2330 South Jefferson Street
Roanoke, Virginia 24014

Phone: (540) 344-4437
Fax: (540) 345-8041

  A mother in our congregation shared with me recently that her daughter signed a “Stewardship of Prayer Commitment Card” as an expression of her personal spiritual pledge during the season of Lent.  Ever since then her daughter never lets her family forget that she must say the blessing at every mealtime.  She made a commitment, she is earnestly trying to keep it and she (and her family!) are growing more spiritually mature because of her leadership.

  So many folks in our congregation have expressed their deep appreciation for our 2006 Lenten Devotional Guide.  These expressions of faith by persons in our church, past and present, are daily reminders of the love of God that inspire us in a very personal way.

  On Wednesday evenings we have shared rich fellowship around the meal table and received deeply spiritual guidance on the stewardship of prayer from our guest preachers for our Lenten Services.

  In this blessed season of Lent we are growing in faith by the good leadership of our Stewardship of Prayer Committee.  I personally invite you to the experience of Holy Week and Easter as we celebrate

  Passion/Palm Sunday (April 9) with Rev. Cheryl Harrison-  Davidson preaching

  Holy Thursday (April 13) Holy Communion with the Service of   Tenebrae by our choir featuring A Service of Darkness by   Dale Wood

  Good Friday (April 14) Prayer Vigil (6 a.m.—6 p.m.)

  Easter Sunrise Service (April 16) 6:44 a.m. in the Columbarium   and

  Easter Worship (9 a.m. and 11 a.m.)

  With this young daughter in our congregation may we all keep our commitments and grow in faith together!

Holy Week—April 9-15

Holy Week, the full week prior to Easter Sunday, begins with Palm Sunday, Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and climaxes with the Great Three Days (from sunset Holy Thursday through sunset Easter Day).

               Passion / Palm Sunday—April 9
            9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.
                   Rev. Cheryl Harrison-Davidson, preacher

Worship begins with a procession of choirs and bells.  It will feature the dramatic reading of Mark’s Passion Narrative.

 Holy Thursday—April 13—Holy Communion
7:00 p.m.
Tenebrae Service led by the Chancel Choir

On this night Christians commemorate the supper Jesus shared with his disciples before his resurrection, when he washed the disciples’ feet and instituted the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper.  The congregation is invited to receive Communion by intinction.  Our Chancel Choir leads the service with A Service of Darkness by Dale Wood.  The Tenebrae (meaning “shadows”), an early eighth-century service, was once observed as an all-night vigil.  Our service adapts it as an extinguishing of the lights indicative of the flight of the disciples following the Last Supper, and the darkness that fell over the earth as the Son of God was crucified.  The music vividly portrays the suffering, pain, ugliness and horror of Christ’s death on the cross.  The service concludes in darkness as the altar is “stripped” in reverence of the Savior’s suffering and death.

Good Friday Prayer Vigil—April 14
6:00 a.m.—6:00 p.m.
The sanctuary is open for prayer 6:00 a.m.— 6:00 p.m. 
Sign up on the Prayer Vigil chart as we pray in commemoration of the great sacrifice of our Lord. 

          Easter Egg Dye, Thursday, April 13—4:00 p.m.
        Easter Egg Hunt, Saturday, April 15—11:00 a.m.

          Easter Sunday—April 16
             Easter Sunrise Service—6:44 a.m. in the Columbarium
             Followed by Easter Continental breakfast in the Fellowship Hall
              (courtesy of our United Methodist Men)

                  9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Worship Service

YOUTH NEWS

SAVE THESE DATES

  Mark your calendars NOW!!

April 1-2  Awakening

April 5th  Youth are serving Lent Dinner
        We need you to be at the church at 4:00 p.m.

April 7-8  Confirmation Retreat

April 17-19  Alta Mons Service Project

April 20  Lake day at the Steffe’s

April 21-23  YAC Conference Retreat

April 28-30  District Youth Retreat

▪  We have a lot planned for April.  I hope that you will be able to
    participate in one or more events.

▪  Please keep our youth, who are traveling overseas during
    Spring Break (April 17-21) in your prayers.

▪  Sign up now for DCLA.  We will be participating in a youth event by Youth
    Specialties for July 1-4—returning on the 5th. 
    A $50.00 deposit is needed to hold your spot.

Thank you to all the youth & youth workers for a wonderful Youth Sunday.  I am so proud of you.  You worked so hard and it showed.  I am so proud of our graduating Seniors for a job well done.  THANK YOU!

The 2006 confirmation class will be meeting on Wednesdays beginning March 29.

Confirmation Sunday is June 11.

For single adults of all ages
May 5-7, 2006

Our lunch at the church on April 20th will have the theme of a “Victorian English Tea.” Cost is $7. Please sign up on the list in the hallway.

There are no words adequate to express my deep appreciation for the many prayers, cards and other kindnesses shown to Doug and me during my recent surgery and recovery. What a loving, caring people you are.

Brochures are available in the church office.  Located near Shawsville, this United Methodist outdoor ministry provides a Christian camping experience for children and youth (rising 3rd graders to high school seniors).

1) The Interfaith Neighbors Helping Neighbors team #2 to Waveland/Bay St. Louis, MS will travel by church van and serve from April 8-15. Bill Clark (721-3340) will be in charge of the team. If you haven’t already, sign up and care as Christ cares for our neighbors recovering from Katrina’s devastation.

A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

  My spiritual life began early down on my knees.  My parents, my two brothers and I were all gathered each night to read the Bible and to pray literally down on our knees.  My first prayer of course was Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.  This continued until we began dating, but we did not stop attending church.  I was the only one that attended on a regular basis.

  When I married and moved away I always managed to get involved with the church.  It was when I moved to Roanoke that my spiritual took on a big change.  My husband’s work took him to Norfolk and he was home only on weekends.  Life for me was getting rough, I got down on my knees, told God I could not carry this burden and I was handing it over to him.  Suddenly, I felt a peace that has never left me.  I thank God for his presence in my life.

  I quit my job and in less than a month I was working at Hollins College.  The Board of Hollins changed the ruling of staff attending classes while working and I was able to acquire a degree in Religion.

  I joined South Roanoke Methodist Church and became involved with choir and teaching the young children with Jack Wimmer.  Later I taught in the Wimmer class for several years and then it became a foursome.  Jack Wimmer, Jack Metcalf, Carl Sherertz and I continued for a number of years.

  Harvey Ashby started a prayer breakfast when he came to So. Roanoke.  It was quite large but slowly lessened to eight or ten.  Eva Crone took the leadership role and then it fell to me.  I could do this because it was early and I was able to get to work before 8:30.  When Byron went back to work after his surgery, I was the designated driver so I had to give it up.  It was hard because there were three of us that had been in the group for about 28 years.  That group included Jack Wimmer, Gene Swartz and myself.  It was a wonderful part of my spiritual life.

  As I get older my spiritual life has again taken on a more dramatic turn.  Since my diagnosis of cancer, I have never witnessed so many answered prayers, a lot of them immediately.  I have been overwhelmed at the response of my church family.  I feel God’s presence more now than ever before and I know prayer works.

  God bless each of you in the Lenten Season.