Rest in Your church

Three generations of Grace   A Heritage of Harmony When I look back on my life, I see that the church has always been part of my story. It wasn't just something we did on Sundays; it was who we were. My mother was the organist at our church for fifty years. Fifty years—that still amazes me. She was quiet, steady, and faithful. She also taught music to fifth graders. In our house, if you could sing, you were in the choir. That was just how it worked. The Fullness of the Sanctuary When I was in high school, the choir loft was full. So many people sang that we had to sit up there for the whole service because there were no seats left in the pews. If you didn’t get to church early, you didn’t get a good seat. In those days, everybody went to church. It wasn’t unusual; it was life. My mother received a plaque for her fifty years of service. She retired in the late 1990s but kept playing almost until she passed away. Music was her gift, and she gave it wholeheartedly to God a...

Children's Valentine's Day Cards for the Supper and Nursing Home Last week, we made the 'L' sign for 'Eternal Life' (not 'Loser'!). Yesterday, we shared the 'V' sign to celebrate our Final Victory in Christ. Even when our lives are filled with sorrow and struggles, we can 'run with the trophy in hand' because Jesus has already won the race for us. Sermon: Run with the Trophy in Hand   Service : Youtube link 2/15/26  Church Family News & Praise: Praise God: We celebrate with Dickie, who was 'running fast' with his walker this week! Home Communion: If you or a loved one would like to receive Home Communion, please contact Pastor or Terry. We visit every first Thursday of the month.                                                                                 ...

  Bible Reading Celebration “Amen!” Our hearts were deeply touched yesterday when we heard a loud “Amen!” ringing through the sanctuary from Walter and Annie . Though it was their first time attending our Sunday service, they are our longtime church and community family. Hearing their voices join ours made the chapel feel truly warm. Our Family Worship was a beautiful tapestry of joy: from the children ringing handbells to the Christian puppets performing their "Super Love" dance (not just for the Super Bowl!), and Delila’s stunning offertory solo. Our fellowship continued long after the service over a wonderful meal. Most importantly, we celebrated those who worked hard this past month to read through books of the Bible. Hearing your living testimonies of how the Word brought peace and joy was a true blessing. Praise the Lord who speaks to us! We will continue to celebrate our Bible reading and hear testimonies every second Sunday of the month. Special Announcements: Ne...

                                                                      Photo by Kathy Case Have you ever had to endure a messy and chaotic season just to reach a better future?" I have lived here in Maine for eleven and a half years now. Recently, our furniture has been getting old, and my children’s bookshelf was on the verge of collapsing, so we finally replaced it. During that process, books were scattered everywhere. We had to endure a messy house for several days. However, when the books were finally tucked perfectly into the new shelf, the joy was truly great. Over the past month, we have also had to go through a season of waiting and adjusting as we updated our sound and media systems. It wasn't always easy, but I was so happy that the livestream went well last week. I was even more delighted to hear that som...

Yesterday, we had a wonderful restart of our afternoon school program! We are calling it 'Fabulous Friday.' With 8 children and 7 adults gathered together, we felt a warm spirit filling our hearts. We all survived Covid, the flu, pneumonia, snowstorms, and the bitter cold of January! I hope we can share that same warm spirit during tomorrow’s service. Today, I visited Debbie and Kempton Coolong. I learned that their families have grown up in Patten and in our church for generations. Personally, I am so grateful to Debbie for creating our church history book. It has helped me understand our church so much better; whenever I have a question, I can go back to that book to find the answer. Tomorrow, we will look at the Gospel of Luke. In a way, Luke was like our own Debbie Coolong—he was a writer who recorded history in a clear, orderly way. Through Luke, we will see what true worship looks like, what Jesus’ mission was, and what our mission should be during these difficult times....