This Palm Sunday (if you would like) we are encouraging each family to bring a new child’s sweater for the procession with palms. We invite you to carry the sweater in the Procession and place it as you enter the Sanctuary in boxes set aside to receive the sweaters.  The sweaters will go to children in need in our area through agencies and families we have direct contact with. A limited supply of new sweaters is being purchased through the generosity of Matt Pesta and Sterling Optical at the Mall, and will be available on Palm Sunday.

Our Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held March 31, 2013,  10:15 a.m. during Sunday Church School, outside if weather permits.

J. Andrew “Drew” McCaffery will be our new intern and will arrive later this summer. Drew is a student at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg and is completing his second year of studies there. He and his wife Amanda are in their first year of marriage. They have a dog named Levi. We look forward to a wonderful year with Drew and Amanda!

The Children’s Choir will be singing on Sunday, April 7th, and Sunday, June 2nd, at 11 a.m. Practice is held during the Sunday School hour prior to the weekly lesson beginning at 9:40 a.m. All ages and voices welcome.

VBS dates for Christ Lutheran are July 7 – 11, Sunday through Thursday.

The “Character of Christ” will be explored on Sunday mornings through the use of special litanies and preaching. Pastor Chuck and Vicar Jenny will look at one aspect of Christ’s character  (prayerful, forgiving, loving, obedient, humble and healing) each week through theuse of the appointed Gospel text.

Please join Pastor Jack Timm for Thursday morning Bible study each week at 10 a.m. in the upper kitchen. The class would love to have you join them!

The Chruch Council has designated Hurricane Sandy Relief, The Union Rescue Mission and our Emergency Aid Fund at Christ Lutheran as recipients of the special offerings at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, “loose offerings” on Thanksgiving Eve, Advent worship and Wednesdays and on Christmas Eve will also go to the special offering.

The congregation was asked to collect 500 canned goods for the Interfaith Food Pantry. With everyone’s help we collected nearly 700 items! Thanks everyone!

On Sunday, October 21, we celebrated our second annual Pumpkin Sunday. Not only did worshippers receive pumpkins, many in our community received bread from local bakeries as the congregation signed up for and donated over 260 loaves. Thanks for making a difference in the lives of many people!