In his poem “A Psalm of Life,”
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote:
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Christians believe in eternal life because:
•We trust that the God who created us won’t abandon us when our hearts stop. Will God allow us to become mere dust or fodder for worms? Surely not. We can believe in a life to come because of God’s eternal love for us.
•We trust Jesus, God’s Son, who said, “In my Father’s house there are many mansions. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2, NRSV). Death is only a change of residence, a move to our eternal home.
•We trust that we will be raised from the dead and live, just as Jesus died and was resurrected. We simply finish the last chapter of this life and start the new book called eternal life.
All praise be to God!
Church membership is open for those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and decided to follow Jesus as their Lord. Pastor Fannin appreciates talking to those who desire membership in the Hagerstown Church of the Nazarene.
Small group discipleship is Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Worship team lead singers practice at 7:00 p.m.
Hagerstown Faith Housing has 1 and 2 bedroom apartments with limited rental assistance for those who qualify. Appliances, weekly trash service, and central air provided. Phone Floyd Sanders, 489-4898.
The Henry County Special Olympics are looking for volunteers. The event is May 15th with opening Ceremonies at 8:45 a.m. Contact Pastor Dave if you are interested in helping. Sign-up sheets are in the foyer.
Recycle your computer printer cartridges Bring your used cartridges to the church and place them in the white box in the foyer for the daycare fundraiser. These are cashed in for church office supplies.
Softball games will begin soon. Our church will play in two leagues: Richmond and Williamsburg. See the sign-up sheets on the foyer bulletin board. The cost is $20 per league.
We have received $973 for world missions. The world needs to hear the good news of Christ. Help us reach our goal of $2,000 for our missionary work across the globe.
Vernon and Myra Baumer lost their house to fire last Thursday night. They live east of the intersection of State Routes 1 and 38. They lost everything. If you wish to donate to this family to help them with immediate needs, mark you donation “local family.”
Teen 30 Hour Famine is April 30 and May 1. The teens will experience the feeling of the homeless. Allan Bullock will announce the details and service projects.
Unchurched consider themselves Christian A new study, released this week by The Barna Group, shows that millions of Americans do not attend church, and that a large majority of those who stay home on Sunday consider themselves to be Christian. The research revealed that:
- In the past six months, 28% of the adult population has not attended any church service or activity. When children are included, this translates to more than 100 million people.
- In the United States, 83% of all adults identify themselves as "Christian."
- Of those who have not attended church for at least six months, 61% label themselves "Christian."
- Two-thirds (68%) of the Christians who do not attend church hold a biblical view of God, but only one-third (35%) agree that the Bible is totally accurate in all the principles it teaches.
Past studies of those who do not attend church have revealed that one of the main reasons for not attending is the painful experiences endured within the local church. A previous study shows that 37% of unchurched Americans said they avoid church because of bad past experiences in the church or with church people.
| April Finances | |||
| MONTHLY GIVING | Received Last Sunday the 11th | Received So Far For The Month | Goals For The Month |
| Tithes and Offerings | 1,181.73 | 2,266.40 | 6,000.00 |
| Building Fund Loan | 149.00 | 444.00 | 696.89 |
| Missions Easter Offering | 69.00 10.00 | 151.00 742.00 | 200.00 2,000.00 |
