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SPRINGTIME -- THE SEASON OF HOPE
by Dr. Richard Hunter
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Easter Services
Allen Temple AME Church
Sunday Church School 9:15 a.m. at Etowah High School
Easter Service 11 a.m. at Etowah High School
Bascomb United Methodist Church
Easter Sunday Service 9 and 11 a.m.
Good Shepherd Lutheran Church
Sunrise Service 7 a.m.
Easter Service 8 and 11 a.m.
Easter Praise Service 9 a.m.
Hillside United Methodist Church
Thursday, April 12 Celebration in the Upper Room at 7 p.m.
Friday, April 13 Good Friday Service at 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 15 Easter Eve Worship at 7 p.m.
Easter Sunrise Service 6:30 a.m.
Traditional Worship 8, 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. in the Sanctuary
Contemporary Worship 9:30 & 11:15 a.m. in Celebration Hall
St. Michael the Arch Angel
Saturday. April 15 Easter Vigil Service at 8 p.m.
Easter Mass 6:30, 8, 9:30 & 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Spanish Mass 7 p.m.
Woodstock First Baptist
Easter Services with Special Guest, "New Song."
7, 8, 9:30 & 11 a.m. No evening service.
Vacation Bible School
Hillside UMC will offer three weeks of Vacation Bible School this year. Truth Trackers, for children in grades four through six, will be offered June 10 through 14 from 6 until 9 p.m. Polar Expedition, for children in PreK 4 through third grade, will be offered June 18 through 22 from 9:30 a.m. until noon and again June 24 through 28 from 6 until 8 p.m.
Registration will be held on Sundays at Hillside in the foyer between services beginning on April 1 for volunteers and their children and May 6 for attendees. There is a $10 expedition fee per child with a $30 family maximum. Nursery is free for children of 5 day volunteers. Scholarships are available. For more information, call (770) 924-4777, extension 73.
Summer Bible Camps
Hillside UMC is offering Bible camps during the month of July for kids who will be in PreK 4 through fifth grade for school year 2001 -- 2002. Camps will run Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each week will focus on a different biblical theme filled with fun learning:
July 9th -- 12th The F.R.O.G.S. Club
July 16th -- 19th Truth Trackers
July 23rd -- 26th Son Creek Junction
July 30th -- Aug. 2nd Animal Crackers
The cost is $70 per child per week. Registration will be Wednesdays from 6 until 7:30 p.m. at Hillside in the Nursery office. Scholarships are available. Teaching and assistant positions are available with competitive salary. Reduced tuition is available for camp staff children. For more information, call (770) 924-4777, extension 61.
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How many of you remember the "snow blizzard of March 1993?" If you were living in Georgia that year you will recall the howling winds, the deep snow and the thunder that shook the houses. We were snowed in for seven days, many of us without power, and the schools were closed. I remember hiking outdoors through waist-deep drifts and making six-foot snowmen.
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Dr. Hunter is the pastor at
Hillside United Methodist Church.
RHunter@hillsideumc.org.
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We huddled around the fireplace and lit candles to see by. We were thankful for the woodpile that had been cut the fall before and for whatever food we had in the pantry. Crews from Georgia Power worked tirelessly through the nights and finally restored power to our area. I remember Meri shouting one morning, "The power's on!!" We cheered as we turned on the furnace, took a hot bath and headed to the grocer to restock the refrigerator.
Our faith can be very much like the power. We take for granted that it will be there when we need it. But let me caution you. For every life, there will be storms and droughts that test our faith and beliefs. Sickness and death, job changes and losses, disappointments and failures… they come to all of us. The wise person is prepared by building up faith, hope and a relationship with God during the fair weather days.
The most powerful word in the Bible is Hope. The ancient Hebrews called it "batach." It refers to the God that they realized was faithful and dependable. He was "batach" in their lives and they remembered this through storms, floods, warfare, exiles and change. Do you have a hope that can stand the test of time? Now is the time to build up your faith and hope so you have plenty of reserves for the days of trouble and change that we all face.
Springtime is a season of renewal in nature. It can also be the perfect time to renew your faith and stock up on hope. God is alive in the beauty of the new flowers and the warm breezes that come our way. Turn to him and build up a faith that lasts and is full of eternal hope. Then when the storms of life come your way, your life will have a firm and lasting foundation.
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