lifetree Café on Thursday, April 6 at 12:30 p.m. at Candlewood Pool House. The program, titled “Living After a Suicide: Finding Hope After Loved Ones Take Their Own Lives,” explores the difficult aftermath that friends and family experience after a suicide. “It’s one of those things that if you’ve never had it in your life, you probably don’t think about it,” says Maxine Brandt, a grief outreach coordinator. “You hear about it in the news or read about it, but it doesn’t seem like a real thing.” During the program, participants will have the opportunity to discuss how suicide has impacted their own lives.

ATTENDANCE for Sunday, March 26 was 57 and total offering was $1,620. Lent offering for March 22 was $74.