 Hallelujah! Christ Arose!"
Pastor Dave Conrads
"Up from the grave he arose; with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain, and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!"
So goes the chorus to a song I remember singing as a child on Easter Sundays. It's one of the few songs I remember the first time hearing it. When the chorus exploded out of the sleepy lyrics of the main verses, I remember sitting straight up. Musically, it captured the explosive events of the resurrection. Christ, after his Sabbath rest in the tomb, exploded to life again...altering the course of history...conquering the result of human sin and rebellion, namely death. He died that we might be forgiven. And he lives, that we may live both now and forevermore! This forgiveness and this new life are ours to be received...by faith in Christ alone.
From now until Pentecost Sunday (May 23), we will be focusing on "Taking Steps of Faith"...and where they may take us individually and as a church in the days ahead. I am excited for this next phase of the journey as a church family and I hope you are, too. I hope to see you Sunday as we travel down this path together, with Christ.
Grace and peace,
Dave
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A Good Year
Pastor Gail Mitchell
Our annual meeting is coming up in just 2 weeks: Sunday, April 25. We will start the meeting at 10:15. After the meeting will be a potluck lunch together. You will be able to pick up a report booklet next Sunday (the 18th).
We have been going over the financial figures. We had another good year. We took in $1800 more than we spent this year.
The new handrail is up at the west entrance. I'm sure that you saw the cross and the fountain last week. There are new cabinets in the foyer and a new TV in the foyer. It is exciting to watch the finishing touches come together. The appearance has changed a lot in the last 6 months.
We had about 750 food items donated. We will be making an order from HACAP in the near future, to replenish our shelves. Thanks for your faithful support for these programs. Together we are making an impact on our neighborhood |
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 Annual Meeting & Potluck
10:15 am Sunday, April 25th
It's time to celebrate! Sunday the 25th, we will praise God together for what He has done at and through The River this past year. Join us for this special event. We will vote on the budget for the next fiscal year and then fellowship together with a potluck afterwards (about 11:15 or so). Bring something to share with the rest of us!
 Jessop Baby Shower
2:00 pm Sunday, April 18th
A new baby is on the way to the Jessop house to join Julie, Mark, Susan and Raymond! Come help celebrate in the fellowship hall on the 18th. Questions? Contact Emily Piette.(or Julie) for things the baby will need or how you can help make this a very special time.
 Please Help Support
A recent new attendee at The River, Janaya, gave birth early Thursday to a son Jeremiah prematurely who only lived a few hours. Services are Saturday April 8th. Please pray for Janaya and her family as they grieve their loss. Please help us welcome them into our congregation. Also pray for Lauren Pfab, Lori Wise's daughter who also miscarried recently. Pray for our New Beginnings class that Janaya was a part of. New Beginnings offers true hope by helping women turn fear into confidence through classes and the compassion of Christ and as is a part of Choices Medical Clinic. who also offers free and confidential services to help expectant mothers deliver. Pick up a brochure about Walk for Life sponsered by Choices at the Welcome Center. The Walk is on May 1st. You can also register at www.informedchoiceia.org.
 Piano Recital
3:00 pm, Sunday, April 18th
Michelle Butler would like to invite you to come to her spring recital! It will be in the Riverside Recital Hall ( old St. Thomas Moore church) and it is a free concert open to the
public. She will be playing Shostakovich piano concerto no. 2 and there will
also be a performance by a saxaphone player from the university and he will
be playing something by Villa Lobos. The chamber orchestra will also play a
separate number at the beginning. It's sure to be a pleasant afternoon!
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Thank You!
Thank you to everyone who helped with the Easter brunch, worked in the nursery or was in the worship team, it was great! And easier and a whole lot more fun serving with friends. Thank you for serving the body of Christ!
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The Franks Are Here!
Monday afternoon, we unloaded Ben, Erin, Nehemiah and Adelynne's life's belongings into their new home in Eldora at Pine Lake. God provided good help and we unloaded the truck in a couple of hours. Later in the evening, Dan and Annette Frank, Ben's folks and former Pine Lake Operations Director joined the family. It was a great evening. We are getting very close to having all of our cabins booked for the Memorial Day Family Retreat Weekend. There are still RV spots and Tent Sites. Please pass the word and help us fill the house for a great weekend. Other opportunities for family retreat together will happen on the July 4th weekend and the Homecoming Weekend July 30-August 1.
Roger
Craig Update
William and Jan Craig of Reasonable Faith have been traveling in India speaking on "Can We Be Good Without God?" and several other topics at various opportunities. He also spoke recently at Harvard and MIT with an emotionally charged atmosphere. Bill's writing ministry includes his book God is Great, God Is Good which won Christianity Today's Book of the Year! His new book, On Guard is for beginners who want to learn to defend their faith. Keep praying for their effective ministry.
Lewis Update
Please pray for encouragement for the Lewis family.
*More information about these updates and others are available in The River office.
We welcome your letters about opportunities to serve and how you see the love of Christ being shared also, just email us.
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 O You Beautiful Doll
Midday Connection Luncheon
Noon, Wednesday, April 14th
Marily Kuhl of North Liberty will display a variety of her handcrafted dolls and their unique handmade outfits for your enjoyment. The speaker Jan Smith will talk about "If the Shoe Fits" - the pressures of putting yur best foot forward and making a good impression. Our own Sharon Good will entertain us with her beautiful voice. For lunch reservations call Pat at 512-6266 by noon on Tuesday April 13th.
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