OUR CHURCH FAMILY

Please remember our church family in your daily prayers, at mealtimes and during your personal devotions. Continue to remember those young and old with ongoing physical, spiritual, and emotional struggles.

Please keep the Youth Mission team in your prayers as they are serving our Lord in Victoria, B.C. Pray that they may feel God working through them and as they witness to the people in the city of Victoria. Pray for safety, health, and protection for the team.

Our Family of Week is Jan & Jolyn Rodenburg along with their children Grayson & Kesler. Please keep them in your daily prayers this week.

Congratulations to Tilly Biel as she celebrates her birthday on Friday! Wishing you the Lord’s richest blessings on your birthday and in the coming year.

Do remember those who are unable to worship regularly with us: please keep Albert & Tilly Biel, Klaas Boskers, Gerry Doornenbal, Lea Dykstra, Lillian Mercier, Ernie Stebner and Grace Vander Veen in your prayers.

Pray for our missionaries around the world.

PRAYER ITEMS

Local: Neighborhood Life – Pastor Rick Abma

Classis: Covenant CRC, Rocky Mountain House – Pastor Nick Wolmerans

Bethel News

Denominational: 

Christian Reformed World Missions: Eastern Europe – Ukraine and Russia, among other Eastern European countries, are currently in a state of economic turmoil. In some cases, missionary teachers have seen their international students from these countries postpone their education. Pray for economic stability in Eastern Europe.

Spring Newsletter: 

The newsletter team is ready to put together a newsletter for the spring. We hope to have it in your mailboxes for Easter Sunday. We are looking forward to your contributions once again. We will be including the reports from the spring congregational meeting as well as any updates that we receive regarding programs and plans. If you have anything special you would like included, please have it to either Harriet Luymes or Anita Geldof by tomorrow, March 30^th. Stories, poems, a special cover page perhaps? Thanks once again for helping to make this an interesting, informative and fun newsletter to read.

BETHEL YOUTH

Tuesday Nite Youth will NOT meet this week due to Spring break.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Spring is almost here and the committee for the Canadian Food Grains Bank for the County of Lacombe is still looking to rent a piece of land for this year’s crop. We ask that farmers prayerfully consider whether they could help by supplying a piece of land for the 2015 crop year. Please call any committee member or Craig Van Stryland at 403-391-3299. Thank you.

PERSECUTED CHURCH

Ukraine

One year since the annexation of Crimea by Russia, Ukrainian Christians say they are facing persecution by separatists. Evangelical churches in particular have come under severe restrictions in Crimea, and a church leader is warning that Ukrainian churches will also lose their religious freedom if the Russians take control of their country. Separatists accuse evangelical Christians in the Ukraine for spying on behalf of the West and they have confiscated their church buildings. Some believers in the occupied areas were even killed. After annexation, Ukrainian churches were told they had no right to exist there. Every church has to be re-registered. Some pastors and priests have been forced to accept Russian citizenship. Those who refused were forced to leave. Amid the current climate of instability, pray that the faith of believers living in Crimea and Ukraine will be unwavering and secure. Ask God to work in the hearts of the separatists so that they will come to accept Jesus as Saviour and Lord. May He also bless Christian workers ministering in this troubled area of the world, granting them greatly needed wisdom and encouragement as they faithfully serve these suffering Ukrainian people.