CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH

No matter who you are or where you’ve been, you are welcome here

From Your Temporary Shepherd............... Some of you know that I lost a very dear friend a few weeks ago. While he was a few years older than I, his death was still sudden and really hit me hard. He had blessed me in so many ways for almost two decades, and it's difficult to imagine the world, and my life, without him. I also have a couple of friends who are struggling right now with life threatening illnesses. I realize that these things happen more as we get older, but it's still hard to take. That's one reason I rejoice in this season, as we travel the road on our way to Easter. Jesus' resurrection is vivid testimony that death is not the end of our lives. I know that my friend is alive in God's kingdom - as whole and wise and wonderful as he ever was on earth. Easter, like Christmas, has pretty much been taken over by the secular world. Folks who never darken the door of a church observe Easter; those who do not believe in Jesus observe Easter. Bunnies and eggs and new clothes and Easter baskets are the order of the day. But Christ's people celebrate the real story, for it is the very foundation of our faith. Without the resurrection there is no Christian story. Without the triumph over death there is no eternal life. Without the living Christ there is no Good News! I invite each of you to celebrate the Easter season with your CBC family this year. All of it – the Palm Sunday parade, the sadness and betrayal of Maundy Thursday, and then the amazing joy of the resurrection. We cannot fully grasp the meaning of Easter, nor should we expect to, if we do not follow the cross through the Via Delorosa, the Way of Sorrows. You will find the worship schedule for Holy Week elsewhere in this newsletter. Each of these services is a perfect opportunity to invite a friend to join you in honoring this holy season. I also know that our loved ones, who have gone on before us, will join us in this celebration.

Blessings to you all! Pastor Jerrie

APRIL 2019 NEWSLETTER

SPAGHETTI

DINNER!!

APRIL 13th

5:00 P.M.

Tickets are available in church on Sundays

or with Barb in the office Monday –

Thursday. Be sure to get yours so you

don’t miss this delicious, fun evening that

costs only $10.00, ($5.00 for kids 12 &

under)!

A fundraiser was held last month at the

Short Stop Bar & Grill where 15% of all

proceeds during the dinner hour were

given to the Cystic Fibrosis Hike. The

Hike itself will be on June 15th so if you

are approached to sponsor a participant,

please consider doing so. And join us for

this spaghetti dinner – all proceeds from

the evening will also go to Cystic Fibrosis.

STEWARDSHIP ELEMENTARY MATH

At this time of the early spring we may be dreaming of warmer weather to come, but our dreams are

sometimes rudely interrupted by thoughts of April 15th when our federal and state income taxes are due. Jesus spoke of taxes when questioned by the Pharisees concerning whether the Jews should pay taxes to the Roman government. His astute answer is recorded in Matthew 22:21: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and unto God the things that are God’s.” A reasonable interpretation for us today is that even though we answer to a higher authority than our government, Jesus has told us to cooperate and obey the earthly laws as well.

Like the Jewish population of Jesus’ day, we have little choice but to obey the law and pay our taxes, which are usually withheld from our pay or pensions before we ever see the money. So, what about the second part of Jesus’ answer? How do we render “unto God that which is God’s”? And for that matter how do we determine how much is owed?

Clearly, we “render unto God” by supporting the work and ministry of our church, both by volunteering our time and our financial support. Financially, the amount we owe is set not by the IRS, but by the word of God, as in Leviticus 27:30: “Every tithe (tenth) of the land…is the Lord’s; it is holy to the Lord”.

As we were reminded in a previous Stewardship Message, determining a tenth of your income is very easy. Check your Form 1040, Line 7 (gross income) and move the decimal point once to the left. If you made $10,000, a tithe or tenth of that is $1,000, spread over the year. While checking tax documents, you might also look at the “Detailed Statement” you received from Central Baptist listing what you gave to the church. It might prove interesting to do the math and see what percentage you did give. If your income was $55,000 and you gave $10.00 a week that is a gift of $520.00 for the year, which may seem reasonable or even generous. Dividing the larger number into the smaller (520/55,000) yields a percentage. Surprisingly perhaps, the number is .0094, or less than 1%, not even a tenth of a tithe!

Your giving is between you and God: no church official or IRS agent will call on you. Your giving is very confidential and private within our church. As with all our behaviors and choices, however, we should ask ourselves: Is it pleasing to God?

George Rogers Stewardship Committee

The deadline for May newsletter articles is April 23.

Your promptness is sincerely appreciated.

SEARCH COMMITTEE At our last meeting we decided to meet twice a month. This should help us get everything in order for our church profile update. We should have all the questions

ready soon and we will make them available for members to fill out.

Please remember to keep us in your prayers.

Bill Stewart, Courtney Tesini, Dave Burgess, Erika Burgess, Gretchen Ingraham, Merian Rogers, and Tom Rice Search Committee

APRIL 14 – PALM SUNDAY

Matthew 21:1-11 “That Was the Week That Was” Join the Palm Sunday parade!

APRIL 18 – MAUNDY THURSDAY Worship & Communion at 7:00 PM A commemoration of the last meal that Jesus shared with his friends.

APRIL 21 – RESURRECTION DAY! Early sunrise service, Stanley Park

(TBD) Come early to greet the dawn

and our risen Savior!

APRIL 21 – EASTER 10:30 Worship John 10:1-18

“What Difference Does Easter Make?” Coffee hour after worship

DO YOU REMEMBER?.....

“In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it…..

Or

“Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny

trail….

Or

Huge Easter baskets in colored cellophane

New clothes

Shiny Mary Jane shoes, gloves, and a hat

Big family Easter dinners

Those were the days!

SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS

RECOGNIZED

George and Merian Rogers will

be honored for establishing a

music merit scholarship

program at Westfield State

University. A reception for

them will follow a concert of the

WSU Wind Symphony on April

23rd at 7:30 p.m. in Dever

Auditorium on campus. You

are invited to this free concert

and reception.

The scholarships are to be awarded to musically and

academically gifted students majoring in music at Westfield.

The Dept. of Music currently includes some 60 music majors

enrolled in several concentrations such as music

education, music theory, composition, and jazz studies.

George served as Professor of Music at Westfield State for 21

years, retiring in 2009. Merian taught music in the Westfield Public Schools, specializing in elementary general and vocal

music. Both Merian and George have taught music at various

levels since 1969.

CONGRATULATIONS

GEORGE AND MERIAN

ON RECEIVING AN HONOR WELL

DESERVED!

A Tipsy Paint Brush Party! Have you been to a paint & sip party

or seen information about one on Facebook? This is similar but we’ll be painting on glass! Date is May 9th so mark your calendar and watch for more info in next month’s newsletter.

HAPPY APRIL BIRTHDAYS

1 Sarah Thieme 3 Helena Mochak, 4 Pastor Lois Pinton 10 Ann Angell, Bob Rogers 12 Trent MacAdam 19 Sharon Tompkins, Owen Lent 22 Karen Tompkins, Patty Lent 23 Heidi Cote 25 Kathy Jo Tesini

29 Lisa Shay, Kelly Houston, Skip Rucki

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

This month the Board is reviewing the church signage. Updating the signs on major roads into Westfield to correctly indicate worship time is one consideration. In addition, we are seeking to find new language for our parking signs. It is no longer a good idea to have designated parking spaces for employees as the new tax regulations are making that a taxable perk for both employee and church. Thanks to keen-eyed Tom Rice for reading the new tax code and bringing this to our attention! What will they think of next? Do you know anyone looking for a scout project or a few community service hours to work? Its spring fix up time and the grounds need some attention. Easter is just around the corner!

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EVERY MONTH IS FOOD

COLLECTION SUNDAY.

Dear Friends at Central:

Our family wants to thank you for the use of Hays Hall for Sheri Brucknak’s celebration of life.

It was nice to see so many of our friends at the funeral and at the

church.

Enclosed is a check to help defray the cost of lights and heat.

We love you all and miss you.

In Christ’s love,

Frank, Mabel & Family

A REMINDER: I hope that none of you need

to go into the hospital this year. But if you

do, please have a family member let me

know, or call me or the church office. You

may also tell the hospital admission that

you want your church to be notified.

Hospitals no longer do it automatically, but

need permission from the patient to do so.

THANK YOU and stay safe and well!

Pastor Jerrie

FAITH PLANTS THE SEED LOVE MAKES IT GROW 2 Peter 3:18

A reminder that applications for scholarships are available on line and in the office.

They are due May 1st, 2019. If you’ve been a recipient in the past and would like to share what it means to have had this help, we would love to hear from you and how you are doing! On Sunday, May 19th, many of the church members will be marching in the Westfield 350th parade. If you would like to be a part of this event, please contact us and let us know. Christian Education Committee

Did you know we saw almost 1,000 people while

on our medical mission trip to Honduras? We were there for only six days!

It was amazing!!!

Come hear all about it on April 28th. After church service we will tell you how we set

up the clinic in a very remote area, about the people WALKING! up to three hours to get to us, the awesome team we were part of, the

kinds of problems we had, and Hector’s dreams that are coming true.

And we will tell you all this while you eat lunch.

Don’t miss this entertaining afternoon about the mission we at CBC hold dear in our hearts.

Barb Gunn, Gretchen Ingraham, & Kris Kleindienst

February 2019 Missionaries to Honduras

THANK GOD

MY CUP HAS OVERFLOWED

I’ve never made a fortune

And I’ll never make one now,

But it really doesn’t matter

Cause I’m happy anyhow

As I go along my journey

I’ve reaped better than I’ve sowed.

I’m drinking from the saucer

cause my cup has overflowed.

I don’t have a lot of riches

And sometime the goings tough,

But while I’ve got my friend to love

I think I’m rich enough.

I’ll just thank God for blessings

That his mercy has bestowed,

I’m drinking from the saucer,

cause my cup has overflowed.

If I’m not drinking from the saucer

‘cause my cup has overflowed,

Give me strength and courage

When the way grows steep and rough,

I’ll not ask for other blessings

I’m already blessed enough.

May I never be too busy

To help bear another’s load;

I’m drinking from the saucer

cause my cup has overflowed.

Poem Submitted by Anne Woodson

Given to her by a friend

CONTACT INFORMATION

Pastor: Rev. Jerrie Shepard Matney

568-0429 (office)

518-331-0390 (cell)

331-0342 (home)

E-Mail: revjsm@gmail.com

Office Manager: Barb Gunn

568-0429 (office)

E-Mail: Barb.Gunncbc@comcast.net

Website:

centralbaptistchurchwestfield.net

OFFICE HOURS ARE 9:00 – 2:00

Monday – Thursday

Newsletter Editor: Barb Gunn

APRIL

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 10:30

Bible Study

2

6:30 Lenten Study

3 10:30 Cooking Cl.

7:00 Choir

7:30 AA

4 5

Office Closed

6

7 9:45 Sunday Sch.

10:30 Communion

11:30 Search Mtg

8 10:30

Bible Study

9 2:30 Governor’s

Center

6:15 Grandparents

6:30 Lenten Study

10 10:30 Cooking Cl.

6:00 Missions

7:00 Choir

7:30 AA

11 1:00 Deacons

7:00 Trustees

12

Office Closed

13 5:00 Spaghetti

Dinner for Cystic

Fibrosis

Hays Hall

14

PALM SUNDAY 9:45 Sunday Sch.

10:30 Worship

12:30 Youth Gr.

15 10:30

Bible Study

7:00 Church

Council

16

17 10:30 Cooking Cl.

7:00 Choir

7:30 AA

18

MAUNDY

THURSDAY 7:00 Worship

Service

19

GOOD FRIDAY Office Closed

20 8:00 Prep

9:00 Community

Breakfast

21

EASTER Sunrise Serv. TBD

9:45 Sunday Sch.

10:30 Worship

11:30 Fellowship

22 10:30

Bible Study

23

NEWSLETTER

DEADLINE

24 10:30 Cooking Cl.

7:00 Choir

7:30 AA

25 26

Office Closed

27

28 9:45 Sunday Sch.

10:30 Worship

11:30 Honduras

Lunch

12:30 Youth Group

29 10:30

Bible Study

30

Easter is almost here! If you would like to order a lily to decorate the sanctuary during the Easter season, please fill out this form and mail it to Barb in the office at P.O. Box 95,

Westfield, 01085, or put it in the box on the table at the back of the sanctuary after worship. The lilies are $7.00 each; please include payment with the order form. Your memorial or

honoree will appear in the bulletin on Easter Sunday. All orders are needed by April 17th.

Your Name: ___________________________________________________ In Memory of: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ In Honor of: ____________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________ How Many Plants Ordered? ____________ @ $7.00/ea = _________________ Please click preference: __________ I will take the plant home. __________ I would like to donate the plant to a shut-in.

Thank You from

Your Board of Deacons