A God We Can Get Close To
 This Sunday we kicked off our "86-ing Jesus??" teaching series with a conversation about the first things we'd be missing if we took Jesus out of the story between God and man: intimacy and accessibility. When Jesus became human, the big, scary, unapproachable God of Mt. Sinai became touchable. Like a heavenly parent. Have you been taking advantage of Jesus' invitation to interact with God as your "Father" this week? Weren't able to join us on Sunday? Catch up with OUR PODCAST. Want to carry the conversation further? Find questions for reflection or space to comment on OUR TEACHING BLOG. This weekend we'll discuss another thing that Jesus brings to the table- LOVE! Need a reminder of the far-reaching love of Jesus? Join us Sunday.
2010 Giving Pledges
 Last week- both here in the newsletter and during our gathering- I (Fred) talked with you about Giving Pledges. Rather than rehash what's been said so far (you can read last week's newsletter HERE or listen to the beginning of THE PODCAST) I want to hit a few details. First, we'd ask everyone making a giving pledge to turn it in by the end of the month- which conveniently lands on a Sunday (2/28). You can make a pledge by filling out a green card and placing it in the offering buckets during a worship gathering. If you want to skip the paper, you can email your pledge to info@raleighchurch.org. (And speaking of skipping the paper, you can also give electronically too if that works better for you. Find info HERE.)
Second, if you are currently giving financially and intend to continue giving the same amount this year- we'd still ask you to fill out a pledge card for 2010 to help us have as accurate a total as possible. Third, if you have questions about giving pledges, our finances or anything else Connections, please feel free to contact me (fredt.connections@gmail.com). It is important to us to keep the lines of communication open. Finally, I hope we'll all see the pledge process as an opportunity- to continue opening our lives up to God, to affirm our commitment to our faith community, to be personally invested in the impact that Connections is making and to give with cheerful, grateful, open hearts. Didn't know a simple piece of neon card stock had all that to offer, huh? =)
Paper-crafting Is On The Books! (3/13, 3-11pm)
 Calling all scrapbookers, croppers and card makers- our first crop event is planned! We'll be meeting at the Connections space on Saturday, March 13th from 3-11pm. Whether you are new to these hobbies or have been working at them for years- come hang out and have a great time. If you plan on attending, sign up at the info center on Sunday or email Yvonne Burgess (yburgess@nc.rr.com) or Barbara Christoff (bbecilla@citynet.net). For now, there are no plans for dinner – but this could change as the date gets closer and we hear from more people.
Getting Hands On!
 Maintenance: Like to tinker? Enjoy fixing things? We're putting together a team of folks to help us maintain the space God has blessed us with by tackling repairs and maintenance issues. If you have experience with/skills in construction, painting, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, drywall, etc. and would be willing to help, contact Don Carr, ConnectionsMaint@hotmail.com.
Cleaning: Our space is getting more and more use and keeping it clean continues to be a challenge. We have a great team of folks who faithfully serve our community by volunteering to clean regularly, but we are in need of more help. There are two ways we can pitch in: 1. We are asking each family to consider taking a turn cleaning our building. Hopefully we'll have enough families (could also be a group of friends) that everyone will only clean once every 6-8 months. We have a couple of families already signed-up who plan to bring their children along as a great teachable time of community service. What's involved?? On a normal week it takes two adults approximately 3 hours to complete the Cleaning Check List (vacuuming, sweeping, bathrooms, mopping, trash, etc.). The cleaning needs to be done on Thursday or Friday (day or evening) so that things are in good shape for the weekend. If you are willing to help, stop by the info counter on Sunday. You can take a peek at the Cleaning Check List and pick your week on the Cleaning Calendar. After you sign up, Judy Balm will be available to answer your questions and will set up a specific time and meet you at the building to show you where the cleaning equipment and supplies are stored. 2. We would like to leave our building on Sunday ready for the other groups using it during the week. So each Sunday after worship we asking everyone to help us pick up coffee cups, clutter and crumbs; straighten chairs, tidy up the bathrooms; sweep the entryway and finally take out the trash after most folks have left. No need to sign up or schedule a week- just pitch in before you leave on Sunday. Easy, right?
Men's & Women's Groups
 Want to get to know some other men or women in our community? We've got gender specific groups that meet weekly for conversation, encouragement and bible study. The guys meet Wednesday mornings at 6am at the Bob Evans in the Crossroads shopping area. Contact Joel Johnson (919/604.8438 or jbjnc63@gmail.com) for more info. The ladies get together at the Connections Space on Wednesdays from Noon-1:30pm. RSVP or direct questions to Cara McLauchlan at 919/696.8444 or caramc@mindspring.com.
New Email Addresses
 Our pastors recently changed their work email addresses. If you need to connect with Fred you can reach him at fredt.connections@gmail.com. You can contact Shawn Cooper at shawnc.connections@gmail.com. These addresses are replacing the old @connectionschurch.ws ones- which will only be live for another week or so. If you send email to those addresses after that point they'll be sucked into the great black hole of the Internet- and we'd sure hate to see that happen. So, please update your contact list with the info above.
Pencil It In
Looks like the next CNX game night will happen on Friday, 3/19 from 7-11pm. Whether you've enjoyed past game nights or haven't been to one yet, jot it down on your calendar and plan on coming to play.
FAST FORWARD
Don't keep all this to yourself. Feel free to forward this info to your friends.
Blessings,
Fred Turner
Lead Pastor
Connections Church
fredt.connections@gmail.com
www.raleighchurch.org
www.sermonguts.com
www.thevoiceoffriends.com
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