Easter Egg Scramble, Holy Week Prayers, Easter Choir and Orchestra
Dear Church Family,
We’re keeping this up here: We wanted to collect 900 toothbrushes for Crisis Care Kits and we’ve already collected over 1000! So we’re now collecting 100 tubes of toothpaste. Read more below. Bring them in on Sunday March 24!
Now, for today’s Lenten Devotional from Pastor Brad Shaffer. (If you haven’t signed up for daily devotional emails, sign up here.)
Philippians 2:1-11
Proverbs 23:7 relates: as a man thinks in his heart so he becomes. King Solomon rightly emphasized the impact of attitude on influencing outcomes. His wisdom underscores that attitude is vital in every area of life, including academic or vocational pursuits, outlook on life, daily challenges, and especially relationships.
If healthy relationships are our desire, then nothing is more harmful than an attitude of selfishness. In chapter 2 of his letter, Paul makes a passionate plea to the Philippian congregation, urging them to “make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other…don’t be selfish…don’t look out for your own interests only.”
Healthy relationships begin with the supreme example of Jesus. Paul admonishes: “you must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.” Jesus is God. But though He has “divine privileges,” He did not insist on His rights, He laid down His rights in obedience to the Father and for the redemption of others. Jesus’ attitude is counter-cultural to a society that suggests the key to happiness and self-fulfillment is through self-absorption and self-indulgence. Jesus’ example proved the opposite. He taught and demonstrated it is better to give than receive.
As we follow Jesus’ example of selfless service to God and others we discover the happiness found in giving. We don’t possess the attitude of Christ perfectly. But Paul reminded the Philippians in vs. 13 that “God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.” Jesus’ humiliation led to His exaltation. Jesus is Lord of all! As daily we live in surrender to His Lordship, we receive His power to display the attitude of Christ. As Proverbs 23:7 suggests, with His Spirit and His attitude in our hearts, we are becoming more and more like Christ.
How might Jesus’ example of sacrificial love motivate you to have the attitude of Christ?
Pastor Brad Shaffer
PS…here are other ways to engage the Lenten Season
Follow the Lenten Devotional. Physical and digital copies are available. You can subscribe to get daily emails here.
Participate in Holy Week Prayers.
Join us as we Walk the Way of Jesus, taking a prayerful journey through the Stations of the Cross over three nights. We’ll gather at 7PM on the nights and locations below.
Tuesday, March 25 (Stillmeadow Lane with Ignite Youth)
Wednesday, March 26 (York City Campus with Celebrate Recovery)
Good Friday, March 29 (Stillmeadow Lane)
Join the JTAG Choir for Easter! Details are below!
Daily Readings and Reflections
Each week we provide reflection questions and daily scriptures for personal and family growth beyond Sundays.
Reflection Questions and Daily Scriptures
Watch the Sunday (Mar 17) Service
Stillmeadow Lane Service—Pastor Josh Kleinfeld
York City Campus-Pastor Jade Frederick
Easter Egg Scramble
Join us on Saturday for a family friendly celebration of the best story ever!
Grow with us
No one matures alone. Check out our listing of other groups and let us know if you’re interested in one. If you’d like help, you can contact Karon Kagan (kkagan@stillnaz.com) or Pastor Tabitha Martin (pastortabitha@stillnaz.com).
M.O.R.E Class-Dig deeper into the sermon of the morning! This group is led by Steve Yinger and John Lackey and meets Sunday at 10:30AM in the Sprenkle House ground floor conference room.
N.O.M.A. Home Groups-No One Matures Alone. These groups meet in homes across the county on Sunday nights with the purpose of maturing in Christ together through connecting with Jesus in the study of scripture and intentional prayer together. When you sign up for a NOMA Group, a group leader will reach out with location details.
Serve with us
You have been gifted and we’d be honored to serve with you. We’d love to have you serve on our Worship/Media Team. And click the “Serve” button below for more opportunities.
JTAG Choir and Orchestra - It's that time again. It's time to sign up for the JTAG Choir and Orchestra. We are singing and playing together on Easter Sunday (3/31). If you even remotely like to sing or if you play an instrument, go to stillnaz.com/choir to sign up. You will also find a preview of the music we are singing and playing, along with the music to download. There is printed music available as of March 3rd. See Pastor John to get your book.
Pray with us
You can find a guide to prayer and submit a prayer request at www.stillnaz.com/pray. This week, let us pray for…
Our citizens who live in York County, mayors, school boards. The print and broadcast media. The churches of York: members and clergy. All who live in poverty. All who suffer from mental illness.
Pray for Jonathan Phillips our missionary to Romania:
Jonathan just began a Sabbatical. He asks: “Please pray that this will be a time of rest and restoration, focusing on my relationship with God, so that I will feel refreshed and ready to resume activities when I return to Romania at the end of June. (That sentence has way too many words that begin with the letters “re”!) Pray for ministries and administrative tasks in Romania, that they will continue without any problems during my absence.”
Prayerfully Give: Most sabbatical-related expenses are covered by a generous donation received by Global Missions designated for missionary sabbaticals. However, Jonathan is still responsible for covering some of the expenses. Of course, this is in addition to raising his normal expenses as a sponsored missionary. Since he is taking a sabbatical in place of home assignment this year, he will not be in the US to raise funds until 2025. If you wish to make a donation to his deputation account give to stillnaz.com/give and select Jonathan Phillips.
Give with us
Joy Boxes on Sundays!
On Sundays at the Stillmeadow Lane Campus, we will be receiving our physical offerings through our Joy Boxes at the two entrances to our Family Life Center. You may give when you enter for worship or when you exit to serve the world. This will replace the receiving of offerings by passing the baskets in the middle of our worship services. And it will be similar to the way offerings were received in Jesus’ day! Read Luke 21:1-4 for an example of giving. May we give with the generous and sacrificial spirit of the poor widow that Jesus lifted up in that passage.
Help Us Collect 100 Tubes of Toothpaste
Hooray! We met our goal of 900 toothbrushes for the district assembly Crisis Care Kit assembly party, so we signed up to collect 100 individual 4.0-6.4 oz tubes of toothpaste! Bring those in by March 24 (to the compassion room). If you already purchased toothbrushes, just bring those in as well!
And if you want to make a Crisis Care Kit yourself, here are the instructions.
New Financial Stewardship Series
Throughout the year we will be offering a financial stewardship series with one-time classes on different financial topics. Check out the information on the flyer below!
Play Softball on the Stillmeadow Team
Spring is just around the corner and softball team sign-ups are here. The season runs from the end of April to the end of July. Expected costs will be $45 per player. If interested in playing, please contact Todd Henry, tdaehenry@comcast.net, 540-809-8211 or Tyler Warntz, twarntz@gmail.com, 717-521-6542 before March 29th.
Condolences
To Jody Nitchman & Family. Jody’s mother, Joan Plitt passed away March 7th, and her father, John Plitt passed away March 11th.
I conclude this message with our theme verse for the Lenten Series:
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” Mark 8:35
Let’s save our lives by losing them for Him and His gospel…
Pastor Josh and the Stillmeadow Team