Sunday, March 9th -  Pastor Teresa will bring the sermon, “Following the Shepherd” from John 10.  We will also be welcoming Esther Vomoah as a member into our congregation.  After the worship we will enjoy a lovely time of fellowship.

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Thank you Ann Tang, Peter Lee, Emin and Sopheen for hosting our Ash Wednesday service on March 5th – it was a lovely time of fellowship and opportunity for deeper reflection as we enter this time of Lent.
for our pondering …

Dear ones in Christ, it has been the custom since the time of the early Church to prepare for the suffering and death of Christ on Good Friday and for the celebration of the resurrection of our Lord with special worship and acts of repentance and faith during the period of Lent. Believers are invited to prayer, to fasting, to private meditation and to engage in acts of service. Throughout the Lenten season, we will be reminded of the message of pardon proclaimed in the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The words of Scripture that we heard tonight are intended to remind us of our need to renew our repentance and to grow in our faith being more and more your merciful people following after Christ`s example. You are invited to  observe during this season of Lent;  prayer, times of self examination and repentance,  consistent reading God’s holy Word, and acts of mercy as God leads.

MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL IS HERE!
Schedule for Sundays – March 16th, April 6th, April 20th (Easter), May 11th, May 25th, June 8th and June 22nd.   Twice a month we will have multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria.  Who is welcome?  All ages.  We will be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more.  If parents want their kids to join in on the fun at the multigenerational Sunday School while they attend the Adult Sunday School that will be at the Sacks – that`s great too.  This will be in addition to the regular Wednesday evening offerings for ES, MS and HS.  The Sacks will host the Adult Sunday school, also at 9:30 am in their living room on these same dates.  Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary.  Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy!  All are welcome.  Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = )

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)  Contact Carrie Bennett for ES, Julie Rogers for MS, Amy Harbaugh for HS or Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com with any questions.

Little Kids (1-5) Sunday School: March 9th during church
Topic:  The Death of Jesus   Teacher: Jakob and Ben

NEXT ES Youth Grades 2-5: Wednesday, March 19th at the Bennett`s home from 5-6:30 pm
Topic: The Parable of the Sower   Teacher: Steve   Dinner Responsibility: Bennetts

NEXT MS Youth: Wed. March 19th from 5-6:30 pm at the Rogers, Bible study, service project & pizza

NEXT HS Youth: Sunday, March 16th from 1:30 pm at the Harbaugh/Norris house

NEXT MULTI GENERATIONAL SS – March 16th from 9:30-10:30 am -  the Oscars and the Bible!

NEXT ADULT Sunday School: Sunday March 16th at the Sacks from 9:30-10:30 am

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry
March 16th        Sunday School, Rev. Jim, Communion
March 23rd        Pastor Teresa
March 30th        Rev. Tim

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SNACK SIGNUP Sign up for snacks for fellowship time with Ann or on the list on the white board.  We greatly appreciate your contributions to our community life!

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WTUC  Announcements
*Any questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.
*Please enjoy and refer our website and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others.  Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee.  https://wtuc.net/
*If you’d like to be added to the WTUC church email list, please contact Gene Witt ewitt@asij.ac.jp
*If interested in joining the WTUC Prayer Chain, let Pastor Teresa or Prayer Chain Coordinator, Kayo Ozawa, know of your interest. Please submit prayers to wtucrev@gmail.com or Kayo Ozawa.

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John 10 1-5 “Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he’s up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won’t follow a stranger’s voice but will scatter because they aren’t used to the sound of it.”
6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I’ll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, a more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
11-13 “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He’s only in it for the money. The sheep don’t matter to him.
14-18 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They’ll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father.”
19-21 This kind of talk caused another split in the Jewish ranks. A lot of them were saying, “He’s crazy, a maniac—out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?” But others weren’t so sure: “These aren’t the words of a crazy man. Can a ‘maniac’ open blind eyes?”
22-24 They were celebrating Hanukkah just then in Jerusalem. It was winter. Jesus was strolling in the Temple across Solomon’s Porch. The Jews, circling him, said, “How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you’re the Messiah, tell us straight out.”
25-30 Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don’t believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind.”