PRAYER NOTES

We thank You, dear God…

• for the work of Your Spirit in the lives of the Youth Group members and leaders and their leadership in our worship last week.

• for the gifts You have brought together in the persons serving on the Search Team.

• that neighbors and members are submitting confidential prayers requests through the prayer boxes in the sanctuary and on the playground. Thank You that in hard situations the prayer team can serve both them and You.

• that music enables us to express ourselves in ways that speaking does not.

• that a weakness in the boiler was discovered and that Pastor Stan could encourage the inspector to draw closer to You.

We realize we need You in so many ways. Please…

• stir the heart of the boiler inspector to come closer You.

• guide the plans for our interactions with the neighbors this summer and also provide the resources.

• work in our minds and hearts to be ready to speak of You to others in our daily interactions with others.

• enable the students among us to finish the school year strong.

• pour out Your precious mercy to those battling illness of body, mind, spirit, emotion, relationships, or transitions in life.

• provide a personal Pentecost for those who are spiritually dry, weary, without answers.

WORSHIP

WORSHIP TODAY: Ascension Sunday. John 20: 24-31 “Room For Doubt: Worship And Doubt: Rev. Stan Sturing.

NEXT SUNDAY: Pentecost Sunday. John 21:1-25 “Room For Doubt: Unanswered Questions” Rev. Stan Sturing. We will be celebrating The Lord’s Supper. We will also be recognizing our volunteers and commissioning our Pastor Discernment Team.

MEMORIAL DAY COMBINED WORSHIP SERVICE: On Sunday, May 26 at 9:30 AM, our Memorial Day service will be combined with East Leonard Christian Reformed Church at East Leonard, 1027 Leonard St. NE.

CONGREGATIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS

THE MAY DESIGNATED OFFERING: The offering for the month of May is Bethany Christian Services. Foster and adoption When children and families need support, we respond. In the U.S., we provide essential services to strengthen families and keep them together. When this isn’t possible, we engage loving foster parents and facilitate adoption through foster care. We also offer pregnancy counseling and post-adoption services.

NURSERY DONATIONS: Thank you to everyone who donated to the nursery and activity bag fund. We were able to purchase new puzzles and toys for the nursery and new doodle boards and activities for the worship activity bags. The children are really enjoying the new additions!

ELDERS NOTES: Pastor Stan opened our meeting with devotions from Acts 2. He then shared a devotion, written by Rev. Stan Mast, to help focus on Church health during a time when churches are dying. Questions asked in the devotional: Is your church healthy? What comes to mind when you hear ‘healthy church’? How do we know if our church is healthy and unhealthy? The Elders approved using the rest of this devotional booklet for our devotions in Council.

• The Elders received and reviewed reports from the various church committees and Pastor Stan. The Welcome team would love to have 2 more volunteers to fill in their team. The Elders also reviewed Households of Faith activities, visits, and needs.

• In membership review, the Elders learned that Isaac Mulder has found a church home in the Chicago area where he now lives. Since it is a non-reformed church, the Elders voted to release his membership per his request. The Elders also approved a request from Paul and Jodi Jeltema to have their membership transferred to North End Chapel.

• After a brief orientation meeting on April 28, the Search Committee will begin their work in the search for the next pastor at Beckwith Hills. Jerry Blom led us in a closing prayer for our congregation and each other.

PASTOR DISCERNMENT TEAM

email address: pastor_search@beckwithhillscrc.org.

PASTOR DISCERNMENT TEAM: The Council of Beckwith Hills CRC recently appointed the following individuals to serve on a Pastor Discernment Team: Amy Byl, Kayla Collins, Sara Collins, Carol Couwenhoven, Jakkin Dykema, Rachel Dykema, Bob Homan, Ken Katerberg, Ruth Koster, Amy Marsh, Harriet Potoka, Kevin Soodsma, Sue Vanderveen and Doug Van Timmeren. While not a member of the team, Pastor Stan will be meeting with the group to provide guidance and insights as they move through the search process. A time of commissioning and prayer for the team is scheduled for Sunday, May 19.

• At an introductory meeting for the group on Sunday, April 28, Pastor Stan reviewed the tasks that are part of the search process and encouraged the team members to spend time in prayer, set aside personal agendas, and listen attentively to the Holy Spirit and each other.

• At the meeting on Monday, May 6, Harriet Potoka agreed to provide leadership for the group as chair with Amy Byl serving as secretary. Meetings will be held on alternate Mondays at the church. Regular updates from the team will be shared via bulletin announcements and a designated email address has been set up for the entire church family to use in communicating with the team - questions, comments, recommendations and suggestions are welcome.

• Please pray for the team as a whole and for the individual members as they begin their work to discern God’s leading in finding a new pastor for Beckwith Hills CRC.

MISSIONS

Dear Friends and Partners at Beckwith Hills CRC, Thank you for your ongoing partnership with our ministry of Christian education in Africa! We're grateful for your support! In recent months, the words of Psalm 78:1-8 have been resonating in our hearts: "...we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord...so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born..." As you pray with us for the next generation in Africa, please also pray for Sosthene who is currently on an ACSI ministry trip during which he will be meeting with heads of schools and denominations, pastors, and associations of Christian schools to encourage and strengthen them in their work of Christian education. Also, later this month he and Christian education leaders in Central Africa will be meeting together for an ACSI roundtable to pray and discuss culturally relevant ways in which the church, school, and family can come together to prepare future generations to live as citizens of God's kingdom in heaven and on earth. Together in Christ, Sosthene and Kara.

May Birthdays & Anniversaries

BIRTHDAYS

May 6 - Andrew Snow

May 12 - Doug Byl

May 16 - Mary Buist

May 23- Heather Peters, Helen Dieleman,

May 26 - Sandy VanTimmeren

May 30 - Marcia Koll

GIVING & BUDGET FOR 2024

BUDGET RECEIVED OVER/-SHORT

GENERAL FUND 2024

$315,604.00 $100,246.45 -$215,357.55

GENERAL FUND Current Month (May)

$26,300.00 $2,886.78 -$23,413.22

GENERAL FUND Last Month (April)

$26,300.00 $29,565.66 $3,265.66

FAITH PROMISE Giving (Mar ‘24 - Feb ‘25)

$31,500.00 $7,690.69 -$23,809.31

EVENTS @ BHCRC