Sunday, March 15th

This week: Sunday the 15th

11:00 AM – WORSHIP

FELLOWSHIP TIME: after the service

Sunday, March 15th – During the 11 AM worship, Pastor Teresa will preach from Psalm 19 bringing a sermon titled “Grace!” Communion will be served. After the worship service will be a robust fellowship time. All are welcome!

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION CORNER (we value your prayers & involvement in this vital ministry)  Any questions, please contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com, or Julie Rogers for HS; Amy Harbaugh and Steve Bennett for Upper ES and Lower MS, grades 4-7; and Carrie Bennett for Lower ES, grades K-3.

Little Kids: all are welcome to go with Allie and learn about “A Dark Friday and A Joyful Sunday”

ES – Tentative swim and devotions dates – March 18th (PACT) 5:00pm, April 8th (PACT) 5:00pm, May 13th (PACT) 5:00pm, June 3rd 5:00 pm

MS/HS –  3/15th and 4/12th will be Praise Music Sunday. All youth are encouraged to send suggestions for music to Julie Rogers. Game Night, April 24th

Next MULTIGENERATIONAL and ADULT Sunday Schools – Sunday, March 22nd, 9:30-10:30am

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Upcoming Preaching Ministry and Community Time

March 15th       Pastor Teresa preaching, Communion will be served

March 21st     Makoto Fujimura – Saturday film showing of “Golden Sea” and nterview at ICU Dialogue House, International House 2F,  6:30-8:30pm – Chance to see Tom Hastings as well!

March 22nd     Multigenerational and Adult Sunday School, Makoto Fujimura preaching http://www.makotofujimura.com/

March 29th     Palm Sunday

April 3rd     Good Friday, 6:30pm in the Sanctuary, reflective service including 33 bell rings

April 5th     EASTER, Easter Hunt at 9:30am, bring flowers to decorate the altar, Pastor Teresa preaching at Worship 11am, Singing Communion, ROBUST Easter brunch after service (bring something yummy, eggy or Eastery to share)

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goldensea***

MULTIGENERATIONAL SUNDAY SCHOOL!! ADULT SUNDAY SCHOOL!!

We have Multigenerational Sunday School from 9:30 in the cafeteria the second and fourth Sundays of the month. Who is welcome? All ages. We will be creating, discussing, playing games, acting out bible stories and more. At the same time, the Sacks host the Adult Sunday School, also at 9:30 am in their living room. The  method used is the, “Swedish Bible study method,” interacting with the texts for the service through our own life experiences. Their home is right across the Lutheran Campus from our sanctuary.  Best coffee in town = ) Come and enjoy! (At times Adult Sunday School is held in the Upper Room, on the 2nd floor above the Sanctuary.) All are welcome. Need more information, contact wtucrev@gmail.com any time = ) Sunday School schedule:  3/22, 4/12, 4/26, 5/10, 5/24, 6/14 and 6/28.

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Thomas John Hastings through Pickwick Publications, an imprint of Wipf and Stock Publishers, has recently released a book (2/2015): Seeing All Things Whole: The Scientific Mysticism and Art of Kagawa Toyohiko (1888–1960). ISBN 13: 978-1-4982-0407-1 Retail: $31 Pastor Teresa has access to an excerpt if you would like it sent to you.

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AFARI, American Friends of ARI (Asian Rural Institute), is an organization of friends, former volunteers, expats who came to know ARI through T.U.C. and mission co-workers who have deeply respected the mission and people of ARI since its founding in 1973. Each year since 2004, AFARI has sought gifts of frequent flier miles (mostly on Delta/NWA and United, but also from other airlines that carry passengers from parts of Asia, the Pacific Islands and Central/South America to Tokyo.) If you or a family member have enough miles for a one-way or round-rip flight that could be used to bring a participant from Kathmandu, Myanmar or Manila (for example), please be in touch with pamhasegawa@gmail.com at your earliest convenience. The Hasegawa family, T.U.C members from 1985-89, enjoy a lifelong bond with A.R.I. For the last 10 years their family has given at least one ticket a year to support the travel of a participant whose organization did not have the funds for air fare. AFARI members in North America agree, “It has been a joy for us to contribute to the mission of ARI in this way and we would invite you to join us, if you can, in making your own contribution of FF miles.”  

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WTUC  Announcements:

  *Questions or concerns?  Feel free to email wtucrev@gmail.com anytime.

  *Please enjoy and refer our website https://wtuc.net/ and FB page (West Tokyo Union Church) to others.  Please make any suggestions for additions to the Pastor Teresa and/or Steering Committee.   

  *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.

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

  *Each week we will be setting up the chairs for worship and preparing the sanctuary, anyone around at 10:30am is invited to be involved in the fun = )  Each week we will also return our sanctuary to it`s classroom style after the fellowship time.

*Interested in baptism or membership, please contact Pastor Teresa.

*Interested in a paid position setting up and/or taking down the chairs of our sanctuary?  Contact Pastor Teresa at wtucrev@gmail.com

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text for the sermon – Ephesians 2:1-10

2You were dead through the trespasses and sins 2in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. 3All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else.

4But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us 5even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— 9not the result of works, so that no one may boast. 10For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

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