1) This Sunday: February 26, First Sunday in Lent
Psalm 25:1-10, Mark 1:9-15, “Stories and Signposts, Vol. 1”

2) Men’s Breakfast

This Thursday, 2/23, is the next installment of our monthly men’s breakfast. All men are invited to join us at the Roadhouse in Key Center, beginning at 10:00 a.m. The food is usually pretty good, and the conversation is pretty keen, too.

3) Vitality Update

Last Sunday we consecrated our Vitality Team, which will steer Lakebay through the ongoing Vitality process. Their first order of business will be crafting the Relational Covenant that you all had input on; then they will continue to walk us through the various steps toward new health and vitality. The team is: Wes Lathan, Kim Corrigan, Marge Nygard, and Rebecca Robert. Please continue to pray for them as they seek to discern God’s leading in our church life.

4) A Cup of Water in Jesus’ Name

Last fall a group from Lakebay went to Seattle to hand out sandwiches and socks to the homeless there. Many they talked to said that water was their greatest need. Thus, the mission committee is going to be collecting bottled water to take with them on their next trip to Seattle. Please consider bringing a package sometime before the end of March. If you have questions, talk to Cathlee James or Lori Colbo.

5) Help Opportunity

The HELP Committee has been working with you all to assist a local family that lost everything in an emergency move; the response has been wonderful, but the situation is still in flux. Donations of smaller items – clothes and toys and such – are still welcome, but should you wish to donate larger things (like a refrigerator or futon) please wait until we hear back on the need for these things.

6) Bible Study and Prayer Opportunities

Let me remind you that we have multiple offerings for people looking for a place to study or pray. We have a women’s Bible study on Monday mornings, a Bible study and prayer group that meets Wednesday evenings over a potluck dinner, and a Thursday morning Bible study that is open to everybody. In addition, our youth group is doing good things on Monday nights, our men’s group meets for breakfast twice a month, and a new women’s breakfast started up a few months ago. All that in addition to our Sunday morning worship and Second Course! If you’re not already involved some place, let me encourage you to connect with one of these groups.

7) Looking ahead

On March 24 we will be holding our annual church cleanup day. We want to spruce up our building and grounds in anticipation of Easter, and could use all of your help. We usually work through the morning and early afternoon, and lunch is provided.

On April 22 we will be holding our semi-annual business meeting.

And believe it or not, the annual rummage sale isn’t too far off. Now’s a great time to begin setting donations aside; we can always use clothing, toys, household appliances, electronics – so long as they are clean and still functioning. This year’s sale is May 26 and 28.

8) Known Birthdays and Anniversaries this week:  21 – Nora Miller; 22 –Maria Hickmon, Duncan Fisher; 26 – Reagan Burton; 27 – Robert and Anna Lee

9) Upcoming events
Feb. 26: First Sunday in Lent
March 3: NPC Leadership Matrix (Board leadership event)
March 18: Board Meeting
March 24: Church Cleanup Day
March 30: Sandwich outreach to Seattle
April 5: Maundy Thursday Seder Dinner
April 8: Easter
April 22: Semi-annual meeting
 
10) Opportunities to be involved:
- Sunday: The Gathering, 9:00 a.m.; Worship Celebration, 9:30 a.m.; Second Course, 11:00 a.m.
- Monday: Women’s Bible Study, 10 a.m.; Youth Group, 6:00 p.m.
- Wednesday: Harvest Share, 1:00 p.m.; Potluck/Bible Study/Prayer time, 6:00 p.m., Worship Team practice, 6:30 p.m.
- Thursday: Bible Study on Mark, 10 a.m.; M&M (food available for everyone), 3:00 p.m.

11) On the Web:
Lakebay Community Church: www.lakebaycovenant.net
Evangelical Covenant Church: www.covchurch.org
North Pacific Conference: www.covchurch-npc.org
Pastor Dan’s blog: http://danwhitmarsh.blogspot.com
Cascade’s Camp and Conference Center: http://www.cascadescamp.org/index.php
In addition, look for Lakebay’s page on Facebook

12) Quote of the Day

“We often believe we are retaining or regaining a sense of power and control when we withhold forgiveness, but that is a false sense of control. We think we are in control, but the truth is quite the opposite. When we forgive, we actually regain self-control when we give up control. This principle was demonstrated in a study of persons who had been deeply hurt by a divorce. The researcher found: ‘For those people who forgave from the heart, their sense of personal power increased over time. They felt more in control of their personal decisions, finances, feelings, and responses to the offender. Those who did not forgive, or who forgave out of fear or out of desire for personal gain, found that their sense of power decreased over time.'

Forgiveness restores the belief that we have some power over what happens in our own lives.”

David Stoop, Forgiving the Unforgivable