After prayerful consideration, the Mission Team has decided for this year to support John Paul & Katy Sundurajan and their ministry with Audio Scripture Ministries in India. Previously we have supported Dan & Jeananne Kuipers in Juarez, Mexico. The financial support for our new missionaries will no longer be raised through the church's budget. Instead we will be using a new method of missionary support called a Faith Promise. The details about this new method are explained below. JP & Katy will be here on April 22 to share their ministry with us. The Faith Promise pledges will be taken at that time.

Last year the Council decided to try a new method of raising financial support for our missionaries. The goal was to continue to give a tithe of 10% of our annual budget to missions, but to raise this money separate from the church budget. Our 2007 church budget is $104,564; 10% would be $10,450. After analyzing previous giving, the Mission Team is projecting that $2000 will be given during our Sunday Evening Mission Presentations. Another $2500 will be given toward various mission trips that our members will take. That leaves a goal of $6000 to be raised for the support of our new missionaries, JP & Katy Sundarajan. The method the Mission Team has decided to use to raise this support is called a Faith Promise. Faith Promise is a personal pledge system. Here is how it works.

1. On April 8, the Mission Team will pass out pledge cards for your Faith Promise.

2. Prayerfully consider how much you would like to give in 2007 for missionary support. This amount should be in addition to what you normally give for the church's budget.

5. The Mission Team will total up all the pledges. This amount will be our church's missionary support for 2007. Our goal is to raise $6,000 for JP & Katy.

6. Fulfill your Faith Promise by giving the amount you pledged throughout the year. Gifts can be given by through our envelope system. Please write "Missionary Support" on the line marked "Other".

7. Missionary Support is more than a financial contribution. Please remember to pray for our missionaries and encourage them with cards, letters, or email.

Four major companies have opposed the Indiana proposed marriage amendment which would define marriage as between one man and one woman. Passed in 2005, the amendment now must pass a second time before going to voters as early as November 2008. The Senate approved the amendment earlier this year, and it awaits a vote in a House committee.

The Indiana amendment drew national attention when Tony Dungy, coach of the Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts, spoke out in favor of it at an Indiana Family Institute banquet last week. He noted that some people like to focus on one issue and ask “Which side are you on? It kind of reminds me of a story in the Bible, when Joshua was getting ready to go into battle and there was an awesome figure with a sword and he said ‘I gotta figure out whose side are you on? Are you on our side or on the enemies side?’ And the angel of the Lord said ‘Neither one, I’m on the Lord’s side’ That’s what I feel like telling people when they look at the issue of same sex marriage.”

"We're not anti-anything else. We're not trying to downgrade anyone else," Dungy explained at the IFI event. "But we're trying to promote the family – family values the Lord's way."

More than 40 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle gathered Wednesday, March 28^th, to encourage people to pray for America and its leaders for five minutes each week.

The lawmakers signed a "Call to Prayer for America," which affirms the historical significance of prayer in U.S. history and of religious-freedom rights.

Rep. Randy Forbes, R-Va., said news media outlets have overwhelmed the nation with negative voices.

"We have become cynical and have lost credibility in many of our institutions," he said. "We come today with condemnation for no one, but rather with a new dawning of hope: hope that we can lift America up, not beat her down; hope that people across this nation will join our call and pray; hope that God will hear our prayers and heal our land."

At first glance, you might think the wrong magazine had landed on the rack in the grocery store check-out line next to Newsweek and People magazine. The cover features a picture of a black-and-yellow CliffsNotes version of the Bible. What is this, you think—the annual Easter-season bashing of Christians?

But then you read the title of this cover story: "Why We Should Teach the Bible in Public School."

Even more amazing, this is Time magazine's cover story. And the story reveals how popular Bible literacy classes have become—and why almost no one is complaining about them.

According to Time, the number of public schools offering classes on the Bible is rising rapidly. Two Bible curricula are now being studied in 460 school districts in thirty-seven states. Thousands of other districts have expressed interest in them.

Which leads to a question: How on earth are public schools getting away with teaching the Bible?

The answer is making sure, as the Supreme Court put it years ago, that if the Bible is taught, it must be "presented objectively as part of a secular program of education."

Meeting that criterion was the goal of the Bible Literacy Project, led by my friend Chuck Stetson, one of our Centurion graduates. About eighteen months ago, the project unveiled a new high school textbook called The Bible and Its Influence. It looks at the Bible as literature and helps kids understand its impact on literature, the arts, and history.

Great care has been taken to create a textbook that avoids favoring any canon or doctrine. It's also been approved by constitutional scholars.

After observing Bible literacy classes in public schools, Time's excellent religion writer David Van Biema writes, "I could find little to object to here and much to admire."

Best of all, teenagers enjoy classes based on these books. Time quoted Rachel Williams, an 18-year-old who took a Bible literacy class at her Texas high school. She says the class has "gotten a lot of positive feedback. It's going to really rise in popularity."

This is good news, and no one can claim to be truly educated without knowing the contents of the Bible. Students will become familiar with the Bible's great themes and stories. They will read, with greater understanding, works by Herman Melville, John Locke, and Martin Luther King, whose writings are filled with biblical allusions.

And having once dipped into the Bible, I believe, they will be more inspired to read on their own. They may even consider joining a Bible study to learn more—that is, if somebody invites them. And they just might remember the Bible's stories and teachings when making decisions about whether to engage in casual sex or follow the crowd into crime.

Is your school district teaching Bible literacy classes? For more information about how to start one, visit www.breakpoint.org.

When even liberal magazines like Time think it is a good idea for kids to study the Bible, you and I have no excuse for not making sure local kids have every chance to do exactly that. They will learn the context of greatest book ever written—and they will encounter, perhaps for the first time, the greatest life ever lived.

During the past few weeks, we've done a variety of things. We watched "Facing the Giants", which was a very inspirational story. Not only is it entertaining, but we got to talk about the true story of the movie. We considered what it meant to truly live a life devoted to God and made the challenge to turn everything over to him.

Derek Owens, from the Lakeshore Pregnancy Center, came to talk with us as well. He went through the 14 steps of a physical relationship. The talk allowed us to really look at how God wants us to act. We saw the minimal point of when sexual intercourse occurs, but we were challenged to go beyond that. We were challenged to live a purified life for God.

On a side note, we will be meeting at the youth building Wednesday, April 4th at 2pm. We will probably go laser tagging, so bring some money and some friends.

The Junior High has started to dive deeper and deeper in their relationships with God. We looked at what it meant to have a two-way relationship with God. God always puts His effort in the relationship, but sometimes we lack in our commitment. We looked at what it means to keep our relationship strong and open through prayer.

We also learned how to use our talents to the best of our abilities for God through acting out and memorizing some different parables.

Last Thursday we were able to enjoy our company together as we hung out and had pizza and played together.

Be sure to reserve Sunday, May 20^th for the end of the year cookout to honor our Sunday School Teachers and Graduates!

People Magazine, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, NY 10020, weekly.

Each year Americans spend more than $33 billion on weight-loss products and services ... and yet the nation has never been fatter. According to a recent report conducted by the US Surgeon General, 61 percent of American adults are either overweight or obese. How to explain this seeming disparity? Instead of getting the recommended 30 minutes of exercise five times a week (only 22 percent of the population does so) and watching calories (restaurant serving sizes have also gotten large in the past decade), Americans are looking for a quick fix. But that never works says Monica Krygowski, a dietitian with the Eating Disorders Treatment Team at the University of Texas at Austin. The only way to lose weight for good is by committing to a combination of regular exercise and a low-calorie, low-fat diet.

The Edge is a miserable place to be. That`s where people who exist from paycheck to paycheck live. Because they spend all they have, they teeter on the brink of disaster. Those who fall into the darkness below hope to be rescued by credit cards, finance companies, or worse -- the bankruptcy court.

The way to stop living on The Edge is simple: Move! It starts with a single step followed by another and another until you have created enough space to build a wall of protection between you and The Edge. Now you can relax, enjoy life and sleep at night.

The 10-10-80 formula illustrated in the chart to the left says it all. For every dollar you receive, give away 10 percent, save 10 percent and adjust your lifestyle to fit within 80 percent of your income. No matter how times change, this is an unchanging financial principle that will guide you for the rest of your life.

The Mississippi Mission Team Members are selling flowers to raise money for the trip. A wide selection of annual flowers in flats, pots, and hanging baskets are available. Please see Sue, Mary B, Vicki, Harry, Judy, Jay, Margaret, Shelley, Dave or Ruth if you are interested. The flowers will be available the day before Mother’s Day (May 12).

We will be making pigs on Saturday, April 21. Orders are due by Sunday, April 8. Order forms are downstairs on the beverage table. The cost is $7 per dozen or 6 dozen for $40. Of course, many hands will be needed on the 21st. If you can help (or if you have questions), please see Dick or Sharon Schutte.

Items are being collected to send to service personnel in a few weeks. Please consider purchasing some things to put in the box, or contribute money (which will be spent on items and/or postage). Some ideas are: snack foods, personal care items, razors and razor blades, mouth wash, batteries (AA and AAA), magazines or DVDs. Letters, cards, notes, and pictures are also greatly appreciated. See Lori Lubbers with questions.

Collect any amount on your pledge sheet and you’ll be eligible for several prizes! Top three prizes go to those that raise the largest amount. Talk to your friends, family and neighbors and raise funds for Life and win:

The mission of SavingsAngel is to free up half of your grocery budget - so that you can BE FREE financially!

Josh Elledge, Chief Executive Angel for SavingsAngel.com says, “SavingsAngel will be instrumental in ENDING hunger in Western Michigan. We will get to the point where we will say, "how on Earth did we let it go on so long?!" Especially when the manufacturers are willing to subsidize the charity.” Savings Angel will help you “to rip the money away from the clutches of credit card companies in the form of interest and start giving while you become free of debt & bondage!”

Join the crusade, visit this link to enroll: http://savingsangel.com/amember/go.php?r=600&i=l0 You may use the 30-day free option or convert to a $19.95/month plan. After joining, you will be given a link to share with friends so that you get credit when they enroll. Each person that joins through your link will earn you $5 each month.

Example of savings from SavingsAngel.com:

04/02/07 Newsletter: Stop getting ripped off at the grocery store!

Stop paying retail for groceries!! If you buy what you need, you are getting taken at the grocery store!

This week you should be very picky about how you spend your money! We have a lock on where the super deals are. Just log in to see all of them! Here is an example of four deals you can get right now. HURRY!! These deals (and the 685 others) end Saturday @ midnight!!

* LISTEN TO JQ99 (99.3 FM) Tuesday @ 7:35 AM for SavingsAngel on the Radio!!

PRODUCT	WHAT YOU WERE PAYING (RETAIL)	WHAT SAVINGSANGEL MEMBERS PAY	HOW DO THEY DO IT?
Colgate Total Advanced Clean Toothpaste + Colgate 360 Toothbrush!	$6.98	1.49!	At Walgreens, you can bring the April 1st SmartSource $1.50 Colgate coupon in where you'll find a great sale of $2.99 for the toothpaste and a FREE $3.99 Colgate Toothbrush thrown in for FREE!! It's the ultimate brushing combo!
PRODUCT	WHAT YOU WERE PAYING (RETAIL)	WHAT SAVINGSANGEL MEMBERS PAY	HOW DO THEY DO IT?
Hunt's Tomato Sauce	0.55		No coupon needed! Just go to RiteAid - or WalMart and have them price match RiteAid's advertised sale of 25 cents for a can. You'll get it for a quarter!!
PRODUCT	WHAT YOU WERE PAYING (RETAIL)	WHAT SAVINGSANGEL MEMBERS PAY	HOW DO THEY DO IT?
Pledge Duster Plus	$5.79	FREE!	Just go to RiteAid - or WalMart and have them price match RiteAid's advertised sale of $2.99. Give them your $3 coupon from April 1st SmartSource and you'll get it for FREE!!
PRODUCT	WHAT YOU WERE PAYING (RETAIL)	WHAT SAVINGSANGEL MEMBERS PAY	HOW DO THEY DO IT?
SoftSoap Nutra-Oil Moisturizing Body Wash	$4.99	FREE + They pay YOU $2!	This is no April Fool's joke. You can pick this up for FREE and they will pay you $2 for doing that! The April 1st SmartSource scores again with a $2 coupon you can bring to RiteAid who has a sale for $2.99. Then, visit riteaid.com and enter your receipt number and they will mail you $2.99! Amazing!! If you don't take advantage of this deal, you must not like money.

Remember to pray each week for the designated families. If your name is listed, please let JoAnn know of particular praises or requests, so they can be listed in the prayer guide.

April 9-15: Laurie DeJonge; Ricky and Marg Groenewoud, Brandon, Emily, Brittany, and Brett; Bud Tamminga

April 16-22: Rod and Kathy DeJonge, Connor and Nolan; Mitch and Jennifer Hertz; Pastor Dave and Ruth Van Der Wiele, Rachel and Julie

April 23-29: Scott and Mary DeJonge, Jill and Diane; Wayne and Judy Hokse, Sara and Stacey; Jan Van Wieren

April 30-May 6: Tom and JoAnn DeJonge; Rich and Linda Horn, Adam; Bob and Shelley Walters

The "Messenger" is designed to keep us informed of activities and happenings in our congregation. We welcome news items, reports, poems, personal reflections, or anything that you believe will interest others. Articles should be submitted by the last Sunday of each month.