Kid’s Week August 20-24, 2012

Kid’s Week — formerly know as VBS

An exciting week is well into the planning stages.   This years theme will be

Egyptian Journey

Plan early to be here that week of summer so your kids won’t miss this exciting week!

Cost:   FREE

MBC CELEBRATES

MAY 6, 2012
Celebrating a great year of ministries.
POTLUCK LUNCH to follow the service. Please bring your favorites.

MBC Men’s Breakfast

Calling all men from MBC… come for breakfast on May 5. 8:30 a.m.
Get to know each other, great discussions
Speaker: Pastor Harv

What is Lent?

Lent 2012
February 22nd – April 8th

Lent

“Lent” is the name given to describe the forty days leading up to Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (it is also 40 days from Easter Sunday when skipping Sundays). Some Christian traditions still refer to Lent by its Latin (quadragesima) or Greek (tessarakoste) name, both of which simply mean “fortieth day.”

The English word “Lent” comes from the Old English word “lencten” which simply means “lengthen,” as Lent occurs in spring when the days are lengthening. Lent begins on “Ash Wednesday” which, depending on the date of Easter Sunday, could be anywhere between February 4th and March 10th.

Observing Lent is a spiritual discipline that attempts to focus the individual on the transformational significance of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The reason that it is observed over 40 days is because the number 40 is a very common and significant number all throughout the scriptures, right from the flood to the life of Christ and the early church (ie. Gen. 7:12; Ex. 24:14; 1Kg. 19:8; Jonah 3:4, 5; Mt. 4:1-11; Mk. 1:12-13; Lk. 4:1-14; Acts 1:3).

Fasting

Lent is most commonly observed as a fast. Simply put, fasting is “the practice of self-denial.” The individual will abstain from a certain luxury or necessity (such as food) for a set amount of time in order to focus oneself on the spiritual rather than the temporal things of life.

There are two kinds of fasting: the total fast and the ascetical fast. The total fast is a short-term fast (usually a single day) and is most often observed as a complete abstinence from food.

The ascetical fast is a long-term fast consisting of a disciplined diet (ie. abstaining from meat or some other food) or the abstinence from some other luxury/necessity of your choice (again, be creative!).

Typically, Lent is an ascetical fast. But during Lent we don’t fast on Sundays since it was on a Sunday that Jesus rose from the dead. Thus, Sundays are a day of celebration not of fasting.

Ash Wednesday:

The season of Lent commences with “Ash Wednesday.” This begins our journey to the cross with the recognition of our sinfulness and a call to repentance. Ash Wednesday calls us to repent in the manner of Job who, when he encountered God, cried out, “… I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes…” (Job 42:6; also see 2 Sam. 13:19, Es. 4:1-3, Jer. 6:26; Gen. 3:19).

Palm Sunday:

Palm Sunday is the final day of Lent and the beginning of “Holy Week.” It is on this day that we commemorate Jesus’ triumphant arrival in Jerusalem as recorded in the Gospels (Mt. 21:1-11; Mk. 11:1-11; Lk. 19:28-44; Jn. 12:12-19).

Holy Week:

Holy Week commemorates the final week of the life of Christ, from Triumphal Entry on Sunday to the Crucifixion on Friday.

The Great Triduum:

Triduum (latin: “three days”) is the term that collectively refers to the 3 days leading up to Easter Sunday:

Maundy Thursday:

Maundy Thursday is the day when Jesus celebrated the Passover with His disciples, thus instituting “the Lord’s Supper.” The word Maundy comes from the Latin, mandatum, which means “mandate” or “commandment.”
We call this day “maundy” because it was on this Thursday that Jesus gave His “new commandment” in John 13:34. So, in today’s language, this day could be called “Mandate Thursday” or “Commandment Thursday.”
Maundy Thursday is usually celebrated by partaking in Communion and, in some circles, footwashing (again, see John 13).

Good Friday:

Good Friday is the day of Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross.

Holy Saturday:

This is the day when, as the result of his taking the sins of humanity on Himself, Jesus bore the full weight of sin and death.

Easter Sunday:

Easter Sunday is the pivot point for all of human history. On this day the story of Israel is consummated and the New Covenant commences.

The bodily resurrection of Jesus on the first day of the week not only proves the identity of Jesus as “the Christ” but it also marks the beginning of God’s “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15) with Jesus as the “firstborn from the dead” (Ps. 89:27; Acts 26:23; Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5).

Easter Sunday is the day to break our fasts; it is a day of joy, hope, and celebration!

Cruisers ~ Age 50 + Event

March 3, 2012
Call the church for more information.

Newcomers Lunch ~ February 26

Are you new to MBC? Have you attended for a while and you have never been to a Newcomers Lunch?
Please consider this your invitation and drop us a note to let us know how many are in your family.
It will be held in the Lower Level at Martensville Baptist, right after the morning service. Lunch with a 20 minute presentation.

Baptism: Sunday, January 1

Baptism on Sunday:  January 1:  10 a.m.

Jen will be baptized on Sunday, boldly proclaiming her devotion and commitment to follow God.   With excitement and prayer, we support her declaration of faith.  We anticipate what God has in store for her life as she is becoming a fully devoted follower of Jesus.

Come join us on Sunday!  Maybe you will find your inspiration to set a new direction for your life on this first day of 2012!

I heard a very wise statement this week:   2012 is going to be the best year EVER!  

And it will be, if each step we take leads us closer to Jesus.

 

2012 Small Groups Begin

Women’s Small Groups:

mom2mom:  Starts Wednesday, January 11:  9.30 a.m. at the church

Women’s Coffee Break Study:  Starts Wednesday, January 11:  1 p.m. at the church

Women’s Evening Study:   Starts Monday, January 16:  7 p.m. at the church

 

Other Home Groups arrange their own time and place.  Please contact the church if you would like to join an evening, mixed small group.   931-2688

Youth Christmas Banquet

Friday, December 16:

6 – 11 pm    Dress up event.

Served by the Cruisers of MBC

Christmas Eve Service

6:30 p.m.

Followed by Snack and Hot Chocolate

And a Horse-Drawn Sleigh Ride with Caroling through Martensville

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