WEEKLY ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

The attendance at the February 23rd worship service was 81.

The flowers gracing the altar for the March 2nd worship service are presented to the glory of God by the Altar Guild.

This Wednesday, March 5th, begins Lent--the solemn observance in the liturgical year commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan. Please consider attending our Ash Wednesday service at 7:00 p.m.

The church office hours for the week or March 2nd are Monday 9:00--1:00 and Thursday and Friday 8:30--4:30.

The thorn, the robe, the nails, the spear, the stone---if these items could speak, what might they tell us? This year's Mid-Week Lenten Services will have "The Silent Witnesses" as the chief speaker each week taking on the role of one of these items associated with our Lord's suffering and death.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Buckstown will be having a Pancake and Sausage Brunch on Sunday, March 2nd from 11 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. Come help us celebrate our Social Hall renovations! A good will donation will be accepted.

The March schedule for acolytes, lectors, communion assistants, and offering counters is posted on the bulletin board. Please check the schedule if you volunteer for any of these.

The lectors for March are Barb Ott, Tim Thomas, Jennifer Seese, Ron Coughenour, Chris Hoffman, Sally Shaffer, Deb Halkovich, Dave Thomas, and Ron Costlow. Please pick up your readings on the table in the narthex.

The St. Thomas Lutheran Church second annual 5K Race/Walk will be held on Saturday, April 19th, the day before Easter Sunday at 10:00 a.m. This year’s race will focus on Community Celebration. Registration and sponsor forms are available on the St. Thomas website and at the church during regular business hours.

Everyone is invited to attend Bible Study! It is held on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. in the Pastor Shaffer room here at St. Thomas and on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 a.m. at the Tackle Box in Hooversville. Please consider attending and learning about the early years of Moses, Pharaoh and the plagues, the Passover and Seder, and finally how Seder is connected to Maundy Thursday and Holy Communion.

This year, as in the past, we will gather for fellowship before our mid-week Lenten service at 6:15 for a meal and then at 7:00 have our service. Our mid-week Lenten services begin on March 12th. A free will offering will be taken to help with the cost of providing the meal.

Easter is late this year; April 20th. With the late date and with the Spring Bible Study, a Seder Meal is being planned for the evening of April 17th to observed Maundy Thursday. The meal will be at the grove at 7:00 p.m. If you plan on attending, please sign the sheet on the table in the narthex.

Family Hospice is now recruiting volunteers. Volunteers have the rewarding privilege of supporting patients with life-limiting illnesses and their caregivers through a significant and inevitable season of life. Hospice volunteers make an impact in various ways, such as patient visits, caregiver relief, phone calls, support of grieving family members, clerical assistance, and more. Volunteer involvement is determined by the individual's skills, desires, and schedule. Volunteers are good listeners who display flexibility, understanding, and empathy. Specialized training is provided for new volunteers. Fore more information, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Daun Boyle and 814-515-6065 or boyledm@upmc.edu.

The flower chart for 2025 is now posted on the bulletin board. Please consider sponsoring flowers. The prices are $25 for chancel flowers and $35 for altar flowers. A reminder that if you would like an announcement placed in the bulletin, please let the secretary know by noon on Wednesday of the previous week. There are announcement papers available near the flower chart or announcements may be emailed.

All contributions given to missionary will now be directed to Heart for Mission. This is a mission group run by the Thorstad family in Laos/Thailand. If you would like more information, please see their website www.heartformission.com.