Good Friday Celebration!!! March 29, 2009

Every year we have a Good Friday celebration, and every year it just keeps getting better! And I have a feeling that this year will top the cake! I absolutely LOVE getting all the campuses together and feeling the connection we all have with each other and, most of all, with God! Isn’t it great being in the presence of the Lord?!

And, to add to the excitement, this year’s Good Friday celebration will involve Pastor Herb passing on his duties as “COTH President” to the one and only Pastor Heath! How AWESOME is that?!

Join us Friday, April 10th at 7 pm! See you there! =)

Trista

The Big Give…sorry it took so long! March 17, 2009

So here’s what Pastor Heath posted on his South Bend blog weeks ago. So sorry it took me so long to get it up here! Go visit the “Big Give” site!!! NOW!!! =)

~~We are doing random acts of kindness and leaving “Big Give” cards to let them know who did it. I am so excited about the possibilities of reaching a whole region that is going through a very dark time.

We also have a new website just for this new sermon series. it is http://thebiggive.wordpress.com This is the place where you can read the testimonies that are going to be coming in from Heartlanders everywhere. You can even put in a testimony or 3 yourself.~~

Thanks to Pastor Heath for reminding me today to post this! =P

Trista

Next Generation March 9, 2009

Since so many people at the Winamac campus are involved in different crosshairs groups, mostly crossing over through the “Next Generation” category, we decided that it would be easier for most of us if we had the Next Generation meetings at a different time than the regular crosshairs meeting. Besides that, we want Miss Chris to attend to we can feed off of her brilliance! =)

So the meeting will be this Sunday night (March 15) at the church–6pm!

See you there!!!

Trista

Coming Soon! March 4, 2009

I got a call from Jeanne Newman the other day asking how I felt about having a weekly meeting. The meeting, she explained, would be for some of the experience team to get together and discuss the upcoming Sunday’s service and how to make it GREAT! The meetings will be right after our Thursday night services and will only be about 20-30 minutes long. So anyone from the Winamac campus, who is involved in the weekly Sunday experience, should definitely be there! This includes Welcome Team, A/V Team, and anyone else who would be a valuable asset to making Sunday morning’s experience a great one! The first meeting will be tomorrow night after service. See you there! =)

Trista

Food Drive March 2, 2009

This coming Saturday, March 7th, we will be having a food drive at Sanders in Winamac. It will last from 9am-3pm and all are invited to sign up for a time slot! Whatever you can do to help is greatly appreciated! =)

Trista

Hidden Treasures March 2, 2009

I know this is a little late, but I really wanted to tell everyone all about Kids Winter Camp for those who couldn’t make it! It was awesome! God was definitely present all weekend. Even as the kids “walked the plank” to receive their food!

Friday:

All of the counselors (and even the kitchen help) dressed up in pirate attire to welcome the kids on Friday. After eating dinner and spending more than an hour on the inflatables, the kids settled into the sanctuary, where they would find out who their counselor was, hear an awesome message from “Captain Ted”, and watch the first part of a 3-part skit written by Cody Clemons. Afterward, they all went back to the gym to watch Veggie Tales: The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything. The movie included popcorn, drinks, and a special “treasure” from the kitchen. As usual, it took a few hours to get the kids settled into sleep mode. But when they did, it was sweet bliss for the counselors. =)

Saturday:

The sweet smell of chocolate chip pancakes wafted through the church as the kids changed out of their jammies and brushed their teeth. It was the start of a long, but extremely fun-filled day! After breakfast, they went to the sanctuary for morning praise and worship, a message from Leigh Anne Runkle, and the second part of Cody’s skit–which, by this time, the kids were really getting into! =) After that, they made some really cool treasure chest crafts with their own picture! They then went to the gym to make “team flags” and, of course, spend some more time on the inflatables before a lunch which included…octopus??? With green macaroni? Oh yes! The kitchen help had done it again! It was delicious! Finally, it was time for the TREASURE HUNT!!! As the kids ran through the church with their counselors (while holding hands), they performed tasks such as “walking the plank”, “saving the damsel in distress”, and eating a “yummy” treat consisting of melted mint chocolate chip ice cream, gummy fish, and other things that I couldn’t quite make out. After Kevin’s team won the race, the kids once again sat down for a great message from Miss Chris–in which she explained that WE are God’s treasures–and the last part of Cody’s skit! [Captain Ted got saved!!!] Finally, the parents began to file in, collecting kids (and a yummy “farewell” dirt pudding that the kitchen had made) until they were all gone.

Clean up was a breeze! There was so much help from all the COTH campuses that no one had to work too hard. =) Even people who hadn’t been there for camp, came just to help clean up! WHAT A TEAM!!!

Thanks to everyone who helped make winter camp AWESOME!!! It was definitely something the kids will remember for the rest of their lives! GOD IS SO GOOD!!! =)

Trista